Consider an example where a small business owner has been running a successful tax firm for several years. One day, the business experiences a natural disaster, such as a fire or flood, which destroys the physical server and all the stored data.
If there were no backups in place, he would be faced with the daunting task of rebuilding the entire business and clientele from scratch, including customer data. This process could take weeks or even months when the company cannot operate and generate revenue.
However, if the business had implemented Backup and Disaster Recovery (BCDR) solutions, their data would have been stored securely offsite in the cloud. As a result, they could quickly and easily restore the data to a functioning state. This would also allow them to resume operations with minimal downtime and loss of revenue.
This example highlights the critical importance of having a robust cloud BCDR plan in place, particularly for small businesses that may not have the resources to rebuild their operations quickly in the event of a disaster. By investing in these services, companies can protect their data, minimize downtime, and ensure the continuity of their operations even in the face of unforeseen events.
If you want to know more about what backup and disaster recovery holds in store for now, let’s dive deeper.
What is Backup and Disaster Recovery?
The terms’ backup’ and ‘disaster recovery’ are often mistaken for each other or the entire concept. However, they represent two different aspects, including:
- Backups refer to copying data from a business or individual’s local computing environment to a remote, offsite location hosted by a cloud service provider. It helps ensure that essential data is protected in case of a hardware failure, cyberattack, or other unexpected incident that could cause data loss. With cloud backups, you can quickly restore data to a functional state during data loss.
- On the other hand, disaster recovery is restoring IT systems and data after a disruptive event, such as a natural disaster, etc. It involves implementing plans and procedures to restore data with minimal disruption to business operations. This may include regular backups, offsite storage of data, and other redundancy measures.
Combining the two, we get BCDR services that provide users with additional security and flexibility. Critical data and systems can be stored offsite and easily accessed from anywhere with an Internet connection.
You should also know that simply creating copies of data does not imply an organization can keep the operations up and running during challenging times. To ensure business continuity, robust backup and disaster recovery plans are essential.
Also Read: A Complete Guide to Cybersecurity
Importance of Backup and Disaster Recovery
The importance of BCDR can be gauged from the fact that it helps ensure the continuity of business operations and protect critical data in the event of an unexpected incident. Here are a few reasons that emphasize its importance:
1. Minimum downtime
In the event of data loss, quickly restoring critical data and systems is crucial to minimizing downtime and maintaining business continuity. Backup and disaster recovery solutions help your business restore data and systems, minimizing the impact on operations.
2. Protection against data loss
In unprecedented situations, data loss can occur due to various reasons, such as hardware failure, disasters, or even human error. However, with well-planned backups, you can fight against data loss and have sensitive data stored offsite in remote locations.
3. Compliance and legal requirements
Many businesses are subject to legal and regulatory data storage, retention, and privacy requirements. BCDR services can help companies fulfill these requirements and ensure data is stored appropriately.
4. No loss to business reputation
Data loss incidents can damage the reputation of your business and erode customers’ trust. By relying on backup solutions, you can demonstrate their commitment to protecting customer data.
5. Cost savings
Losing critical data beyond the point of recovery can be quite costly for businesses in terms of lost revenue. Backup and disaster recovery solutions can help minimize these costs by enabling efficient data restoration and reducing the impact of downtime.
Where Do Managed Backups Fit into the Picture?
Although the terms’ managed backups’ and ‘BCDR’ are often used interchangeably, they differ.
Managed backups refer to outsourcing the management and monitoring of a business’s backup solution to a third-party provider. Here, a Managed Service Provider (MSP) typically handles tasks such as configuring backup schedules, monitoring backup jobs, verifying backup data integrity, and additional services, like data encryption, deduplication, etc.
Managed backups differ from backup and disaster recovery because they focus primarily on the backup process. In contrast, the latter encompasses a broader range of services to protect against data loss incidents. As a result, while managed backups may help ensure that data is backed up regularly and securely, the level of protection against disasters or system failures can be different.
If you want managed backup solutions, choose Verito’s managed IT services. For more details, click here.
