The cost of data loss
is higher than any backup solution
The number of threats to confidential, enterprise data is at an all-time high, and the trend is showing no signs of slowing down. Cybercriminals are coming up with new and improved ways to steal enterprise data and lock it for a hefty ransom or use it for other nefarious reasons. It is imperative that enterprises invest in a backup solution to protect their data from cybercriminals and all other forms of data loss.
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Why invest in a backup solution?
There are a few reasons why an organization should protect its data using a backup solution:
Protect against data loss
This is one of the basic reasons why enterprises should invest in a backup solution. Data loss can happen at any time for any reason: hardware failure, software failure, or accidental deletion due to human error. No matter the reason for data loss, the only way organizations can reliably get back on their feet is through a robust backup and recovery solution.
Meet compliance requirements
Most organizations today have to comply with at least one compliance regulation. Regulations such as HIPAA, PCI DSS, and the GDPR require organizations to maintain a copy of all their data for a specific period and mandate enterprises to regularly purge data after they have exceeded their retention period. An efficient enterprise backup and restoration solution allows organizations to not only back up all their data but also systematically delete data once their retention period has expired, allowing enterprises to comply with stringent regulations.
Improve disaster recovery
While accidents caused by hardware failure, software failure, and even human errors can be limited to an extent, natural disasters are something that organizations cannot control. Floods, earthquakes, and other natural disasters can result in the loss of entire data centers. With the help of a robust backup and recovery solution and off-shore backup repositories, organizations can minimize the impact of natural disasters by quickly recovering their lost data.
Protect against ransomware and other malware
According to the 2022 MSP Threat Report by ConnectWise, ransomware is one of the most prevalent threats to organizational data, affecting two out of three midsize businesses. The number of new ransomware variants is not only increasing daily but also evolving. Modern ransomware variants are now able to successfully evade traditional antivirus software, and some even create backdoors to systems for continued access. A backup and recovery solution nullifies the effect of ransomware and other malware by enabling organizations to quickly recover encrypted data from backups.
Save money
Even though organizations have to invest in a backup and recovery solution, the cost of not having a backup and recovery software is exponentially higher. According to IBM's Cost of a Data Breach Report 2022, the average cost of a ransomware attack, excluding the ransom paid, is USD 4.54 million. A backup solution costs much less, while also providing organizations with a way to recover from the effects of ransomware attacks.
What to look for in a backup solution
Even though there are many enterprise data backup solutions in the market, there are a few must-have features for organizations that wish to secure their data without any compromises:
Complete data protection
Organizations should ensure the backup and recovery application they choose is able to back up all the data of the organization, no matter where the data is stored. In the current environment, organizations store their data in a mixture of on-premises and cloud applications, highlighting the need for a backup solution that can back up hybrid applications.
Compatible RPO and RTO
A recovery point objective (RPO) is the maximum amount of data that an organization can lose without impacting the organization's functioning. For certain industries such as healthcare or government, financial institutions, and other mission-critical operations, the amount of data that can be lost is close to zero. In such cases, organizations should look for a backup solution that offers continuous data backup. A recovery time objective (RTO) is the maximum amount of time an organization can afford to be offline. Organizations should ensure the backup and recovery solution they choose can restore the entire dataset within the specified RTO.
Configurable retention policies
Compliance regulations mandate organizations to retain certain data for a fixed number of days. Organizations should ensure the backup solution that they choose is able to define custom retention limits for different types of data based on the compliance requirements.
Compatible RPO and RTO
A recovery point objective (RPO) is the maximum amount of data that an organization can lose without impacting the organization's functioning. For certain industries such as healthcare or government, financial institutions, and other mission-critical operations, the amount of data that can be lost is close to zero. In such cases, organizations should look for a backup solution that offers continuous data backup. A recovery time objective (RTO) is the maximum amount of time an organization can afford to be offline. Organizations should ensure the backup and recovery solution they choose can restore the entire dataset within the specified RTO.
Scalability
Organizations should ensure the backup and recovery solution can scale up to meet their needs. This could be in terms of the amount of data or the different applications being backed up.
Compression
Organizations should ensure their backup and recovery solution can compress their backups. For organizations that deal with a huge volume of data and high retention periods, the size of the backups can get enormous quickly. A backup solution with good compression ratio can ensure they do not overspend on backup repositories.
