Backing up your data is crucial to protect against natural disasters, cyber-attacks, and accidental deletion. However, Avast’s latest report reveals a concerning trend for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs): 60% of data backups fail, and half of the recovery attempts from these backups don’t work. This leads to an average of 79 minutes of downtime, costing businesses approximately $84,650 per hour.
Common Causes of Backup Failures
1. Unreliable Backup Products
Free or cheap solutions often lack the robust features of premium products, leading to less secure and reliable backups.
2. Poor Backup Timing
Scheduling backups during high-traffic periods can result in incomplete data capture.
3. Compatibility Issues
As businesses evolve, their systems and software may not align with existing backup solutions, causing backup or restoration failures.
4. Human Error
Mistakes in configuration, accidental deletions, or ignoring backup schedules can lead to failures.
Best Practices for Reliable Backups
To ensure your backups are dependable, follow these best practices:
1. Choose the Right Backup Solution
Don’t just go for well-known brands; ensure the solution meets your needs. Consider immutable backups for compliance, especially in sensitive fields like healthcare. Discuss with your IT provider about the backup technologies they use, recovery times, potential downtime, and whether backups are cloud-based, local, or a mix.
2. Follow the 3-2-1 Rule
re three copies of your data in two different formats, with one copy off-site. This reduces the risk of total data loss.
3. Daily Backup Status Reports
Ensure someone checks the backup status daily. Incomplete backups should be addressed immediately. Ask for weekly or monthly reports to verify backup success.
4. Regular Restore Tests
Periodically restore some files or the entire server to ensure backups are functional and data can be retrieved.
Don’t Ignore Your Backups
Data backups might seem like a “set and forget” task, but they are vital when disaster strikes. Whether it’s a flood, fire, or cyber-attack, a solid backup could save your business. Start a conversation with your IT provider today to ensure your backup strategy is robust and reliable.