Data is a vital part of any given organization, large or small. All business operations are dependent on specific data. If you have a small business, it is imperative that you have your data archived, it will be helpful in future, and your enterprise depends on it for continuity.
Which is why it is essential that you have your data backed up regularly to ensure that it is secure and protected from any form of risk and theft. There are so many methods of data backup, and the most effective of them is online or cloud backup. With software like ottomatik, the operations have been made a lot easier and no longer have to be a burden.
The following tips will help you do efficient data backup to the cloud for your business
- Choose the right third-party backup solution for you
Selecting a data backup provider can be a tough task. To ensure that you do it right, it is crucial that you task yourself to some homework. First of all, you need a solution that takes care of all your needs; also you should have a service provider that you have a trusting relationship with and is committed to giving you exemplary service.
- Understand the terms of your contract with your SaaS providers
Take time to understand what your SaaS provider covers regarding data protection. Do not make any assumptions as to what extent your providers may be able to assist you in case of any accidental.
Most providers will guard your data against hardware failure, natural calamities and so on. However, they may not necessarily be able to help you in case of malicious or accidental loss. You need to know what your provider can or cannot do to protect your data.
Most of the SaaS solutions have training as part of the package. You can also get training by hiring experts. Why is it so important? Most of data loss can be attributed to human error.
Have the personnel that handles data backup processes trained on how to manage backup and restore data in case of loss from your end. You will be surprised by how much you will reduce instances of such accidents on your end.
It is where data backup tools come into play. There is no point of you doing the backup manually. First of all, it will take you so much time that you would have otherwise used in other productive activities. Second and most crucial, manual backup is vulnerable to errors such as forgetting to backup important files.
Automate your backup: set it and forget it!
Testing your restore will help you with coming up with a contingency plan. You will be able to know the impact that data loss will have on your business activities: how long it will take you to resume normal operations.
Also, there is no better way of having your workforce be more careful than knowing the consequences the business could suffer in case of a loss.
Note that online backup brings convenience to the access of data to your workforce. However, note that this freedom has its set of drawbacks. Your data may be vulnerable to manipulation.
It is why you need to come up with clearly laid policies on who can access your files. Most of the SaaS platforms allow you to apply permissions, this way you can control access to your data.
Among the main ideas of having a cloud backup is protecting your data if your site is exposed to a high level of risk.
If you want your data to be recovered, note that it will be way faster to retrieve it from a local backup than from the cloud. It is essential that you also have data backup at your data center for quick recovery in case of mild disasters.
You are well aware that cloud backup can take a while to complete: depending on the amount of data. It could take even months.
When you are just getting started, the first backup could take really long. It is imperative for you to give priority to the most important files. Configure your cloud backup to take care of your files in order of importance, starting with the most crucial of documents and concluding with the unrecognized files on your computer.
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- Involve application administrators
The catch is that by having the application owners help in the data backup process, you will save time and money. The process will be a bit faster and flexible.
Also, collaborating the efforts of the application owners and your IT team will give them a better understanding of the backup processes which will become useful to the organization in the long run. It will boost responsibility and data security.
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What is bandwidth throttling? First of all, you need to know that in this case, it is not illegal. Bandwidth throttling in the deliberate slowing down of internet speed to regulate usage during traffic or congestion.
Most of the software has a bandwidth throttling feature. How does it help? It will allow you to be able to perform your other tasks at the same time have your data backed up to the cloud.
Remember that cloud backup could take up all your bandwidth and slow down everything else. Bandwidth throttling will help you find a middle point between cloud backup and other web activities.
In as much as data backup to the cloud gives you the assurance you so long for. It is still your responsibility to ensure that your backup is safe and in good shape regardless of where it is located. You need to do serious background research on your provider to be sure that your data is in safe hands.