In a day and age where threats to your organization’s vital data can come from a wide range of sources, data backups and disaster recovery measures are now more important than they have ever been before. While the growing prevalence of these threats is certainly a cause for concern, the good news is that organizations in 2019 have plenty of options as to how they wish to protect their important data and keep their network online.
Below, we’ll take a look at what data backups and disaster recovery entails, why these measures are necessary, and the steps that you can take to ensure that both your organization’s data as well as your network are secured.
What are Data Backups and Why Are They Necessary?
If your organization stores important data on physical servers, it is essential to back up that data either by storing copies of it on the cloud, using dedicated backup appliances, or storing copies of it on a hybrid-cloud architecture. Natural disasters as well as human error present the threat of erasing your irreplaceable data for good if it is only stored in one physical location. Having your data backed up on the cloud or on a dedicated backup appliance, though, can help ensure that you are able to retrieve your data if your on-site servers malfunction or are destroyed. Even if your data is retrievable after a disaster, data backups can help you avoid costly downtime, enabling you to continue accessing and using your data while your on-site servers are being repaired.
Just as importantly, data backups can help protect your organization against the growing threat of ransomware attacks as well. During a ransomware attack, hackers will, in essence, take control of an organization’s data and hold it hostage until a ransom is paid. If your data is backed up on the cloud or on a dedicated backup appliance, though, you will still be able to access your data even if you are hit with a ransomware attack, enabling you to avoid most of the serious consequences that come with these attacks.
What is Disaster Recovery and Why is it Necessary?
Disasters that present a threat to your organization’s network can come in many different forms. Sometimes, natural disasters and power outages can render your servers inoperable, taking your network offline for an extended period of time. Simple human error often causes issues with an organization’s network as well, and just one mistake is sometimes enough to take your network offline. Lastly, purposeful attacks from cybercriminals can be just as devastating to an organization’s network as major natural disasters, leading to costly periods of extended downtime.
The process of disaster recovery is all about addressing these potential threats and eliminating the possibility of extended downtime as much as possible. Keep in mind that downtime is incredibly costly for many businesses, leading to a loss of productivity, a loss of customers and sales, and damage to the company’s reputation that is often unrepairable. In fact, a staggering 43% of disaster-affected businesses never reopen. When faced with a disaster that has crippled your network, getting your network back online as quickly as possible is essential in order to avoid ending up as a part of this statistic- and an effective disaster recovery plan can help.
The best disaster recovery plans entail a multi-faceted approach to disaster recovery. Data backups are a crucial part of disaster recovery, but data backups alone are not enough to protect your organization from extended downtime when your network has been taken offline by a major disaster. In addition to data backups, an effective disaster recovery plan should include things such as employee training, disaster recovery documents and policies to guide you and your team through the disaster recovery process, multi-site mirroring that enables you to bring your network back online at a second location, and more.
With the help of an effective disaster recovery plan, organizations can prepare for the consequences of major disasters and put in place measures that allow them to retrieve their data and bring their network back online in a timely manner. Without an effective disaster recovery plan, many organizations are just one major disaster away from an extended period of costly downtime that cripples their operations for good. For this reason, disaster recovery plans are essential for organizations of all sizes and in a wide range of industries.
How Hi-Tex Solutions can Help Protect Your Organization from Data Loss and Downtime
At Hi-Tex solutions, we understand how important it is for organizations in 2019 to protect their data through data backups and prevent extended downtime through effective disaster recovery procedures. At a time when threats to your organization’s data as well as your network are growing increasingly prevalent, the importance of data backups and disaster recovery cannot be taken for granted. Thankfully, if you are concerned about securing your data and protecting your network from major disasters, we at Hi-Tex Solutions are able to help.
Through our cutting-edge data backup and disaster recovery services, we can ensure that your data remains accessible even if your on-site servers are compromised as well as ensure that your organization is able to respond to disasters that take your network offline as quickly and effectively as possible. Our technology-driven, multi-faceted approach to disaster recovery entails offering remote backup and storage and multi-site mirroring as well as helping your organization develop the documents and policies needed to respond to a disaster in a timely and effective manner. Meanwhile, our cloud storage services ensure that you are always able to access your vital data even if your on-site servers are compromised.
If you would like to learn more about how Hi-Tex solutions can protect your organization from data loss and downtime through our industry-leading data backup and disaster recovery services, we invite you to contact us today.