RecoveryManager Plus,
the enterprise backup solution
ManageEngine RecoveryManager Plus is a comprehensive and reliable backup and disaster recovery solution for enterprise applications such as Active Directory (AD), Azure Active Directory (Azure AD), Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and on-premises Exchange. With an arsenal of advanced features and an intuitive user interface, RecoveryManager Plus simplifies the backup process and allows enterprises to restore on-premises and cloud environments in just a few simple clicks.
Get quoteOver 280,000 organizations across 190 countries trust ManageEngine to manage their IT
Why choose RecoveryManager Plus?
RecoveryManager Plus offers many features that make it a must-have for organizations of all sizes.
Incremental backups
RecoveryManager Plus allows organizations to back up only the changes made since the last backup, thereby reducing the time taken to complete each backup cycle. This also ensures that there is minimal data transmission during the backup process, which does not affect the work of end users.
Multiple restoration types
RecoveryManager Plus allows organizations to restore the entire application, a small part of it, or even just a single object or mail item, depending on their needs. This allows administrators to leverage RecoveryManager Plus to handle data loss in all scenarios, such as natural disasters, ransomware, accidental deletion, and more, with ease.
Comprehensive application backup
RecoveryManager Plus allows organizations to back up multiple on-premises and cloud applications such as AD, Azure AD, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and on-premises Exchange from a single console. This allows administrators to manage backups and perform restorations for all of these applications from a single window, simplifying the restoration process.
Customizable retention period
RecoveryManager Plus allows organizations to configure different retention periods for different backup schedules, making it easier for organizations to comply with industry regulations.
Custom backup storage
RecoveryManager Plus allows organizations to store the backups of their enterprise applications either on-premises in NAS or in the cloud in Azure Blob Storage and Azure file shares, depending on their needs. This ensures that there is always a copy of their backup data in an off-site location.
You are one step away from securing your enterprise data
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FAQs
What is an enterprise backup strategy?
An enterprise backup strategy is a plan for backing up and restoring all the data in an organization. It includes the following steps:
- Identifying the data that has to be backed up.
- Classifying the data based on their criticality.
- Identifying where the backups should be stored.
- Determining the backup storage mediums.
- Determining the frequency at which the backups have to be taken.
- Periodically testing the backups.
Why is an effective backup strategy important for an enterprise?
The average cost of a ransomware attack, excluding the ransom paid, is USD 4.54 million*. With the number of attacks and monetary loss due to an attack increasing every year, organizations should prioritize having a backup and disaster recovery strategy.
How often should I back up my enterprise data?
The frequency of your backup depends on the kind of data that is being backed up and their criticality to your organization. Organizations need to classify their data based on criticality and ensure mission-critical data is backed up regularly. Defining a recovery point objective (RPO) for each category of data is paramount, and the disaster recovery plan should be devised based on the RPO.
What types of data should be included in the enterprise backup strategy?
Any data that is important to the functioning of the organization should be backed up.
Should I use on-premises or cloud-based backup solutions for my enterprise?
Organizations should follow the 3-2-1 backup policy for their disaster recovery strategy. According to the 3-2-1 backup principle, organizations should always have three copies of data: one copy of live data and two backup copies, with two copies being in different media, and one backup copy stored in an offsite location. This principle provides organizations the best protection against any possible disaster.
How do I determine the optimal retention period for my enterprise backups?
The optimal retention period depends on the following factors.
- Type of data being backed up: Certain categories of data such as financial transactions, legal documents, and others require a longer retention period while other categories such as mails and internal communications require a shorter retention period.
- Regulatory requirements: The retention period varies based on the compliance requirements your organization must adhere to.
- Budget: Retaining data for a longer duration is a costly affair, especially if there are multiple copies of data stored in different locations. The retention period has to be calculated based on the amount of data that is being retained and your budget.
What are the best practices for testing and validating backups in an enterprise environment?
Having a backup that doesn't work when you need it is equal to having to having no backups. It is imperative that your organization's disaster recovery plan also includes periodic testing of backups to ensure you can safely recover your data when a disaster strikes. Organizations should follow the following steps to test and validate backups:
- Test backups regularly: Periodically restore from your backups in a test environment to ensure the backups are in optimal working condition.
- Backup integrity check: Ensure backups are stored in an immutable storage. An immutable storage is a type of storage which cannot be modified or deleted once it has been written on. This ensures your backups remain untampered.
- Test different restore methods: If your organization follows the 3-2-1 backup principle, periodically check if you can restore all data from each backup source.
- Document the results of your tests: Keep track of all tests to identify issues with your disaster recovery strategy and modify your backup strategy or vendor as necessary.