Laptops, smartphones, connected objects... Data production has never been so high. At the same time, companies have never been so dependent on the information they produce and receive. It is therefore essential to control the lifespan of data, its storage and backup.
Although everyone agrees on its importance, computer backup remains problematic: where to start? What types of backup are there? Should we only deal with sensitive data? What about data recovery? To avoid the risk of losing your company's data, rely on the advice of our experts.
The risks of data loss
Regardless of the size of your business, backing up your data is essential. Tools are not eternal and you are never safe from loss.
Human risks such as theft, hacking, ransomware or mishandling can jeopardize the cybersecurity of your data. Environmental hazards cause flooding or fire in your premises. Machines are also not infallible:loss of a server or crash of a hard disk occur from time to time.
For the company, a loss of computer data represents a major cost both for the lack of information and for the inability of employees to work. The longer it takes to restore data, the greater the costs.
Tips for setting up a backup
The backup process starts with data management. Discover step by step the best practices to ensure optimal operation. First of all, you should know that there are three levels of backup: full backup, which stores all documents, differential backup, which stores only changes since the last full backup, and incremental backup, which includes only new data since the last differential backup.
Analyze data location and control
Before considering some backup solutions, you should already look at the location of your data. Where is it located? Is it scattered on each workstation or centralized in a Cloud ? Who has access to it? Can anyone control the permissions? Answering these questions will give you a better idea of the scope of work.
Prioritize the importance of documents
The second step concerns the classification of data. It is strategic to establish different levels of backup and protection for documents depending on their sensitivity. For very important or secret data, consider encryption, authentication and administrator control. Implementing this level of security is too time consuming if it applies to all documents, but it is worthwhile for a few items.
Secure all devices
With the variety of hardware now available, it's important to think about the level of backup, security and recovery on each device. Remember to properly configure desktops, laptops, smartphones and connected objects to ensure a consistent level of backup.
Perform an outsourced backup on a specialized host
Avoid the risk of loss due to mishandling and environmental elements with an outsourced backup. By backing up to remote servers, you'll have constant access to data wherever you are. You can also hire a solution provider to help you get everything up and running. Expert advice: choose French hosting companies, they are more regulated than American hosting companies subject to the Patriot Act. This way, no one will have access to your data.
Of course, neither USB sticks nor external hard drives are secure and reliable storage spaces.
Testing backups and restores
Once the system is set up, it is important to challenge it. Regularly check that everything is working, both for backup and recovery. This way you can anticipate any problems.
Establish a data security and backup policy
Knowing that data production comes from many actors in the company, it is essential to set a standard for all. We recommend that you institute the use of passwords on smartphones and configure workstations to enhance security.
These different steps ensure a very low level of risk and promote continuity of work, regardless of the hazards that your data undergoes. But they can sometimes be complex to implement! Our experts can assist you at every stage of your backup project. Let's talk about it together!
