World Backup Day is right around the corner, on March 31st. Your business data and systems are incredibly valuable assets, and it is vital to protect them from hackers, malware, and human error. Created by Ismail Jadun in 2011, World Backup Day is the perfect time to back up those assets. In celebration of this holiday, we have decided to share a few key backup tips for your business!

Have Multiple Backups

You can never have too many backups. The best course of action is always to be prepared for anything, so having multiple backups ensures that your data is safe even if you lose one set of backup files. For good measure, keep physical backups in multiple locations. If your business experiences a flood, fire, or other natural disasters, you wouldn’t want every backup system to be in the same space. Backing up files to the cloud is also a fantastic way to store your data. Cloud storage can automatically sync backups and can be accessed from anywhere, which is useful if you have employees working remotely. But since both physical and cloud storage have their own weaknesses, it is a good idea to have multiple backups across both options.

Set a Schedule

Regardless of how you decide to back up your business data, you must set a schedule to regularly back up any new data. Cloud systems may offer automatic backup functions, which can be very convenient. Physical hard drives will need to be manually updated, although they can upload data more quickly than cloud systems. Also, consider how much data could be lost in between backups, and then determine a schedule that results in the least possible data loss. For instance, if your business backs everything up on Monday morning, and then suffers from a malware attack on Friday; your business would lose an entire week’s worth of data. Compare that to backing up daily or even hourly. You never know when a disaster is going to strike, so make sure your business is routinely backing up files.

Test the Backup & Recovery Systems

Once you’ve set up your cloud backups and external backups, and established a routine schedule, then it is time to test these systems. It is imperative for your business and your peace of mind to know that the backups are working properly. Is everything syncing on time? Is any data missing from the backups? Are your external hard drives almost full? Can all of the data be recovered within your Recovery Time Objective (RTO)? Just as you need to regularly back up data, you also must regularly verify that everything is actually being backed up. If you find that something is not functioning correctly, then your business can fix that problem before suffering any real data losses.

Modern businesses rely on their data to operate, make sales, and retain customers. How would your business be affected by a sudden data loss? With proper backup systems, you can protect your data and your business. Our IT specialists offer top-notch business backup and recovery services. Or consider our White Glove IT services for comprehensive IT services including hosting and management. Don’t hesitate to contact us today to get started!