The best practices for backing up data

Ever since the age of floppy disks and Clippy, we have been told about the importance of backing up.?That and making sure we have pressed save after every five words just in case our computers crash.

Luckily for us, autosaving features and the cloud have managed to quell some of our tech-anxieties a little.?But backing up is still important.?Especially when it comes to your business’ data.

Of all the things you don’t want to get wrong, the protection of your data has to rank pretty high on the list.

So, to help you, here are some of the best practices for backing up your data.

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Back up your data frequently

?When it comes to data backup, if you don’t make sure that it is done frequently, you are opening yourself to losing more and more each time.?You want to perform it consistently without leaving a long time between backups.?The standard practice is to perform a data backup daily, or at least once a week.

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It’s as easy as 3 – 2 – 1

It makes sense not to use a single data backup method, it simply isn’t secure.?However, there is the 3 – 2 – 1 rule.

Make 3 copies of data.?Store them on 2 different platforms. 1 of these could be offsite storage.?This could be as simple as backing up on an external drive and a cloud platform.

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Prioritise off-site storage

Probably the most important element of the 3 – 2 – 1 method is the off-site storage.?If you chose a physical server away from your office and cloud, you are giving yourself a great advantage.

If your central server or inhouse technology is somehow compromised, your offsite backup will stay safe.

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Test it frequently

Don’t let the fact your data is backed up fool you into thinking that is all you need to do.?Whenever possible, test the back up and recovery.?It will help you become aware of any problems with your backup policy.

Moreover, by discovering any errors you can make necessary corrections that will benefit you.

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Does it still sound complicated to you?

Half the problem with backing up data is making sure you choose the right platforms and methods.?We could talk for ages about the best cloud-based systems, or when to test your back up and recovery.?At the end of the day, if it sounds complicated to you, finding an IT Support company that can help should cover all your bases.

If you need any more information, please comment below, or contact us on 01327 300 311