In light of the recent World Backup Day, which saw numerous calls for companies to be vigilant with their backups, we thought it timely to bring attention to one of the most important rules when it comes to protecting a company’s data.
The 3-2-1 rule is widely regarded as the rule for recovery and it’s relatively simple to follow. If you’re not already using it, read on to find out what it means and how to get started…
These days most of us use the cloud to backup data, which is a great solution, but storing one copy in the cloud is simply not sufficient as a disaster recovery strategy, especially not if your business operations rely on your data. DDoS attacks, data breaches, phishing and whaling scams are becoming widespread across all industries and cyber criminals don’t discriminate on size – in fact, SMEs are disproportionately targeted – so it’s vital that your business is prepared should the worst happen.
If you get caught out you could lose access to your own system and files and even face a ransom demand to have your own data returned to you, like this recent horror story.
So how do you prepare?
The 3-2-1 backup rule simply states that you should make three copies of your data available on two different media with one of these stored offsite. So if you’ve currently got one backup in the cloud, that’s a great start, but you need two more in different locations before you can truly say your data is securely backed up.
Once you have your backup strategy, make sure you have protocols in place to ensure regular backups are taken so your copies are all up to date. This way, should the very worst happen, you know you can recover your data and continue business like normal.
Here at Cloud Heroes, the disaster recovery solutions we design for our customers all include storing at least one backup copy in a secure off-site location, but disaster recovery is more than just where you backup your data. It’s how your organisation would get back on its feet in any situation – theft, fire, floods are also debilitating factors that can strike at any time.
There’s also another crucial factor to consider: time. How long can your business survive without access to its systems and files? How much time do you need to restore your backups on suitable systems? How much is this downtime going to cost you?
Every business is different, but we usually recommend customers calculate the estimated loss of earnings by working out how much revenue is lost per hour/day and weighing this up against the estimated time it will take them to replicate their systems or restore lost data. The loss of equipment, for instance following an office break in or other theft, is relatively easy to mitigate by switching to cloud-based solutions such as hosted desktop, hosted Exchange email and VOIP telephony systems. All of these can be accessed from anywhere, anytime and without your hardware.
There’s a lot to consider when setting up a disaster recovery plan. If you’re unsure how to go about it or you suspect your existing plan isn’t up to scratch, one of our solutions architects would be happy to chat through your options and recommend the best way forward. Simply call us on 01225 776 555, email us or start a live chat through our website.
