Every organization knows backing up their data is extremely important. However, we still hear about companies losing their data and facing serious consequences. How do these companies lose all their data when they have a backup in place? The reality is that different backup tools can vary in reliability and often the best solutions involve using multiple backup options. Let's take a look at some of the most common backup errors your organization may be committing.
Human Error
According to statistics published by Statista Research Department, Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) around the world overwhelmingly agree that human error is their organization's biggest cyber vulnerability as of 2021, with the global average standing at around 58%. Staff may forget to start the backup before they leave for the night or one of your staff left the backup tapes in their car that was stolen. In its annual health check for 2021, DataBarracks showed more than 30% of data losses were caused by Human Error. To mitigate human error ensure your staff receive regular training and introduce checks and balances that will aid in minimizing error.
Backup Copy Isn’t Tested
The Databarracks study found that backup testing, unfortunately, took a step backward between 2017 and 2021 as activity predominantly focused on the pandemic and remote working. Tested DR processes for cyber threats peaked at around 85% in 2020 and declined to around 65% in 2021 while other tested elements of the DR process dropped to just under 50% according to the data.
Not Having the Encryption Password
Some organizations have issues accessing their backup because they realize they don’t have the encryption password for the backup. They may have lost the password or the individual who had the password has since left the organization.
Not Backing up All Files
Backups can take a long time, to speed things up, organizations often backup only the most important information. The problem is, people may have differing opinions on what data is important and data once thought to be irrelevant may at some point become important due to circumstances. This may also have legal implications if your organization must comply with an industry standard for data retention.
Only One Backup Copy
Yes, you’ve got a backup but you only have one. Your backup could be easily destroyed if you had a fire, flood, or if a theft occurred. In the Databarracks study, the second most common reason for data loss was a hardware failure. Having more than one backup copy helps ensure that if your hardware fails or is destroyed your firm still has the data.
The only real solution to keeping your data safe is having multiple backup solutions or trusting a managed service provider to maintain your backup for you. Using a managed service provider that offers disaster recovery and backup is the best option to ensure your data is safe and there when you need it.
