Why should your business back up?
If you run a small business or a large-scale office, your database is integral to your digital operations. Whether you use accounting software, spreadsheets, or valuable customer information, it's all stored in your database. Unfortunately, technology can sometimes fail or break. By backing up your data you can rest assured that important information and data is stored separately so that your business can keep running.
What causes data loss?
There are several different causes that can lead to data loss for IT systems...
Computer viruses
A common issue that can lead to major data loss. For businesses, a virus can steal or delete huge amounts of data. This can cause company operations to grind to a halt.
Human error
The human factor is another main contributing factor to data loss. People make honest mistakes and sometimes this includes accidentally deleting information or pages of data or overwriting files.
Theft
Theft can unfortunately be a regular occurrence for businesses. Usually, computers are one of the first items that thieves pick up. Laptop theft is a serious risk and can happen anywhere if a computer is left unattended. Having a computer stolen without backing up first means that your information and files are lost, potentially forever.
Damage
Damage to a PC or laptop can cause large amounts of data loss. Coffee spills or dropping equipment can severely mangle internal technology, causing stored data to be lost or inaccessible.
Disasters
Disasters like fires or power outages caused by a storm can damage equipment beyond repair. A sudden power cut can lead to any open or unsaved files being permanently lost. Business fires are not only financially damaging to companies, but can also cause data losses to any heat-damaged technological equipment.
Hardware failures
Failures to hardware can happen, even with the most top of the range computer systems. Data on a laptop or PC is held on a hard drive (mechanical drive) but at times these can fail. Improper shutdowns can corrupt data or delete progress causing you to lose valuable data.
How can I protect my business from data loss?
Prevention or protection is always better than cure, especially when it comes to digital equipment. Protecting your PC network from data loss is the first thing you should do to protect important business information and documents. This can easily be done by incorporating a suitable backup structure. Using Resolve to help you set up a suitable backup system is a good way to start.
It’s best to evaluate how valuable your data is and how difficult it would be to replace it should it become lost or wiped. Rewriting or creating new documents could take a long time and become an extra cost you hadn’t planned. That’s why having a suitable backup system in place is often an invaluable procedure.
There are different types of backup options such as full backups, incremental backups and differential backups. All are perfect for different needs and different network sizes.
Where you store your backups is also a consideration you’ll need to make. You could choose to store your saved backed-up data onto a physical storage device or on an online cloud storage solution. Both are excellent for the job, but one may suit your needs better than the other.
How much does data back up cost?
Depending on the size and scale of your business, you’ll need a backup system that is suited to your specific needs. Of course, the amount of storage required will impact the price of your system, however, this can vary from business to business. Backing up your data should be seen as an investment for your company, as you’ll not need to worry about losing precious information through human error, damage, theft, or viruses.
Resolve IT Solutions are specialists in the specification, installation and support of IT Networks in Sheffield and South Yorkshire. If you’re looking to install a data backup solution for your business, then we’ll be happy to discuss what we can offer. Get in touch with Resolve today and our team will be happy to assist you.
