Your network has just been hit by a ransomware attack, your data encrypted, and held hostage for thousands of dollars. You were planning to put in a backup and data recovery plan, but had been putting it off until you had more time.
Your laptop gets lost on a cross-country flight and you have some, but not all, the files backed up. You’ve just lost months of work and don’t know if you’ll ever get it back.
An unfortunate fire breaks out in the office next to yours overnight. The next morning, your computers are charred and unusable. Now you see why that IT firm was recommending a cloud backup system.
These and other data disasters are all too common and could easily be avoided by having a reliable backup in place that allows you to recover and restore your data in minutes to any device.
In fact, often a backup and recovery plan is THE ONLY defense against the dangers lurking online and off.
At Connect2Geek.com we help businesses every day to find the best and most reliable back up and data recovery plans to ensure they never suffer the high cost and higher frustration of data loss.
Companies Lose an Average of $141 Per Compromised File
According to an IBM study by the Ponemon Institute, the average cost of a data breach has grown to $4 million. The cost per compromised file is $141 for the average company and up to $355 per lost record for more heavily regulated industries, such as healthcare.
That means if you lost one laptop with just 25 files, that would be a loss of over $3,500 (not counting the computer itself). And let’s face it, there are typically hundreds or thousands of files on a single computer.
And before you think that a cyber criminal isn’t going to target your local business because you’re not a huge corporation, you’ll be interested to know that according to Small Business Trends, 43% of cyber attacks target small businesses.
But of course, that’s not the only way you can suffer data loss.
Main 5 Causes of Data Loss
A backup plan can keep you protected from a number of different data loss scenarios. While you may feel that you have an excellent anti-virus in place to keep you protected, what about human error or a software malfunction?
Here are the main ways that people lose data:
- Hardware or Computer/Device Malfunction
- Human Error/Accidental Deletion
- Software Corruption
- Viruses/Ransomware/Malware
- Natural Disasters
Common Types of Backups
Most businesses understand the need to keep their files, including websites, customer data, and accounting information, backed up regularly in a way that’s retrievable when they need it. But too often, companies find out AFTER a data disaster happens that they either didn’t have a reliable system in place or their staff weren’t regularly doing manual backups like they thought.
The different types of backup options can be a little confusing at first, so let’s break down the most common types of backups for you below.
CD/DVD/Flash Drive
If you have just a few files you’re backing up, a CD/DVD or flash drive is a convenient and portable way to do it. But it’s not a great option for larger files or whole computers or servers. These can also be lost or broken easily and you have to physically remember to put them in and save the right files, it’s not an automated method.
External Hard Drive
Using another remote hard drive or external drive for backups can solve the space issue, but its still not an automated option in most cases. You’re also left with the question about where you store that drive. If it’s in the same building as your computer, then a natural disaster can take them both out.
Cloud/Online Backup
One way to ensure you have exactly the space you need and are backing up automatically without having to think about it is to use a cloud or online backup system. This also solves the issue of location, since your data is being backed up online and not physically on your premises.
You do want to make sure you’re with a reliable provider that isn’t a fly-by-night and will have your data when you need it. We can help!
Connect2Geek.com has risk-free data recovery services for any type of data loss, but we’d rather keep you from having a disaster in the first place. We offer excellent backup plans we can implement to keep your data safe, secure, and always easily retrievable.
Backups Are Your Best Data Loss Defense
The slip of a finger on a delete button, a flood or fire, or a cyber criminal releasing a virus are all real data loss threats that businesses face regularly. But a simple and reliable backup and data recovery plan can keep you safe against those and other data disasters.
Do you need a backup plan or aren’t sure if the one you have is good enough? That’s what Connect2Geek is here for. We have over 30 years of IT experience with all types of computers, networks, and backup services.
We can help you implement one that’s affordable, powerful, and that automatically keeps every single file copied and backed up safely. Just contact us today!