With increasing malware and virus attacks and the high-cost of data infringement, cybersecurity is a priority for most businesses, large and small, globally. Even with advanced security policies, threats continue to rise, and hackers are gaining momentum and attacking numerous corporations with hybrid viruses. Thus, it is imperative to have an effective backup strategy that will protect your business from collapsing in case of an attack. IT administrators must develop robust strategies that will help in preventing cyber criminals from taking charge of company systems. VMware vSphere backup is an efficient data backup solution with strict security measures and easy data retrieval. You have to protect your business and prevent frequent cyber attacks from occurring.
Having an all-inclusive backup plan that entails a reliable disaster recovery procedure is essential in all organizations. In case of an attack, you can restore all your files with ease and continue your business operations without any hindrance.
Let us delve into the steps that will assist you in developing a successful backup strategy. Below are five comprehensive steps to follow in developing effective backup strategies.
Data Identification
The first essential step is to determine the data that you need to back up for your business. After identifying, you need to categorize the Recovery Time Objective (RTO) of each file, which will help you form an efficient backup plan. It is imperative to group your apps and data files to develop several layers of protection levels. Having this strategy is essential during the disaster recovery procedure since you will retrieve the most critical files first.
Backup Scheduling
What is the Recovery Point Objective (RPO) of your organization? This point refers to the time between the last successful backup and when you lost your data files. Hence, the RPO should be in line with your data backups. Such that, when you suffer an attack, you will be able to recover all your files on time. Organizations must carry out regular backups as a strategy to help in data restoration. You should at least schedule daily backups to capture all the system changes after 24 hours.
Choose A Suitable Backup Solution
One of the most efficient strategies is to select suitable backup software that is compatible with the nature of your business operations. There are numerous factors that you must consider before settling on the right backup solution. These include:
- The type of backup you will implement: full, incremental, or differential
- The location of your data storage – remote off-site, or physical drives on-site
- Your business needs – automated, flexibility, budget, security policies, and scalability.
Testing and Monitoring
After you complete the backup system set-up, it is crucial to conduct a testing procedure to determine the efficiency of the backup software. It will help you determine if the disaster recovery system is swift and effective. If the end-users can perform backups independently, ensure that you train your users on how it works. IT administrators must also perform regular monitoring to detect anomalies and improve system performance.
Software Protection
It is crucial to install anti-virus software on your backup system to prevent malware and virus attacks from compromising your data. Although most backup solutions have advanced data security features, it is imperative to implement additional protective measures.
Most of the time, IT administrators often overlook the security of data files and apps stored in the cloud, assuming they are safe. While most cloud service providers have strict security measures, it does not guarantee 100% data security, and you may experience cyberattacks. Therefore, it is paramount to implement effective strategies that will enhance data protection for your business. Take into consideration all the factors for selecting a suitable backup solution, such as the nature of the business, backup type, cost, objective, among other critical reasons that will help you to set up an efficient Backup Strategy.