Backup and Disaster Recovery Services
The true disaster lies in being unprepared. Whether it’s a man-made threat like ransomware or a data breach, or a natural event like a fire, earthquake, flood, or pandemic, the priority is ensuring your business keeps running. That’s why having a robust Backup and Disaster Recovery (BUDR) plan is essential.
Why that is important:
Most likely any dispute, claim or lawsuit you encounter will go through a ‘discovery’ process, and that discovery process will often require the submission of all related emails and files. If deleted, you are leaving your business very vulnerable, without a good position to protect yourself against allegations from accusers ranging from vendors, customers or even terminated employees.
Backup & Disaster Recovery: Q & A
Backup is the process of frequently copying and saving your data in several secure locations (locally, but not connected to your working network, and in the cloud): your Managed IT Services company should have at least these two backup locations in place and tested regularly for reliable data retrieval.
Disaster recovery is what happens after an emergency – man-made, like a Ransomware or data theft attack, or natural, like a fire or earthquake. Once the network is stabilized, possibly with all affected workstations and servers wiped clean (as in a Ransomware attack response), the IT support team will retrieve and replace all the backed-up data to the network system.
While cloud backups are available through platforms such as G Suite, Google Workspace and Microsoft Office 365, the backup and ensuing disaster recovery plans will not set themselves up. An IT support service should be consulted to oversee the plan setup. If you prefer to go it alone, Wired Magazine offers some noteworthy tips, but be forewarned – this has far more at stake than say, trying to replace your vehicle’s brake pads yourself. Let an expert do it.
If you are a small or startup business and have no real IT support, reputable firms can be found simply by Googling ‘IT Support Los Angeles’. Be careful to choose an accomplished firm with the resources to setup and execute an iron-clad backup & disaster recovery plan – too many free-lance ‘IT guys’ do not have the resources or knowledge to perform this task adequately.
Disaster recovery is what happens after an emergency – man-made, like a Ransomware or data theft attack, or natural, like a fire or earthquake. Once the network is stabilized, possibly with all affected workstations and servers wiped clean (as in a Ransomware attack response), the IT support team will retrieve and replace all the backed-up data to the network system.
While cloud backups are available through platforms such as G Suite, Google Workspace and Microsoft Office 365, the backup and ensuing disaster recovery plans will not set themselves up. An IT support service should be consulted to oversee the plan setup. If you prefer to go it alone, Wired Magazine offers some noteworthy tips, but be forewarned – this has far more at stake than say, trying to replace your vehicle’s brake pads yourself. Let an expert do it.
If you are a small or startup business and have no real IT support, reputable firms can be found simply by Googling ‘IT Support Los Angeles’. Be careful to choose an accomplished firm with the resources to setup and execute an iron-clad backup & disaster recovery plan – too many free-lance ‘IT guys’ do not have the resources or knowledge to perform this task adequately.
Any experienced IT service provider will tell you that while you need cloud backups, they are not the best ‘go-to’ after a disaster. The quickest way to effect recovery is through local backups that are NOT connected to the main working network. Cloud backups are essential in case the local backups have been compromised, but data retrieval is slower. Your IT support company or Managed Services Provider should have set up both backup systems, so they can easily manage the recovery in a timely fashion. There are plenty of options for ‘MYFLORIDAMSP’ using Google.
Unless you are a solo operator, it is best to have a qualified IT Support company or a firm that provides comprehensive IT Managed Services set these up for you. As a one-person operation who wants to do this on your own, download the Cyber Essentials Starter Kit provided free by the Federal Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISO), but most likely the simplest way to back up your data is with an external hard drive that is ONLY connected to the computer when the backups are performed. If a virus or ransomware infects your computer, it will find its way to your external hard drive if it is connected.
Basically, it is a set of procedures performed to recover data from secure backups after a disaster has caused a disruption to the network. It implements pre-set tools to accomplish. Your Managed IT Services team will know what to do once disaster strikes. The plan will usually consist of the following:
1) RPO - Recovery Point Objectives: Part of the backup plan – determines how much data may be lost between backups. A good IT provider will suggest frequent backups – depending on the data flow and nature of the business.
2) RTO – Recovery Time Objective: This is the estimated time frame for returning to normal operations.
3) Local Backups: Local backups must be unconnected to the main network, so malware or hacking will not affect them – these are the fastest way to restore data, but in the event of a fire, will probably be lost as well.
4) Remote (Cloud) Backups: Offsite secure backups are essential to recovery. Cloud backups are the best and most secure. Malware or a fire will not affect them. Whether using those provided by G Suite, Google Workspace, Office 365, or a separate system set up by your IT support and services company, these are a MUST if you want your business to survive following a catastrophic event.
Accountability Roster: When disaster occurs, the person at the top of this list enacts the recovery plan. Roles and responsibilities must be pre-assigned to keep chaos from being a player in the emergency.
Testing: This is your disaster plan ‘fire drill’. Dry runs of the disaster and recovery procedures should be done frequently, perhaps monthly. Don’t expect it to run flawlessly if you’ve never practiced.
1) RPO - Recovery Point Objectives: Part of the backup plan – determines how much data may be lost between backups. A good IT provider will suggest frequent backups – depending on the data flow and nature of the business.
2) RTO – Recovery Time Objective: This is the estimated time frame for returning to normal operations.
3) Local Backups: Local backups must be unconnected to the main network, so malware or hacking will not affect them – these are the fastest way to restore data, but in the event of a fire, will probably be lost as well.
4) Remote (Cloud) Backups: Offsite secure backups are essential to recovery. Cloud backups are the best and most secure. Malware or a fire will not affect them. Whether using those provided by G Suite, Google Workspace, Office 365, or a separate system set up by your IT support and services company, these are a MUST if you want your business to survive following a catastrophic event.
Accountability Roster: When disaster occurs, the person at the top of this list enacts the recovery plan. Roles and responsibilities must be pre-assigned to keep chaos from being a player in the emergency.
Testing: This is your disaster plan ‘fire drill’. Dry runs of the disaster and recovery procedures should be done frequently, perhaps monthly. Don’t expect it to run flawlessly if you’ve never practiced.
It is the difference between the horse and the cart. The horse is your data backup, and without it, the cart – disaster recovery – cannot be pulled. There is no disaster recovery if the data has not been securely backed up
To put it plainly, a reliable backup and disaster recovery system is crucial for your business to survive a cyber-attack. Statistics show that 60% of small businesses close within five months of experiencing a cyber-attack or data breach. Talk to your IT service provider to ensure these systems are in place. If you're uncertain, consider hiring a qualified IT Managed Services consultant for a third-party audit of your system. Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure—because for that 60%, there’s no cure.