Data loss and unplanned downtime are two of the greatest threats to businesses today. Without a comprehensive backup and disaster recovery (BDR) strategy, your company could suffer catastrophic losses due to a security breach, a natural disaster, or other unforeseen events.
The good news is that a managed IT services provider (MSP) can help you develop a BDR strategy that will keep your data and systems secure and available.
What is a backup and disaster recovery strategy?
A BDR strategy is an action plan designed to protect your IT infrastructure against loss, damage, or any other kind of disruption. It includes detailed backup procedures for regularly backing up data and systems, as well as plans for restoring them in the event of an outage or a disaster.
The goal of a BDR strategy is to ensure that your business can quickly recover from any unexpected event, with minimal disruption to your operations.
Why is it important to have a BDR strategy?
The main purpose of implementing a BDR strategy is to protect your business from potentially devastating losses. Unplanned downtime can cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost productivity and lost customers, while data loss can lead to compliance violations and legal repercussions.
Having a BDR strategy in place reduces the risk of these kinds of losses, allowing you to remain resilient in the face of any potential disaster.
How can an MSP help?
An MSP can provide invaluable assistance in developing and implementing a comprehensive BDR strategy. They will work with you to identify your business's specific needs, and then design and implement a tailored solution that meets those needs.
In particular, an MSP can help with the following:
Data classification and backup
An MSP can help you identify your most important data so you can prioritize them for backup. They typically classify data into four types:
- Public – data that any employee can access
- Internal-only – data that only certain users can access
- Confidential – data that requires specific authorization and/or clearance to access
- Restricted – highly sensitive data that requires the highest levels of security
By understanding the types of data your business generates and the level of security they require, an MSP can help ensure that your data is properly backed up and stored.
RTO and RPO setting
Setting realistic recovery time objectives (RTOs) and recovery point objectives (RPOs) is critical to the success of any BDR strategy. An MSP can help you determine how long it should take for your systems and data to be restored in the event of an outage or disaster, as well as how far back your backups need to be to ensure you can recover all your data.
Infrastructure assessment
An MSP can assess your existing infrastructure to identify any areas that are vulnerable to outages or security breaches. They can then suggest measures to mitigate these risks, such as implementing redundant systems for critical applications or upgrading your network security.
Testing and maintenance
Your BDR plan must be regularly tested and updated to ensure it remains effective in the face of changing technology and threats. An MSP can help you do this by regularly testing backups, updating systems and software, and performing other maintenance tasks.
Data security education
An MSP can also provide your employees with training to ensure they understand data security best practices, such as identifying phishing scams and adhering to security protocols. These simple measures can help reduce the risk of a data breach or other security incident.
By taking advantage of an MSP's expertise and experience, you can be sure that your BDR strategy is comprehensive, up to date, and tailored to your specific needs. Not only will an effective BDR strategy reduce your risk of suffering a costly outage, but it will also give you peace of mind that your business is prepared for any eventuality.
Kortek Solutions can provide your business with the guidance and support it needs to create and implement a BDR strategy that works for you. Get in touch with our specialists to get started.