In the modern world governed by automated processes and remote work, security is of utmost importance. Many questions go through concerned Internet users’ heads: ‘Is it possible to lose my website?’ ‘Can hackers take it down and delete important data?’ Unsurprisingly, the answer to those is… yes! As we all know, some things are out of your control, but certain precautions can save your website and, more importantly, your business. One of the most important things to do to avoid tragedy is to create backups.
What is a backup? The best practices for backup creation
Backup is the process that results in the creation and storage of copies of important business data. Ideally, it is only a protection against data loss and is never used. However, if the backup is needed, the actions taken involve restoring the data to either the original location or an alternate location and using it in place of damaged or lost information. The place of storage is a very important characteristic of a backup. It must be a separate system, server, or any other medium that cannot be subject to possible failure. It can be an external drive, disk storage system, cloud storage container, tape drive, etc. There has even been a rule created for backup solutions. It is a so-called 3-2-1 backup strategy According to this rule, one should have: three copies of their data stored on two different media (disk, type, etc.) with one offsite copy. Another important rule regarding backups is to make backup copies regularly. The more time passes between the backups the more data will be lost forever in case of a failure.
The three types of backups
As a business owner who already knows the importance of having backups, you may wonder how data is copied. You can choose from three types of backups and create the copies in the way that is best suited to your needs:
- Full backup – a copy of the full data set is created, which constitutes the complete copy of your business data
- Incremental backup – this type of backup initially creates a full copy of organizational data and each time another backup is performed, it only copies the areas which changed since the last backup. This is a very storage-efficient and fast type of backup
- Differential backup – it is very similar to incremental backup but has one difference. Every time a differential backup is created, it makes the copy of all data changed since the last full backup, not the previous backup
When will you need backup?
There are multiple kinds of failures that result in the use of backup:
- Hardware failure – a malfunction of electronic circuits of a device with a computer system (disks, drives, tapes, etc.); the recovery from such failure requires a repair of a broken part
- Software failure – occurs when the software provided has ceased to deliver the expected result; in other words, the software crashes or is unable to continue processing data
- Human error – these happen when the data is accidentally deleted, recent changes are not saved, or the data is simply misplaced; human errors might also be the reason for a hardware failure
- Data corruption or a malicious attack – these constitute another example of failures caused by human actions; they are however most often done on purpose and called the cyberthreats
Let us have a closer look at a specific example of the last type of failures in the next paragraph.
A well-deserved holiday for a successful businessman
Imagine a situation where you are an owner of a well-prospering, reputable, and trustworthy business. Maybe there is not much to imagine at this point, as this is your day-to-day life (which I very much hope so!) but read on. At the moment, you are enjoying holidays in an exotic country. Perhaps lying on the beach with your significant other by your side. You are sipping on your favourite drink and simply living your dream. Suddenly, your mobile phone rings. It is your partner, who has taken charge of the business for the time of your holidays. You know something is up as soon as you see their name displayed on the screen of your smartphone. It must be, as they would never phone you while you were on holiday unless something important happened. And indeed, when you pick up you hear: 'We have been hacked. All of our and clients’ confidential data is lost'…
Sounds like the worst nightmare, does it not? That is why choosing a wise backup plan is crucial for you and your business's well-being. You may perhaps think that such stories only happen in the movies but… do they? Think about how many stories of a data leak or breach you have heard of recently. And do you think they were so hyped up because the affected companies were large and well-known? Certainly. But if such things can happen to a large company with thousands of specialists working on its cyber security, they can happen to any company. That is when the backups can save not only your business but also its reputation.
Sailing Byte gives you peace of mind in the face of the unexpected
There are two possible scenarios for the ending of the story from the previous paragraph. In the first scenario, you panic or even get a heart attack. You know your worst nightmare has just come true. In the second scenario, you look at the glass you have not stopped sipping from and ask your business partner to hold on the line for just a brief moment. You quickly wave at the waiter and as he rushes to check up on you, you joyfully say: 'May I have another one of those Mojitos?' Why are you so unbothered by the recently received news? Because you know that all your company data is protected by Sailing Byte. Firstly, Sailing Byte is insured for such cases as data breaches (you can read more on that and other instances in the post about our Lloyds insurance). Secondly, you trusted Sailing Byte with creating backups of all your data, so you will be able to retrieve all information needed to quickly get back on track with your business. Your company may go through a few bumps along the way, but it will most definitely not be anywhere near the end of your business.
I think I know which scenario you would prefer. Do not hesitate and book a consultation with Sailing Byte to choose your individualized backup plan. For a relatively low price, we offer:
- Secure backups on the external server
- Encryption of your files
- Easy redundancy of your choice
- Easy access to your files
- ‘Set and forget’ - only monthly reports will remind you about your copies
- Easy pricing
Let us protect your data so that you can enjoy not only stress-free holidays but also a stress-free life.
