What is Data Backup and Disaster Recovery?

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Many businesses have processes in place to back up essential data and documentation. Additionally, they take broad-stroke steps to protect their infrastructure in the event of a data breach, cyberattack, natural disaster, or accident. However, data backup and the disaster recovery process go miles beyond saving your essential office files in a second computer or a cloud-based location. 

A staggering 75% of small businesses don’t have a disaster plan, which can be fatal to a company. In fact, according to a 2022 Forbes article, 60% of small businesses that are victims of a cyberattack go out of business within six months.   

Being thoroughly protected against cyberattacks and other disasters is instrumental to any company’s safety and continuing function. This starts with understanding how a comprehensive IT disaster recovery plan works. 

So, when overseeing the day-to-day operations of your business, take a moment to take stock of what protections you have in place to keep your company secure. Understanding the disaster recovery process and what you require to get back on your feet in the event of a data breach or other disaster is useful. This will help you have peace of mind so that your company can weather any storm. 

What is Data Backup? 

Data backup is a process where all the data and applications on a business’s servers are stored in a remote location. The data backup helps in case a cyberattack or other emergency leads to a system-wide failure. Data backup entails essential files and documentation, to be sure. This also includes software, apps, and entire volumes of emails, folders, and other pertinent tools that aren’t as obvious as straightforward documents. 

If an individual loses a laptop or mobile device but has backed up data in another location, it can generally take just a few days to be up and running again. However, the timeline is much longer when it comes to a business.  

This is because backing up data and restoring the original data are entirely different processes.  

The Process of Data Backup  

When it comes to restoration, backed-up data can be damaged, or there can be data quality errors when it is reintroduced into a new or repaired company system. In addition, the directories that organize all this information can easily be skewed or missing, and applications must be reconfigured. This process must also be repeated for all computers, laptops, and any device that connects to a larger server, so the more data a business has, the more time-consuming restoring this data becomes. 

This is where a managed security services provider steps in. Smart managed IT services foresee these potential data restoration issues from miles away. Additionally, our IT experts put steps in place when it comes to data backup to make restoring information as streamlined as possible.

This includes protecting essential software like Office 365 or SharePoint data. However, it also entails saving and later restoring entire volumes of specific files, emails, or folders in an organized way so that a company has the fastest recovery time possible. 

What is a Disaster Recovery Plan? 

Data backup and recovery is just one component of a greater disaster recovery plan. The disaster recovery process includes the steps and methods implemented if a data breach or other emergency occurs. 

In other words, data backup entails the act of storing your imperative data. Still, your broader disaster recovery plan outlines the best practices for this process, and the eventual restoration of your systems. 

There are several factors to consider when creating a disaster recovery plan for data backup and other restoration operations.

Moreover, companies will generally want to include the following: 

  • Perform automated and offsite remote backups regularly and continuously, so that stored data does not become outdated, and a company doesn’t lose essential but newer files and apps. 
  • Ensure that the data is encrypted and saved at SOC 2 compliant data centers so that a cyberattack doesn’t trickle into the backed-up data. 
  • Replicate two copies of all data – not just one – as an extra precaution to ensure a fast and comprehensive recovery. 
  • Have a copy of the data that is completely offline and disconnected from the internet for enhanced protection against ransomware attacks. 
  • To minimize downtime, be able to restore files immediately, 24/7, instead of during set working hours.  

The Importance of Having a Data Recovery Plan in Place 

When it comes to data recovery, speed, and quality are everything for a business.  

When a data breach or other emergency occurs, operations come to a standstill, and your entire organization is affected from the inside out. This affects your personnel’s downtime, to be sure. However, it can also hurt a company’s reputation, ability to serve customers, and ability to function in any capacity.  

This is why when it comes to safeguarding your information and your IT infrastructure, you need to have a disaster recovery plan in place so that restoration efforts are as comprehensive and fast as possible. 

Emeritus is the Best Partner for Data Backup and Disaster Recovery 

Many small businesses don’t have the resources to constantly back up data and ensure that all of the security checks and extra precautions are in place to fully protect their company’s information.  

However, having a stellar disaster recovery plan doesn’t have to be on a company’s shoulders alone.  The best thing a company can do to maintain its data protection is to partner with an expert in IT support services. 

Texas is our home base at Emeritus, but we provide full IT support services and protection to small and mid-sized companies across the country. Also, we specialize in businesses that need extra protection and are especially suspectable to attacks, like healthcare providers and related healthcare facilities. 

Don’t just conduct a data backup – create a disaster recovery plan that covers all the bases to ensure complete security and full restoration. 

At Emeritus, we are standing by to start a conversation about all your IT support service needs. We’re ready to discuss how we can help your company survive and thrive after any cyber crisis.  

Contact us today.