Business data goes hand-in-hand with its operations and every company’s worst nightmare is losing valuable information, which may threaten its hard-earned competitive position, ruin the company’s reputation, or lead to expensive litigation. Still it is a commonly overlooked element within businesses. Studies show that a significant number of small and medium sized businesses let their employees choose a backup method of their data. This approach is risky and may put a business in greater danger. Therefore businesses must stop passing the responsibility over to their employees and have a clear and safe backup strategy in place.
Research of over 640 SMEs conducted by Mozy, one of the world’s most trusted provider of data and backup, found that businesses do not implement safe backup strategies, despite the risk of loss of sensitive client and company data. The survey found that 60 percent of businesses do not budget for any form of backup and a third of small and medium sized businesses allow employees decide and use their most preferred method of backup. The employees could choose between online based, hardware based backup or memory stick.
Research shows that the most preferred type of backup for businesses surveyed is:
- 53% use external hard drive without some type of online backup connection;
- 36% use company servers;
- 31% use USB drives or memory stick;
- 10% of professionals asked say they email themselves copies of documents as one form of backup;
- Only 15% of businesses asked use remote, automatic online backup.
It is evident that the risk of data being lost, stolen or damaged is significant; the consequences can be truly catastrophic. It may cost the company the loss of consumer information, research, consumer relations and critical business data, leading to a direct loss in sales and profit. There could also be legal consequences.
Don’t ignore your backup, simply implement a managed backup policy. Have a strategy in place
How often do you think about backing up your data? Do you use any specific methods? Do you take any steps or just ignore your thoughts, until after you have suffered the consequences of computer failure?
Data backup needs to be an integrated part of your business. The best backup systems are automated, managed and monitored and are fast to recover if the worst happens. So how does our system work?
- Your information is copied securely to a UK based backup server, regularly, ensuring the complete security of your data.
- The backup process is entirely automated ensuring that backups are never forgotten.
- We have a member of staff whose main duty is to monitor your backup.
Remember to ask your IT expert if your current backup system is monitored. It is very important, because … Read more here…
