Do You Have a Backup and Disaster Recovery Plan?
When BDR (backup and disaster recovery) first started being talked about years and years ago, it was usually discussed in terms of large natural disasters. Many businesses that were located outside of the areas these disasters were common, ignored all the hype. Unfortunately, many of those businesses are still being ignorant to the fact their data could be at risk today. There are plenty of disasters that can occur at a business besides natural disasters.
Another trend that we have been increasingly hearing about is cloud solutions. So if your organization has adopted cloud solutions, or even has started to allow the use of multiple devices in your workplace, you could be at risk. Where as organizations used to store their data on their LAN’s (local area networks), now data is being stored on their mobile phones, laptops they use at home, and anywhere they use files, sync and share in cloud-based apps. Are you confident that all of this data is secure? If not, are you confident that all your mission-critical value is secured? While the amount of data organizations uses has increased dramatically over the years, so has the need for prioritizing this data. Cloud solutions allows for inexpensive, off-site backup versus backing your data to tapes or disks and shipping them to an off-site location. It saves you both time and money.
Outside of natural disasters, Cyberattacks have been making the headlines a lot over the last couple years. If your organization succumbs to a cyberattack that encrypts your data and renders you useless, you need to perform data recovery. Cyberattacks aren’t limited to enterprise size companies, as hackers don’t discriminate when causing pain to an organization. Just because attacks on SMB companies don’t make the news, doesn’t mean they don’t happen. It is not enough anymore to secure your data within the workplace, any device that accesses your data can bring harm into your organization. Are you able to function if your data gets hacked and gets erased? How long will it take you to access this information from your back-up source?
Now that you are considering the importance of backing up your data in case of a disaster, the next step is what to consider when deciding how to go about doing so. Here are some important items to consider:
- Does your IT provider offer hybrid cloud backup solutions? Cloud backup offers many benefits such as reduced cost, scalability and simplicity. The rate data is increasing is causing performance issues with the WAN causing the backup window to be lengthy and also exaggerates the time to recover the data. The best way to expedite backup windows and data recovery while getting the added benefits of the cloud is to pair a cloud backup solution with an on-premise backup appliance. On-premise appliances leverage the local LAN, so backup and recovery functions are much quicker. In conjunction, data is still getting replicated to the cloud solution, providing another safe source for the data in case the on-site location is compromised.
- What does the recovery entail? It is important that you and your IT provider discuss the logistics of the recovery. You need to realistically know how much time you can be without your data and systems. You must understand that the more data your organization accumulates, the longer the recovery time will be. When choosing a solution, you must hold out for one that can get you closest to your projected targets.
- What is the Total Cost of Ownership? You need a solution that is agile and adaptable. You want to ensure your IT provider can support a solution that has enterprise-class functionality but is easy to use, deploy and support. By choosing an MSP/IT Provider that offers this type of solution, you are not only getting the best solution, but ensuring they know how to support it. Don’t settle for a solution that doesn’t fit your needs.
First and foremost, it is important to have a BDR solution and plan in place. When a disaster occurs, there is a lot of factors to deal with and your goal needs to be to get back up and running with as little damage as possible. Secondly, once this solution is in place, you need to make sure your Solution Provider can provide support and maintain this level, even as your organization changes and grows. If you need a BDR plan in place, or aren’t sure if the one you have is the best fit for your organization, give 2W Tech a call to day to discuss your options.
Read More:
What to Look for in a Managed Services Provider
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