Data breach costs soared to a 17-year-high in 2021, IBM reports. Businesses in the US lost an average of $4.24 million; most could have avoided this with secure IT management.
More companies than ever use remote workstations. This can put your business data at risk. Home systems may be less secure, but even office systems are vulnerable to data loss.
Data disaster recovery helps you mitigate these risks. Managed IT services can defend your data with a disaster recovery plan. This cuts the costs of data loss and keeps your business moving.
But why is data disaster recovery so vital? Do small businesses need it? What methods of data loss prevention are there?
We have a guide with all you need to know. Read on and protect your data.
Why You Need Data Disaster Recovery
Your business can lose data in countless ways. Many of these are less dramatic than you might think. Some seem mundane until they result in major downtime and net losses.
Let’s take a look at the main causes of data loss.
Human Error
You are your own worst enemy when it comes to data. Human error is one of the most common causes of data loss. From a spilled drink to theft to clicking the wrong button, human error takes many forms.
Data loss occurs from failing to save, copy, or back up business data. You and your team can overwrite or delete data, corrupt files, or lose physical copies. Mistakes happen, but with a disaster recovery plan, you can move on.
Hardware Failure
Mechanical hard drives can fail; their disks can wear with time. Solid-state drives (SSDs) have fewer moving parts, but they have weaknesses too. Your hardware is vulnerable, but it is an essential tool in your business toolkit.
Power surges or outages can damage your data storage. Outdated equipment may reach the end of its life cycle, taking your data with it.
Relying on hardware for backup makes you prone to data loss. Data disaster recovery assesses your data needs. It optimizes your storage locations for data loss prevention.
Software Failure
Operating systems can crash. Updates may introduce compatibility issues, and files can corrupt during transfers. Bugs exist in most software, and a disaster recovery plan ensures you still have what you need.
This is why consumer computers ask you to back up before system updates. This applies to business systems, but their shared networks make them more complex.
Malware and Cybercrime
KIA Motors, Acer, and the Washington D.C. Police Department suffered ransomware attacks in 2021, reports ISACA.
Malware can corrupt your data or hold it for ransom. Your operating system, applications, and files can harbor malware. Opening a link on the wrong email can install malicious code onto your computer.
There’s more than ransomware lurking in the cybercrime depths. Data thieves can use remote access tools (RATs), phishing, and identity theft to steal your data. IT security audits help keep your data safe.
Natural Disasters
Floods devastate your electronic infrastructure. Their effects can ruin a business; even with insurance, you will lose data without a plan. Floods can occur in nature, or even from a burst pipe in the office above you.
Fire, earthquakes, and extreme weather pose threats too. The latter can overheat hardware or freeze essential components. The Texas snowstorm of 2021 is a prime example of our vulnerability to nature.
Methods for Backing Up Your Data
One of the keys to data loss prevention is how and where you back up your data. Hardware solutions must team up with software and cloud solutions to keep you safe.
Data encryption keeps your data out of the wrong hands. The two main classes are symmetric and asymmetric encryption. Both use keys to encrypt and decrypt data.
Even if thieves gain access to your data, its contents will be unreadable without the key. This can cut your business losses and prevent a public relations crisis. Encryption is one of your key data protection tools.
Once you have your data encrypted, you need physical and cloud storage backups. Physical backups can be on hard drives, solid-state drives, and data storage centers. Backing up your data in many places is essential.
Cloud storage lets your team share data, co-work on projects, and gives you a data backup. It saves your data from natural disasters, physical theft, and hardware failures.
Always encrypt cloud data to prevent data theft if your login falls into the wrong hands. IT management services can set up your cloud storage for you. They can integrate it and optimize security.
Create a Data Disaster Recovery Plan
The best data loss prevention methods fall flat without a plan. For this, you need to enlist the help of data professionals. They will identify, evaluate, and protect your data assets.
Choose a data management service in your local area to ensure they are there when you need them. Investing in an IT support company gives you peace of mind. They can keep your business running.
Managed IT services can analyze your data needs to create a disaster recovery plan. This will take into account security, data sensitivity, backups, retrieval, and swift recovery.
Hire IT Management Professionals
We hope our guide to data disaster recovery helped you to protect your data. Your business relies on data to run, and a loss can devastate your progress or worse. With data loss prevention strategies, you can keep your data safe.
Our team at Be Structured Technology Group specializes in data management and security. We can secure your data, create cloud backups, and boost your business performance.
Since 2007, we have lent a helping hand to Los Angeles IT support for local businesses and they have thrived. We serve businesses of all sizes, small, large, and non-profits.
Get in touch today for your free consultation.
