Organisations like yours handle data. That’s a given. This 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 even device failure. What would happen if you didn’t have your data backed up? You’re unlikely to retrieve it, for a start, and in operational terms, you’re 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. With the NSCS reporting that in 2023 the average cost of a cyber breach reached between £15,300 and £20,900, backing up your data is more important than ever.
So, let’s get started with what you can do. We’ve put together a list of the top five things to think about when it comes to backing up your company data.
- Identify the most important data first. What is essential for your organisation to function?
- Arm yourself with cyber security knowledge. Download the National Cyber Security Centre Cloud Security Guidelines and go through them with your staff.
- Keep your backups separate from your servers and devices. The most ideal is in the cloud, but if not, an alternate location so that you don’t lose both in the event of a fire, flooding, damage or theft.
- Look into cloud data back-up services 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. Setting automatic back-ups is the best way to ensure that this simple, but extremely important, task is not forgotten. Once automated, you can rest assured that your backup is operational and effective.
If you have business cyber insurance, check the policy requirements. 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. They can and do happen. A risk assessment should flag up data backup 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 too.
Put together a best practice guide for backing up data and make sure you shop around for a cloud storage provider or a data backup solution provider, as some are more effective than others.
Data protection is just one part of making your business cyber secure. Speak to your IT support company today and carry out a Cyber Health Check to ensure you mitigate your cyber risks.
