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Data is everything in today’s business world.

Think about it: Businesses of every size, from the largest corporations to small one-man or mom and pop operations, rely on data to keep their businesses successful and growing.

This is why it is absolutely imperative for all businesses to have a reliable way to not only keep data secure, but to backup that data and have the ability to restore any of it whenever needed. The consequences of losing data that these businesses rely on are too severe to leave to chance.

Continue reading to learn more about why every business needs to back up its data – and how best to accomplish that task.

Your business can lose data in many different ways

Data loss can happen to any business and in any number of ways. Some of the most common forms of data loss could truly happen to anyone at no fault of their own.

The most common ways information or data can be lost include:

• A hard drive crash on a computer or laptop
• Severe damage to a smartphone or tablet
• Stolen computers or other devices
• Accidental deletion of data due to user error
• Malwareor ransomware
• Hacking of online accounts, either storage or software

Luckily for business owners, each of these scenarios can be alleviated if you have plans in place to not only backup data on a regular basis, but also a plan for how to recover data should it be lost.

If data is not backed up, then it can be lost

Any of those situations above could lead to substantial data loss if your business is not backing up its data.

Moreover, if there is no backup strategy in place, then it can be very difficult to restore data. If it is possible, then you are likely looking at calling in a professional who will do their best to recover as much information as possible, but then you will also be facing a much larger bill at the end of the process.

In short, it is cheaper to invest in a backup solution and begin adhering to that process than it is to have to scrounge for any data at all later in the event of hardware failure or some other disaster affecting your business’s data.

Natural disasters and power outages can cause data loss, too

Even if you regularly update your business’s hardware and software and are careful to keep everything stored in a secure location to prevent physical theft from happening, other disasters can cause data loss, too.

These disasters are most often completely out of your control, too, and everyone else’s control, for that matter. They would include events like severe thunderstorms, tornados, floods, fires and anything else that could cause damage to a building or any structure that stores your equipment.

These types of events can sometimes take up on-site backup solutions, too, so it is a good idea to either make sure you have other plans for how to prevent data loss in these scenarios, such as additional hard copies stored elsewhere or data stored online in cloud storage solutions.

Data loss can happen at any time

Many businesses do have some amount of their data backed up. According to Help Net Security, about 90% of companies do back up their data, but only 41% of those companies do so on a daily basis.

This strategy can come back to haunt any company and does not constitute a sound data backup plan. That’s because backing up data intermittently and not frequently can leave gaps in what data can be recovered and what data cannot.

The end result is recovered data that may be outdated or partial, leaving business personnel to try to fill in those gaps as best they can. That’s better than nothing, but nowhere close to ideal.

Get peace of mind knowing you are protected

Think of a data backup plan as an insurance policy. It’s something that you hope not to have to use, but it is nice when you can use it if needed.

Like an insurance policy, this provides peace of mind and the ability to not have to worry about what-ifs and dreaded worst case scenarios.

If you store customer or client data, then they too can be reassured that their information is safe when it is in the care of your company or organization.

What’s the best way to backup data?

The best way for businesses to backup all sorts of data is to do so frequently and regularly. That means developing a plan or implementing automated steps that will ensure these backups are completed as expected.

These backups can be performed in a variety of ways and be stored on a number of devices. Some businesses may prefer to keep a hard copy of backed up data on the premises. This involves common devices, like external hard drives, server hardware or even simple flash drives. Alternatively, a business may choose to store data with an online storage service, also known commonly as a cloud storage option.

Both on-premise and cloud storage solutions are viable and both can be automated to make backing up your important information an easier task to accomplish. You should research which storage practice is best for your company or organization and then decide how to move forward with a plan.

What’s your company’s plan during a worst case scenario?

No business owner who relies on digital documents, emails, videos and any other information stored on a computer or server wants to consider what may happen if suddenly all that data disappeared or became impossible to access.

If you partner with Advanced Network Professionals, then you can trust that there is always a plan in place to keep your business’s data secured, backed up and recoverable in the event of a worst case scenario.

Data backup and recovery is just one of the cloud based solutions ANP provides to its clients. Reach out to us to learn more about what services we can help with to make sure you can stay focused on what matters – running your business.