Organisations like yours handle data. That鈥檚 a given.听This听can range from proposals, quotes and reports to customer details and payment information. From a risk assessment point of view, this data needs protection. That is why backing up your data is essential.
You have to assume the worst: fire, flooding, physical damage, theft, cyber breach or听even听device failure. What would happen if you didn鈥檛 have your data backed up? You鈥檙e unlikely to retrieve听it,听for a start, and in operational terms, you鈥檙e potentially in serious trouble.
Can you confidently say that your business protects its data. Sometimes companies ignore this due to a lack of in-house technical expertise or equipment to make safe and secure backups.听 With the reporting that in 2023 the average cost of a cyber breach reached between 拢15,300 and 拢20,900, backing up your data is more important than ever.
So, let鈥檚 get started with what you can do.听We鈥檝e听put together听a list of the top five things to think about when听it comes to听backing up your company data.
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- Identify the most听important听data first. What is essential for your organisation to function?
- Arm yourself with cyber security knowledge. Download and go through them with your staff.
- Keep your听backups听separate from your servers and devices. The most ideal is in the cloud, but if not, an alternate location so听that you听don鈥檛 lose both in the event of a fire, flooding, damage or theft.
- Look into from a trusted service provider. That way, should the worst happen, you can retrieve your data from anywhere.
- Make backing up a part of everyday life.听Setting automatic back-ups is the best way to ensure that this听simple,听but extremely听important,听task听is not forgotten.听 Once automated, you can rest assured that your backup is operational and effective.
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If you have business cyber insurance, check the policy requirements.听 Most insurance companies require you to mitigate your cyber risks, so if you are not securing your data, the policy may not be valid.
Remember, you are not immune to device failure or disaster.听They听can and do happen. A risk assessment should flag up data听backup听as part of your prevention measures. Backing up your business data can also help protect against malware and ransomware, so think about it as part of your cyber security protection procedures听too.
Put together a best practice guide for backing up data听and听make sure you听shop around for a cloud storage provider or a听data backup听solution provider, as some are more effective than others.
Data protection is just one part of making your business cyber secure.听 Speak to your IT support company today and carry out a Cyber Health Check to ensure you mitigate your cyber risks.
