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Hacks and malware are increasingly targeting companies of all sizes. So, its critical that you take charge of establishing a data backup and recovery plan for your business. Data security can go a long way towards keeping your systems safe, but a single mistake should never mean that you lose years worth of digital work forever.

These days, most businesses backup plans revolve around cloud storage. However, theres more to backup and recovery than just choosing the best cloud storage platform. In this guide, well offer five tips to help you ensure your data is well-protected and available in case you need it.

Although having a single, complete backup of your businesss files and computing network is better than nothing, its still not all that secure. Both you and your cloud storage provider could be affected by the same piece of malware. Or a regional disaster like an earthquake could destroy digital infrastructure both at your offices and at your cloud data center.

So, its essential that your backup and recovery strategy includes multiple backups. Ideally, your data should be mirrored at multiple data centers that are thousands of miles apart. Even better, store your data with two different cloud vendors so that your files live on multiple, disconnected networks.

If you have to remember to backup your files to the cloud, theres a chance that sooner or later youre going to forget to do it. If that happens, your business could potentially lose days or even weeks worth of critical data in the event of a breach.

Thankfully, you can rely on automation. Most business cloud storage providers offer software that helps you designate files for backup and then keeps them synced to the cloud. Look for the option to run incremental backups, which can help reduce the amount of bandwidth your backup regime requires.

Occasionally, youll also want to run large backups that include your network applications and company databases. Try scheduling these to upload overnight so they dont suck up network resources during the workday.

Most businesses need to backup at least some sensitive data, such as customer information, billing details, or employee records. Even if your data isnt necessarily sensitive, you dont want all of your companys files to leak out in the event that your network or cloud provider are hacked.

Thats why encryption is so important when it comes to backing up data to the cloud. Your cloud provider should offer end-to-end encryption so that data is encrypted before it ever leaves your computer. Even if a hacker is able to steal files from your backup, the files cannot be decrypted without your companys key.

Your businesss obligation to follow privacy laws like HIPAA and GDPR doesnt end when you send your data to the cloud. In fact, its up to you to make sure that your data will be stored in compliance with all applicable regulations. Be sure to ask your cloud storage provider about what steps they take to achieve compliance.

Another thing to consider is whether your data will be stored in the same country as your business. Storing data internationally can sometimes cause regulatory headaches, especially if youre backing up sensitive customer data. In addition, some countries have stronger data privacy laws than others. Always know where your data will be stored and how it could affect your data privacy.

When your business network goes down, every second of the recovery process matters. For most companies, a day without data means a day without revenue.

Downloading terabytes of application data, databases, and files from the cloud can take weeks. But many cloud providers will put a complete copy of your business backup on a hard drive and mail it to your business overnight. This type of courier service can enable your business to get back up in running within a day or two.

Backing up your data to the cloud is an essential part of protecting your business against hacks and system failures. But signing up for a storage platform isnt on its own a reliable backup and recovery solution. You need to establish a robust plan that considers elements like data security, redundancy, and recovery time. With all those pieces in place, you can feel assured that your business is ready to bounce back from any data loss event.

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5 top tips for businesses in data backup and recovery - Tom's Guide