4 Main Reasons for Data Backup
Imagine this. You’re about to file your taxes. The deadline is close. You have most of your data as a soft copy. Suddenly your power short circuits and your hard disk is compromised. Your data gets lost. Yes, you can recover it, but that’s just a gamble. There’s a 50-50 chance you may not get it. And the time required to recover it may go well beyond your tax filing deadline. Such a conundrum can easily be prevented. How? Through data backup.
What is data backup?
Data backup is the process of archiving files and folders for the purpose of restoring them in the event the original data is lost due to a disaster, hardware failure, malware or virus infection in the system.
So why should you regularly back up your data?
i. Protection from primary data loss
Primary data is the information that is collected first hand with time. This means that such information cannot be recollected unless you went back in time. For example, business transactions that happened a certain time, artistic files such as music compositions, video files, application data, and much more. Such loss of primary data would mean starting from zero to collect the data, and even so, you may not get the exact same data. Such data needs regular backups depending on how regularly it changes.
Some primary data may be recorded in hard copy. They’re more vulnerable to getting lost as it’s harder to duplicate them and easier to destroy them. Converting them into a soft copy and saving them up in the archives insures you against potentially losing crucial non-recoverable information.
ii. Restoration of crucial data
In the event that primary data is lost, data backup gives you the option of restoring it from a certain time in the past when the primary data was archived. The trick here is to ensure that your data is regularly backed up, otherwise, it beats the logic of backing it up. You want your data to be regularly backed up and in an ideal situation, archived every time it changes. This helps you have the most updated version of the data reducing the chances of losing any information.
iii. Continuation of business services
Let’s face it. We’re in the age of big data. Businesses run on data collection. Even a small loss of data can mean big losses for the business. Customer information, credit cards, transactions, are all crucial data that all businesses should ensure they back up on a regular basis to prevent shut down especially if they’re an online company. With a good data backup service, such information can be restored instantly allowing your business to continue with operations. Malware, viruses, cyber-attacks are all risks that can cause business data loss, and no business is immune to them. Some criminals may even lock you out of your database and demand a ransom and still, you’re not guaranteed that your data will be restored. Restoring your data from your backup is your best option.
iv. Repairing damaged data
Data can get corrupted, damaged, or pieces of it go missing. Data can also get interfered with or encrypted. Such is usually the case with application data, software and system data. Having an extra layer of backed up data will help repair the damaged data and restore it to its initial condition without losing any crucial information. This is usually a strategy to help get rid of malware and viruses that prove stubborn and hard to eradicate. By reverting the data to its initial position, you get rid of the infected data and restore the clean files.
AZBS IT Consulting
When it comes to managed IT services, AZBS IT Consulting is your go-to IT solution. With extensive experience in Data management solutions, expert IT consultants, cybersecurity, 24/7 maintenance, and monitoring, back up and disaster recovery, all your data backup needs will be addressed. AZBS IT Consulting prides itself in developing comprehensive IT solutions to meet business challenges, help you grow, and maximize profitability. At a fraction of the cost of hiring an in-house IT team, you get the full suite of IT solutions.
