Why data back-up is vital to businesses

The majority of businesses now rely on computers and mobile devices in order to carry out their work. Because we rely on technology it means that we must ensure we have our data secured and readily available at all times in case anything happens. Here we discuss why data back up is important to businesses.

What is data back up?

We should start by explaining exactly what we mean by data backup. Simply put, data back up is a copy of the files from a computer device which is used whenever data is lost and needs to be restored.

Why is data back up important?

There are many reasons why ensuring your data is backed up is important. No matter whether you are a small business or an international corporation, regular back up is essential. Data backups help to ensure that, regardless of what happens to your data, you have a secure version ready to be stored and keep your business running.

Here are a few reasons why businesses need to ensure their data is being backed up regularly.

Cyber Attacks

Unfortunately, cyberattacks are becoming increasingly more sophisticated and can impact a business at any time. If you are attacked with ransomware malware, your entire network can be at risk. If you are locked out of your network, you may be expected to pay a ransom to the hackers in order to retrieve your data. Having a back up means you will not be pressured to pay the ransom as you still have a copy of all your data.

Even though you may think these things only happen to larger companies, you are mistaken. Due to the comparable lack of security, small businesses can often become a prime target, so all business owners need to stay alert.

No waste of time

Having your data stolen can cause a significant amount of business downtime that you may not be able to avoid. This loss of time will incur a large sum of money and can lead to loss of business. Your staff will also have to spend a long time recreating their work. This can all easily be avoided if you have a secure data backup.

Natural Disasters

It is not just hackers and cyber-criminals that you need to be aware of. Sometimes it can be down to nature as to why you lose your data. Natural disasters such as flooding or fires can have devastating consequences for a business. If the company doesn’t have a data backup or only have their data backed up within the building, this is all at risk of disappearing. Some businesses cannot recover from this when this happens. To be on the safe side, ensure you back up your data daily as you never know what is around the corner.

Audit Preparation

Having sufficient backup of all your company data can also be beneficial when it comes to audit time. Knowing that you have all the data easily at hand means you don’t have to worry that you cannot provide any financial figures your auditor may need when carrying out their inspection.

Can affect brand reputation

Having data stolen can have a huge impact on your brand’s reputation. It can easily lead to the loss of customer and investor trust, which in turn will have a huge financial impact on the company.

Provides peace of mind

Whether it’s an email list for marketing, financial information, product information, payroll data or business plans, the amount of data a business owns is enormous and if that were to all suddenly disappear, the results would be catastrophic. Backups ultimately provide business owners and employees alike with the peace of mind that their hard work will not be lost overnight.

Regular backups act as an insurance policy for your business. With so much of our daily lives relying on technology, businesses need to make every effort to protect their data. Using cloud technology, businesses have faith that their data is being secured externally from the business but in a safe location that they can access whenever they want. Making it a daily business activity to back up their data will help those businesses be ready if and when an attack and risk to their data takes place.