Why exactly do we need a backup?!

It is an old-dated question. I thought no one can ever ask this question nowadays. But recently, one of my colleagues asked “innocently”: Why do we need a backup?!

Usually, we’re trying to align this topic with our daily life. You already have some important files, memorial photo albums, ….etc. You need to keep them like forever, and you run into SAVE them, for example, a copy from your laptop to an external hard drive.

In your subconscious, you expected that may your local hard drive will be corrupted. Or your important files get deleted accidently. Or -as common in nowadays- a ransomware can corrupt/delet/lock your files. Or even for the future use, when you will upgrade your laptop. Your data will be saved and ready to be located to another home.

Let’s talk business, imagine the same situation in your enterprise. With tons of data must be saved, because -simply- this is your business.

You don’t want to lose it. This is almost the very first reason why you need backup. System errors, crash, failures are common. Also, to avoid accidental deleting. Backup is always your plan B.

But it could happen, and imaging that you already lost some important data. All you need now to get back to your business-as-usual. in other words, to get back in your feet as quickly as possible. Here comes another reason: a competitive advantage. Because you are not alone in market. And the advantage will be for who got well-prepared.

Having your backup plan allows you to reduce your downtime. Downtimes always have negative impact on your business. But recovering from it as quick as possible is a key to keep your downtime minimum. Check this blog to plan your backup strategy.

In terms of disaster recovery and business continuity, data backup is an important component of your disaster recovery plan. It enables your business to get back to critical operations and avoid disruption.

Of course, don’t having your backup will cost you extra work, trying to rebuild your data from whatever place, or sometimes, you need to re-write it from scratch.

In terms of GRC, Data backup is important to governing bodies. Tax authorities and regulators often carry out audits for various reasons. By having a data backup you can guarantee that any financial, accounting or other regulatory information will be available.

Frankly, peace of mind is another good reason. No more sleepless night thinking of losing data and recovery. It is already backed-up. don’t worry.

What are the consequences of not having your data backed up?

No matter the type of business or the size, data loss can have potentially devastating effects. From reputational damage to downtime and lack of productivity, data privacy and compliance issues to loss of customer trust and loyalty – not having a backup could have long-lasting effects on business operations and integrity.

There several factors that drastically increase the chance of data becoming compromised, stolen, deleted or lost including:

• Cyber attacks such as Ransomware and Phishing
• Human negligence
• Human error
• Failure to backup systems regularly
• Disgruntled employees
• Natural disasters
• Hardware failure
• Theft
• Software corruption

Conclusion

Data backups are invaluable to your business. They are your plan B should the worst happen and a safety net for human error. Having data backups will save you time and money, give you a competitive edge and guarantee business continuity. 

Muhammad Adel

Former Nuclear Engineer | University Lecturer | Technology Advisor | Digital Transformation evangelist | FinTech | Blockchain | Podcaster | vExpert ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | VeeamVanguard ⭐️⭐️ | Nutanix SME | MBA | AWS ABW Grant’23

www.archtonic.net