Businesses, how to back up your data?

Today, Wednesday 31 March 2021, is International Data Backup Day. This is an opportunity for us to come back to this extremely important subject for companies. The loss of data or the unavailability of the information system have great risks of strongly disrupting the activities of the company. It is essential for professionals to guard against these problems before they arise and paralyse work.

The recent incident in the data centres of the hosting company OVH reminded everyone of the importance of taking into account the security and backup of data. Many companies have seen their activity stopped for several days and others have lost millions of data. This could have been avoided by taking out a double backup.

The first step for the company is to prioritise the data according to its importance and thus define which data should be protected first. This step will also define the volume to be stored and therefore allow an appropriate budget to be allocated.
There are several methods for backing up company data:

Locally: the 3 – 2 – 1 method

Already discussed in a previous article, this method allows the company to control its own backups. To be effective, it requires extreme rigour and can be tedious as soon as the company grows. It consists of having at least 3 copies of your data, stored on 2 different media (independent, in case of failure) and 1 copy kept off-site for greater security (fire, theft). The copy stored off-site should be entrusted to a trusted person as it is the only one that can be used to recover data in the event of fire or flooding, for example.

The limitations of this method lie in the human nature of its implementation. Any negligence could jeopardise the company’s data. It is also restrictive because it requires daily actions to be optimal. In addition, it is essential to regularly check the compliance of the backups carried out in order to avoid any unpleasant surprises should the need arise.

Externally: the Cloud

Hosting your data in the Cloud offers all the advantages of dematerialisation. Backup management is automated and there is nothing left to do manually. Cloud services offer your data excellent protection, even for the most sensitive data. With these services, data is accessible from anywhere in the world. Storage capacity can be increased or decreased at any time. This service offers speed and simplicity to its users to optimise their daily life and allow them to be efficient. It is a solution that can be adapted to the majority of companies. It can be complementary to the 3-2-1 method. However, some will need further customisation.

Disaster Recovery Plan and Business Continuity Plan

Finally, the best solution for companies is to have a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) or Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP) put in place by an IT specialist. With these methods, data is backed up thanks to an advanced strategy. This action plan, drawn up by an expert, enables you to guarantee that the data is fully backed up. Regular testing ensures that these processes are working properly.

If the company chooses these methods, it is necessary to anticipate their implementation by several months. Indeed, time must be taken to identify the critical data and applications to be backed up. These are evolving devices, which must be constantly kept up to date. In addition, it is essential to draw up precise specifications listing the critical data and applications. It is advisable to set up a DRP off-site, ideally in a datacenter, as it must be independent of the company’s infrastructure. If it is carried out on site and a disaster occurs, the DRP/CPD will be lost.

In conclusion, whatever solution is chosen, we recommend that companies take the backup of their data seriously. A professional will be able to advise you and help you set up an offer adapted to your needs and your budget. At West Info, our experts are available to answer all your questions. Contact us for more information.

Did you know?

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