Business data is the backbone of any business and data protection is essential
to secure your business's continuity. If your only data backup is on a computer
and the hard disk fails or is damaged by a power surge, your business data is lost.
And having paper copies of business data isn't adequate data protection in case
your business premises burn to the ground or experience severe flooding? Once again
the data you need to carry on your business could be irretrievably lost. Data Backup is The Best Data Protection; Protect your business data through
For adequate data protection, a data backup system involved three steps:
archive business data regularly;
create data backups on reliable media;
Keep updated data backups in a secure, off-site location.
The basic rule for business data protection is that if losing the data will interfere
with doing business, back it up. You can reinstall software programs if you need
to, but recovering the details of transactions or business correspondence is impossible
if those files are lost or damaged beyond repair.
Following are the steps that establish a data backup system that will effectively
protect your critical business data from disaster.
1. Archiving Critical Business
Data
Archiving business data is more than a matter of good housekeeping; it is the matter
of your business's survival. There are two steps to archive business data for successful
data backup;
identifying the critical data that needs to be archived
And using a data archiving method on a regular schedule.
What needs to be archived in a data backup? Executables, such as software programs,
don't need to be. You don't create new versions of executable programs and, such
as, if a software program was lost or corrupted, you could reinstall it fairly
easily.
However, all of the files that you've created and/or modified should be regularly
backed up. For many businesses, this includes everything from accounting files through
email.
You can simplify your backup archiving by keeping all the files that will need to
be archived on a single drive on your computer. For instance, suppose I need to
back up accounting files, word-processing documents, spreadsheets, photo and email.
Putting Simply Accounting, Microsoft Office (including Outlook) and Pa.intshop Pro
all on the D:/ drive makes it easier for me to archive all the files I've created
or modified using those programs. All I have to do is back up the drive. While I
don't have to back up executables, it doesn't hurt them if I do.
Once you've selected the important data to be archived, it's a simple matter to
install and use a backup software program to archive your business data on a regular
schedule.
It is recommend backing up your data nightly. There are many backup software programs
available that allow you to set a schedule that will archive your data automatically.
Look for backup software that zips and encrypts files to save disk space and increase
data security.
If possible, backup over your computer network, keeping your data backup files on
a separate hard drive from the original files. If this isn't possible because you
have a stand-alone computer, put your data backup files in a separate directory,
and increase your schedule for creating physical backups.
The second step of data protection is creating data backups - not just once, but
on a regular schedule. But before you do this, you need to be aware of the different
backup systems available and the limitations of some backup media.
2. Creating Physical Data Backups
Physical data backups are essential because of the possibility of computer failure
or damage. Even a minor accident such as fall of your laptop could destroy all your
data, if that's the only place your data resides. You should create physical data
backups of your business data at least once a week, or even more often if your business
generates large amounts of new data daily. There are several methods of transferring
your backup files to another media, but some data backup systems are more reliable
than others.
Which backup media should you use?
Using CD-Roms as data backups
Using CD-Roms
as data backups is popular. Blank CDs are inexpensive, and copying data onto CDs
is easy. However, this is the most unreliable method of all the data backup methods
listed here. Who hasn't had the experience of putting a CD into a drive only to
find that the data is unreadable and the disk "doesn't work"? CDs, like the floppy
disks they've replaced, have a limited shelf life. This method of data backup for
any small business doesn't recommend. If you are writing your data backup files
onto CDs, make sure that you make (and keep) multiple copies over time.
Using tapes as data backups
Tape backups are ten thousand times as reliable as CD-Roms, but tape drives and
their associated media are much more expensive than CD-Rom writers and CDs. A good
tape drive can still cost over $1000, and individual tapes for the drive can cost
up to $40 each. If you can afford the equipment, however, tape backup is far and
away the best backup method.
Using external hard drives for data backups
It is strongly recommended for small businesses to buy and using an external hard
drive for data backups. External hard drives are cheap compared to tape drive systems
; you can get one for several hundred dollars. They're also easy to use; in many
cases, all you have to do is plug the hard drive into your computer's USB port.
And while hard drives do fail, their failure rate is much lower than that of backup
media such as CDs.
Using Online backup services as data backups
There are many companies offering online backup services, but it is not recommend
because of too many security issues that have yet to be dealt with besides the potential
of bandwidth problems, Firstly, the method is only as reliable as the company offering
the online backup service, and Internet service companies have been coming and going
faster than the common cold lately. Secondly, if your business data is sensitive;
of course yes, why would you want to put it on the 'Net?
3. Off-Site Data Backup
The only businesses that should be keeping their data backups
on-site are those with fire-proof, indestructible safes. Investing in a tape drive
or external hard drive and meticulously adhering to a regular data backup schedule
won't help if all your data backup copies are in one place and that place is struck
by disaster. You must store copies of your backups off-site if your business data
is to be truly secure. Many businesses keep their data backup copies in security
boxes at banks. Some small business owners keep multiple data backup copies of their
records at the homes of different friends or family members. The point is to keep
them safe, as long as the site you choose for off-site data backup is secure and
you have regular access to it. Don't leave your company at the risk of losing your
business data. The best defense against such a disaster is proper data protection.
By creating a backup system that includes archiving and backing up your business
data regularly and properly, you'll ensure that your business will continue to move on whatever disaster it faces.
