The evolution of ‘backing up your data’

If you think about it, we’ve been backing up data since before it was called data. Charles Dickens, for instance, used what at the time was a new invention, carbon paper, to back up drafts of his books. And if you delve even further into the mists of time you’ll find medieval monks copying important documents by hand.

I’m happy to say that backing up your work has evolved greatly since then. We’ve gone from floppy disc to not so floppy disc, through tape drives, usb drives, NAS, offsite backup and we’re currently on the Cloud. In short, creating back-ups of important information is much easier when you don’t have to set a team of quill wielding monks to work, but merely press a button.

However, unlike a simple manuscript, your data is complicated. And if you take it for granted that your backup system is working as it should, rather than checking it regularly, the best of times could quickly become the worse of times.

Why data backup matters

In this internet reliant world, cyber-crime is no longer the domain of sci-fi novels, it’s a fact of life. You’ve probably read about the recent wave of ransomware attacks. These and other kinds of attacks could cripple your key business applications and prevent you accessing your own data. The longer it takes you to recover, the more productivity you lose, the more customers you let down, and the more time needed to get back on track. If indeed you can, because it’s estimated that 25% of businesses don’t recover from a major incident like this, and that only 35% of SMEs have a backup plan.

Why backup alone isn’t enough

It’s an important first step, for sure, but the reality is that unless your backups are verified and tested, they may actually be unsuitable for using in an actual full restore if you needed them.

Remember, your backups need testing, because you need to be 100% sure they are capable of doing what you need them to.

When is the best time to check your backups?

The worse time is right after a system failure, of course. The best time is now. You need to test your ability to restore your latest backup set, and when you do, you should ask yourself two questions:

1. Can you restore your system data to full working order in a few hours or less? If not, it will impact on your ability to function.
2. Do your key people know how to carry out the restore procedure effectively?

If you can’t answer both questions with a confident yes, then now is the time to reassess your backup plan.

Confidence in your data backup and recovery systems is vital in this day and age. Corbel offer an affordable solutions guaranteed to give you peace of mind. Visit www.corbel.co.uk to find out more.

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