Data Backup Strategy: 7 Key Questions to Guide You

Why is a data backup strategy important?

Having a solid data backup strategy is critical for any business or individual today. Our data is one of our most valuable assets. Losing data can lead to massive problems including lost revenue, lower productivity, compliance issues, and reputational damage.

I discovered the hard way how important backups are when the hard drive on my laptop failed unexpectedly last year. I lost years of files and work because I didn’t have a backup system in place. It was a difficult lesson, but it taught me the importance of being proactive about safeguarding my data.

A data backup strategy helps ensure your data is protected against loss from hardware failures, ransomware attacks, natural disasters, human errors, or other risks. It gives you the ability to restore data and resume normal operations quickly if disaster strikes. Having backups separates businesses that survive major incidents from those that don’t.

What data should I back up?

Determining what data to back up is an important strategic decision. While it may seem ideal to back up “everything,” that isn’t always feasible or efficient.

Here are some key data types businesses should consider including in a backup strategy:

• Critical business systems and databases: Such as ERP platforms, CRM systems, email servers, and core databases. These systems run your business and loss of this data can cripple operations.

• Work files and folders: Including documents, spreadsheets, presentations, projects, and other regularly accessed files for your users.

• Software and configurations: Server configurations, application settings, and customizations may be essential to restore.

• Email: Email often contains vital business information that needs protection.

• Website files: The HTML, scripts, databases, and files that comprise your website.

• Mobile data: More work happens on mobile devices, so mobile contacts, files, photos, and other data may need backup.

Backing up everything isn’t always realistic. Focus on protecting your most critical business data first.

Where should I store backup copies?

Where you store backup copies is another key consideration. You want to ensure backup data is accessible when needed but also protected if primary storage is compromised.

Some common approaches include:

• Cloud storage services: Public cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud offer robust backup storage options. Cloud-based backups provide offsite protection, scalability, and accessibility.

• External hard drives or devices: Local external drives can serve as a secondary onsite backup target. This works well for quick restores and smaller datasets.

• Offsite facilities: You may want to periodically ship backup drives or tapes to an offsite facility for an extra layer of protection.

• Multiple locations: A hybrid approach that uses both local and cloud or offsite storage gives you onsite and offsite copies.

Evaluate the recovery time objective (RTO) and recovery point objective (RPO) for your most critical data. This will help guide optimal backup storage targets and locations.

How often should I run backups?

Backup frequency is a tradeoff between risk tolerance and efficiency. More frequent backups provide more restore points and minimize data loss potential in a disaster, but require more overhead.

Some guidelines for establishing backup frequency:

• Back up critical data at least daily, if not multiple times per day.
• Back up high priority data that changes frequently hourly or by the minute.
• Back up operational and work files that change less often daily or weekly.
• Perform monthly full backups to complement more frequent incremental backups.
• Consider your RPO – how much potential lost data can you tolerate? Match backup frequency to this.
• Factor in change rates, growth, and typical modification volumes for each dataset.

I recommend initially erring on the side of more frequent backups. You can adjust intervals later as you analyze change rates and growth trends. Ransomware also continues to threaten businesses – more backups limit potential infection scope and downtime.

How long should I retain backup copies?

Retaining backup copies allows you to restore previous versions and meet compliance needs. But maintaining archives indefinitely isn’t practical. Define backup retention policies that balance business needs with cost.

Common retention considerations include:

• Recovery needs: How far back might you need to recover data in a disaster?
• Compliance regulations: Some laws and regulations mandate keeping certain data. Know your requirements.
• Storage costs: Keeping too many backups gets expensive. Have an archive policy.
• Backup types: Full vs incremental backups may have different retention needs.
• Data criticality: More important data may warrant longer retention periods.

For many businesses a tiered retention policy makes sense. For example:

• Daily backups retained for 1 month
• Monthly full backups retained for 1 year
• Yearly full backups retained for 7 years

Evaluate your specific compliance, recovery, and data retention needs. Document clear retention policies tailored to your environment and business requirements.

How do I secure and protect backup copies?

Your backups do little good if they aren’t properly safeguarded. Backup security should be part of your overall data protection strategy.

Some key aspects to consider include:

• Encrypted backups: Encryption protects backup data from unauthorized access.
• Access controls: Put controls in place regulating who can access backups.
• Offsite copies: Storing backups offsite helps protect from physical breaches.
• Media handling: Follow procedures for securely moving and handling any physical media.
• Backup verification: Validate backups to ensure accuracy and recoverability.
• Cyber protection: Extend cybersecurity measures like malware detection and firewalls to your backups.

How do I test and verify backups?

A backup system provides no value if the backups are broken or faulty. You must test backups regularly to verify they are working as intended.

Some ways to test and validate backups:

• Backup integrity checks: Built-in checksums and integrity checks help but should not be the only test.
• Restoration testing: Periodically walk through full restores to validate your process and backups. Identify any gaps.
• Spot checking: Deep inspection of some backup copies to ensure files restore fully as expected.
• Log monitoring: Review backup logs closely for errors or warnings.
• Offsite testing: Consider testing restoration from offsite copies.

Frequent testing provides confidence in your backups when you truly need them. Make testing part of your monthly or quarterly processes.

Who should manage the backups?

Depending on your business size and resources, you have a few options for backup administration:

• In-house IT team: Your IT staff manages everything start to finish.
• Designated backup admin: Appoint a backup administrator, even if other tasks too.
• Third-party managed services: Outsource day-to-day administration to a managed service provider.
• Hybrid approach: Your team handles onsite backups, third party manages cloud.

No matter your approach, make sure responsibilities are clearly defined. The administrator needs to check backups daily, perform testing, manage media, adjust schedules as needed, and more.

Document your backup policies and procedures to reduce administrative knowledge gaps when new people enter the role.

Key Takeaways

• A sound data backup strategy is critical for avoiding business disruption and costly downtime when disaster strikes.
• Prioritize backing up your most important data first.
• Use both local and cloud storage for comprehensive onsite and offsite protection.
• Adjust backup frequency and retention periods based on data criticality, compliance needs and your RTO/RPO.
• Encrypt, protect and regularly test backups to ensure recoverability.
• Clearly assign backup responsibilities within your team and/or to a provider.

What questions do you have about crafting a business backup strategy? What lessons have you learned from personal or professional experience? Share your thoughts below.