World Backup Day is that once-a-year reminder why you need a backup, and if you don’t have a backup, start one!
Why You Need A Backup
Your business or organization exists for a purpose. It was created out of nothing and became an entity that gives purpose to you and your staff.
You’ve worked hard to get it to the place it is now, and over that time of growth you have amassed documents, spreadsheets, and financial and other data.
World Backup Day is here to remind you that to lose that data is to, essentially, lose the business.
You’ve heard the statistics.
- 60% of businesses fail within six months of losing their data
- 93% file for bankcruptcy within twelve months if they can’t get their data back within ten days
Your backup is your way to recover from a disaster with the ability to continue on, and World Backup Day is a good time to get started.
A backup is very much like an insurance policy; you likely have insurance on the business. The difference is that in the event of a disaster instead of giving you money a backup gives you your data back.
Prices and requirements for backups have come down appreciably over the last few years. A backup no longer requires a huge up-front purchase for hardware, in fact no extra hardware is required. Costs are managable and can be monthly or yearly to match your cash flow needs.
What Should You Be Backing Up?
If a backup is meant to give you the ability to continue on, then you must backup whatever data holds the keys to continuing.
This will be financials, corporate documents, communications, customer files, manuals and supporting data. All the stuff you refer to and need.
Do you know where that data is? Is it centralized, or do staff still store files on their desktop? Here’s some thoughts about centralizing data.
What About Ransomware?
Disasters can be big or small. They can be as simple as accidently deleting a critical file, or as big as an earthquate, flood, or other natural disaster.
However, here’s some interesting statistics:
- 22% of hard drives fail in the first four years
- 29% of data loss is caused by human error
Another very relevant disaster right now is: Ransomware.
Ransomware will encrypt all the files it can find and render everything inaccessible. The only way to recover (you don’t want to pay the ransomware!) is to be able to restore data from your backup.
Here’s a chilling story of a company that will likely close due to a ransomware attack.
How Often Should You Be Backing Up?
You should backup at least every night.
When a disaster happens you are going to want the most up-to-date versions of your files possible. Most of the time this means daily backups.
Here’s some thoughts on when to backup.
Where To Store Your Backup
By now you likely realize that your backup data should be away from your computers and network. It should be in a different place.
The best place is up in the cloud.
It’s secure, it easy to setup. It is the best sport where ransomware and other disasters can’t get to it.
Ready To Start?
World Backup Day is your reminder to protect your files, be ready for a disaster, and don’t be a fool on April 1st.
Join us and others and be able to say; “Yes, I have a backup“, on World Backup Day