Data Backup Strategies to Protect Your Business This Year

As a business owner, protecting your company’s data should be a top priority. Implementing a robust data backup strategy can save you from catastrophic data loss that could put you out of business. This year, make sure your data is protected with these backup strategies:

Evaluate Your Data Backup Needs

Before implementing a backup plan, take stock of your company’s data storage and backup requirements:

• What types of data need to be backed up? This includes files stored locally on computers and servers as well as data in cloud-based services.

• How much data needs to be backed up? Calculate your total storage capacity across all devices and services.

• How often does your data change? Data that changes frequently, like databases, may need to be backed up more often.

• What are your recovery time objectives? How quickly do you need to restore data in the event of a failure or data loss?

• What regulations apply to your data? Industries like healthcare and finance have compliance requirements for data backup and retention.

Choose Your Backup Type

There are three main data backup types, each with pros and cons:

Full Backups

• Backs up all data files each time it runs
• Provides complete restore capability
• Requires more storage capacity and time to complete

Incremental Backups

• Only backs up files changed since the last backup
• Uses less storage and can run faster
• Requires restoring the full backup plus all incrementals

Differential Backups

• Backs up files changed since the last full backup
• Requires less storage than incremental
• Still requires restoring the full backup plus the latest differential

For most businesses, using a mix of full and incremental or differential backups is ideal.

Choose Your Storage Media

You have several options for the media type to store backup data:

• External hard drives: inexpensive local backup, risk of physical damage
• NAS devices: networked home or office storage, on-premises only
• Cloud storage: highly resilient but dependent on internet connection

For best redundancy, use a combination like local external drives plus cloud storage.

Automate the Process

Manual backups are risky since they rely on human consistency. Instead, use backup software or scripts to automate:

• Backup schedule: Daily incremental, weekly differential, monthly full
• Backup rotations: Retain multiple versions according to schedule
• Notifications: Get alerts if a backup fails or has issues

Test restores regularly to verify your backups are working as intended.

Secure Backup Data

Since your backups contain sensitive business data, security is a must:

• Encrypt data in transit and at rest
• Control access with passwords and multi-factor authentication
• Use firewalls, VPNs, and private connections to access cloud backups
• Employ access monitoring to log backup activity

With a well-planned and automated backup strategy combining local and cloud storage, you can protect your business data from the disruptions that lead many companies to fail. Invest in backup infrastructure now that aligns with your risk tolerance and regulatory requirements.