Data has become incredibly essential for anyone wishing to conduct business in the modern age. Even before the advent of computers, business bookkeeping was very important. However, with the vast amount of data that is now involved in most business operations, the old pen-and-paper methods will never again be adequate. With all that data comes a need to secure it from corruption, deletion, theft, or other disasters. It isn’t too hard to figure this one out: Effective data backup strategies are the best way to prevent data loss.
Compliance Issues
Most industries have a variety of regulations with which they have to comply. Naturally, those regulating authorities aren’t just going to take your word for anything. You will have to produce records and data in order to prove your compliance. If you don’t have that data, you could be fined or otherwise penalized…even if you were otherwise in compliance.
As a general rule, most data protection laws are primarily concerned with the protection of personal data. Customer data should be given the highest level of protection when retained. The first thing you must do, therefore, is to figure out where all of this sensitive personal information is stored. Only then can it be controlled and backup up in a convenient way.
The Ransomware Threat
Ransomware has become a serious threat to anyone with digital assets to protect. Small businesses, large companies, and even governments have fallen prey to this insidious tactic. It is amazing that so many of these attacks succeed because there is a relatively simple way of preventing them from having any impact. That method is regular and complete data backup.
Without these backups, a ransomware attacker can have you in the palm of their hand. All they have to do is figure out some way to carry out the initial malware infection. Thus, your initial barriers will be your only protection. That situation is not acceptable, as it is not always possible to prevent a malware infection. The ransomware threat is one of the biggest reasons to back up your data.
For those of you who may not know, ransomware uses encryption to lock your data and make it inaccessible to you. Ransom demands are then sent, promising to restore access once the money is paid. Needless to say, you can’t count on these people to keep their word. It is far better to ignore the ransom demand, delete everything, and restore from the most recent backup.
Data Loss As A Result Of Hardware Problems
No computer or mobile device will last forever without repair. No matter their quality, they are subject to various stress factors that can eventually break them down. Unfortunately, when a piece of hardware goes down, anything stored on it could potentially be lost. It is often possible to salvage data from a faulty device, but not always. If the drive itself is damaged, there is definitely no hope. At the most, you might get a few partial records, and that won’t be any help.
Data loss doesn’t necessarily have to result from hackers or a cyber attack. Sometimes, data loss can occur just because a key piece of hardware went down without having its data backed up. Sooner or later, your existing data storage computers will stop working, and you never know exactly when that will happen.
Large-Scale Disasters
Since we are talking about factors that lie beyond human control, we should also talk about natural disasters and other large-scale catastrophes. Needless to say, your company probably can’t do anything to prevent these occurrences. They may be relatively rare, but they tend to be extremely damaging when they do happen.
Let’s consider the example of a hurricane. If you operate in an area that is prone to hurricanes, external data backup becomes a lot more important. That external backup site must be located farther away from your normal business site. That is the best way to ensure that the backup site will be outside of the hurricane zone. You may not be able to control or predict these occurrences, but you can plan for them. If you don’t include data backup in that plan, you are failing to guard one of your most important assets.
Accidental Deletion
Finally, we come to a problem that usually results from simple human error. When you have people using important files on a daily basis, you can bet that some people will make accidental deletions. Even one misjudged keystroke can end up deleting crucial information. If the person doesn’t realize their mistake, it will be very hard to locate. Once located, there will be no way to restore the data without a backup. Believe it or not, some very serious data loss incidents have come from accidental deletion.
Accounting And Tax Information
When it comes to important records, let’s not forget those all-important financial records! Not only are these business metrics important for future planning, but they are also required for tax purposes. If you can’t provide accurate and reliable records of your transactions and assets, you are likely to have IRS auditors breathing down your neck before long.
With all the liability issues that can result from financial transactions, good records are a must. Even something as routine as employee payroll can potentially be used against you. If someone claims that they weren’t paid, and you have no records to prove otherwise, your position will be a hard one indeed.
Conclusion
These are just some of the ways in which data backup is crucial for any business, whether large or small. Whether it comes from a malicious attacker or a simple mistake, data loss is a serious and ever-present risk. At PCH Technologies, we offer numerous solutions that can make your data backup much easier and more effective. We also offer small business computer support, large-scale IT management, and all sorts of other IT services. Don’t settle for a computer service company that doesn’t meet your needs: Instead, call us at (856) 754-7500.