Data is as good as cash to businesses these days. You rely on countless pieces of data every day to operate your business. And what would you do if that data were lost? How would your business recover from such a loss? Would it recover at all? Here are some things you should know about data backup if you’re going to do it effectively. For professional data backup and other necessary technical support, contact Millennium Technology Group, a top MSP for small businesses in Central Florida.
Schedule Regular Tasks
Effective backup operations need to be carefully scheduled. We call this a lifecycle operations calendar, and it includes tasks that must be completed every day and weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual tasks. It’s essential to determine how frequently each task must be completed to be effective.
Daily Backup Log Review
Most backups are done automatically. But do you want just blindly to trust that everything is being backed up properly? It only takes an IT professional a few minutes to analyze the daily backup reports. This allows you to address any issues that may arise daily before they become a major disaster.
Perform Restore Tests
Even with daily checks of the backup log, there’s no guarantee of recovery. You should include restoring tests on your lifecycle operations calendar. This helps you ensure you can recover files and systems when needed.
Have a Disaster Recovery Plan
Data backup is only a small portion of a comprehensive disaster recovery plan—something every business should have. Make your data backup checks and log reviews only a tiny part of your overall goal for recovering from significant losses. You should assess all possible risks and put a plan in place to handle them if they arise.
Test Recovery Speed
How long will it take to recover and get back to full operation? It’s a good idea to figure this out before disaster strikes. You may be able to figure out ways to improve recovery speed by testing out how long your business can function without a particular system or specific data, as well as how long it takes to get the system back online.
Encrypt Your Backups
Make sure all data you backup is encrypted. You want to be the only one who can recover the data—not hackers. Whether it’s backed up on an internal server or an online system, encrypt it all.
Consider Storage Location
Speaking of where your data is backed up, you should take some time to assess that. Typically, we recommend a hybrid model, such as cloud storage combined with local duplicated for more recent data to allow for quicker restoration.
For assistance with data backup, security, and recovery, contact our IT support services company in Orlando. Millennium Technology Group will protect your data and help you recover it swiftly if needed.