Here’s a hypothetical scenario: Your business partner sent you a hard drive containing important files. You copied the files to your office computer and sent back the hard drive to your partner. While trying to access the files you saved, your computer malfunctioned. You can’t access the file anymore and your business partner already deleted the files from their end. What are you going to do?
Data loss is a serious problem that can be costly to your business and can even lead to legal issues. The solution is to always have a backup of your files. But how often do you need to back up your data? Do you need to hire a managed IT services provider (MSP) or should you do it yourself? Get the answers to these questions and learn how backing up your data can save you money.
How often should you back up your data?
You might think it’s unlikely that you'll lose critical business data so you choose not to back it up, but not having data backups is far more risky. When you regularly back up your data, you're ensuring you're protected from hackers, viruses, defective hardware, and data loss caused by human error.
Should you back up company data on a daily basis? The answer is yes. Backing up every day not only saves you money, but it can also save you from the hassle of losing your data or from the costs involved in trying to recover important files. When considering how often data should be backed up, you should also take note that there are types of data like transactional ones that need to be backed up more frequently.
It’s also ideal to have a backup of everything. In case you want to be more strategic with your backup service, you can use this checklist to help you determine what kinds of files are worth saving:
- Employee and client information/database
- Financial records
- Corporate communications
- Business plans
How could you secure your data backup?
It’s recommended that you don’t back up files in the same location as the original data, as this defeats the purpose of creating a backup. MSPs usually offer various storage options such as physical hardware and cloud-based storage. Using one type of backup is okay and might save you some money, but having a combination of backups is more beneficial. If one backup fails, at least you’ll have peace of mind knowing that another backup is still available.
It’s also best to regularly check if your backup solution is properly running. Backup software/hardware can malfunction or experience downtime events, so it’s important to do periodic checks to ensure that your data can be recovered when needed.
Should you hire a managed IT services provider or let your in-house team do backups?
Without guidance from IT experts, non-IT or untrained employees can become a liability, as they may fall victim, for example, to phishing attacks that can lead to a data breach, financial loss, and reputational damage. Hiring a reputable MSP can help you create a solid backup strategy that saves you time and prevents you from incurring data loss-related expenses.
However, this doesn’t mean that you and your team should leave everything to IT experts. You should work hand in hand with your MSP. Everyone should be trained in and practice safety protocols when downloading, accessing, saving, and backing up important company files. Trust your MSP and work with them to create a solid backup strategy for you.
You might be overwhelmed with the variety of backup solutions out there, but you shouldn’t worry! If you need more information on how to back up your data, we can help. Contact Kortek Solutions’ IT support team today and let’s discuss the best backup plans for you.