You might be surprised to find out that data at your datacentre is at risk of being damaged 50 percent of the time: Yes, even your onsite backup is vulnerable to such risks. What does this tell you? It means that you should not get comfortable just because you have your data backup stored in the cloud. It may face risk just like backup stored in physical sites is.
More so, having SaaS providers does not mean that your data is safe too. The safety of your data and backup will always be in your hands, regardless of where you decide to have it stored. The following tricks will help you a long way in ensuring that your backup is secure.
1. Encryption
In as much as encryption may cost you some extra time, it is worth your while. Encryption will help you prevent your data from getting into the wrong hands if it is physically stored. For instance your tapes can be accessed by a number of people at data centres: who you may not know of their intentions. Transferring data to the cloud is also prone to cybercriminals, and you may want to ward off the chances of them ending up with your backup.
2. Apply the 3-2-1 data backup strategy
For those who may not be familiar with the term, the 3-2-1 data backup strategy is whereby you make three copies of your data. Have two of the replicas stored onsite in different mediums. On the other hand, have the other copy stored offsite.
What is the big deal about this strategy? It makes sure that you can recover your data quickly if any disaster occurs. It eliminates the impact of a single point of failure. If disaster strikes onsite, you have the copy stored offsite; if one of the copies stored locally gets damaged, you still have two of them left.
3. Fireproof Safes
You should go an extra mile to ensure that data stored in physical mediums are kept in a safe place that protects it from natural disasters such as fires and floods. However, you should note that the storage mediums are made of different materials and a safe that may deem safe for one medium may not necessarily be safe for another.
For instance, tapes may have different melting points, and it may only be a matter of time before that fireproof safe becomes redundant. When choosing a safe, be keen to pick one with the appropriate level of tolerance.
4. Consistency
Why you need to stick to one type of data backup is to avoid leaving out essential data during backup. Mixing up the different methods of data backup will only end up confusing you, and you will not be able to keep track of where you left everything at, the last time you did a backup.
Remember that most of the data loss occurs as a result of human error. Avoid this by adhering to a particular procedure, and you will not be forced to have to think or remember what you did last time.
5. Data access control
Data access control means that you should be keen on who accesses data storage rooms and your backup. It does not matter whether it is in your home, car or office. The more you let people in contact with it the higher the chances of risk. Keep the rooms locked at all times and be clear about who is supposed to be there: monitor if you can.
Also, most of the backup data solutions come with roles and permissions options. Most tend to ignore this function, but it is critical. This feature allows you to control access permission and only persons you will approve will be able to be in contact with the information.
6. Make use of passwords
Well, data management experts will advise you not to depend on passwords to protect your data solely. They have a point. Remember that there are so many hackers that can be able to crack the codes and get to your back up in a blink of an eye. Your passwords may also get into the wrong hands.
However, it is also advisable to give your data backup another layer of protection: not everyone can crack codes. Be smart about how you use your passwords. Use passwords that are strong and not obvious and change them regularly. Password protection is better than none!
That said, it is also crucial that you do background research on your SaaS provider before you sign any contract to ensure that your data is in safe hands. You also need to automate your back up by employing solutions such as ottomatik.io to save time and to ensure that your backup processes are free of error.
