Data plays a vital role in every aspect of life. In businesses, everything involves data, and therefore if any data is lost, the result could be disastrous. This dependency on data will only continue to increase as digital initiatives expedite at a quicker pace. With the environment resorting to online for everything, it is of utmost importance for businesses to be prepared to face any data losses caused by natural disasters like floods, earthquakes, and also failures related to hardware, software, power-related outages, or cyber security issues like ransomware or DDoS attacks.
Many factors may trigger data disasters such as the following listed below:
- Failure of a storage system due to natural and unnatural causes
- Storage software that has been tainted by a virus or malware
- Data deletion by accident
Hence, it is the responsibility of the IT department to put defined processes and techniques in place, so that data disasters can be avoided, and a strategy can be implemented for ensuring data protection and averting data losses under any conditions.
Let’s look at three practical ways to avoid data disasters:
- Maintain regular backups
Backups are essential for business continuity and it is mandatory to have regular backups so that a copy of data is readily available in case of a data failure. Backup copies enable data to be recovered or restored from a predetermined point in time. For instance, backups must be taken in real-time for organizations like banks or telecom service providers, whereas backups can be taken at the end of the day for some businesses. A backup also guarantees that the company can quickly generate the necessary data to present to an audit or compliance committee, if necessary. Organizations can choose the best storage medium based on the time it will take to restore the data (SSD, HDD, or tape).
- Make use of Disaster Recovery as a Service
In an era when even a single minute of downtime can be costly for businesses, Disaster Recovery as a Service can be a very cost-effective option. Unlike the conventional disaster recovery process, which involves establishing an alternate disaster recovery site, a DR as a Service (DRaaS) option enables enterprises to act quickly in the event of a disaster. A DRaaS option can not only protect businesses from data-related losses but also allow them to back up their data more frequently and cost-effectively. This is also beneficial in terms of compliance.
- Avoid ransomware and DDoS attacks
With remote working becoming the new norm, ransomware attacks are also on the rise. Businesses should have sufficient protection against ransomware and DDoS attacks, failing which will result in huge expenses and difficulty to retrieve the data. According to an IBM report released last year, security incidents have become more expensive and difficult to contain as a result of drastic operational shifts during the pandemic, with the cost of data breaches in Indian organizations increasing by nearly 18 percent on average between May 2020 and March 2021.
A backup is an important step in preventing ransomware attacks and restoring data. It is also critical to keep the operating system and associated software up to date with the most recent patches. Other fundamental steps include the installation of firewalls, intrusion prevention systems, and anti-virus software. Furthermore, businesses should train their employees through regular mock drills that emphasize threat identification and assist them in avoiding malicious links.
The real currency in the digital age is information, and the competitiveness of every organization is dependent on the insights derived from this data. We believe that the steps outlined above can be implemented to assist an organization in protecting its data while also running it efficiently and effectively.
