One of the most mundane IT tasks that all tech professionals are familiar with is data backup. When something goes wrong (a user accidentally deletes a file, a server fails without warning, a hacker attacks with malicious code) everyone in the office assumes a backup safety net is in place. But that assumption may be only partially correct. 
Backup is, of course, absolutely fundamental in business. Gartner technology advisors describe it as “among the oldest, most performed tasks for infrastructure and operations professionals.” Even so, that does not mean that backup receives the focus it deserves. Once a basic backup solution is in place, backup may find itself relegated to a mere background activity.
As the Business World Changes, Backup Should Too
Basic tape backup has been a mainstay for the last 6 or 7 decades. Still today, tape continues to have a role in the backup landscape. But tapes are not a fit for every operation. As the world gets more connected, employees become more comfortable in the digital world, and customers flock to mobile solutions. Hence, the nature of business data transforms.
The massive increase of unstructured data from sources such as social media and the Internet of Things (IoT) drives the need for new backup solutions. Data in transit, which can be harder to protect,has become as common in businesses as data at rest, which is easier to protect. Add in evolvingmalware threats such as ransomware, and it introduces entirely new scenarios in which backup must play a starring role.
BRaaS Offers Flexible Backup and Recovery
Business data volumes and configurations are growing so dramatically that it might seem daunting for businesses to back up and save everything coming at them. However, backup solutions are evolving too. State-of-the-art, cloud-based Backup and Recovery as a Service (BRaaS) exemplifies the way backup is leveraging new technologies to the benefit of organizations.
Choosing a BRaaS solution for your backup strategy broadens your options and capabilities in a number of ways. For example, you gain a CapEx advantage because you can avoid purchasing expensive, proprietary hardware for backup. With respect to backup storage, you can choose to keep backups on site, in the cloud, or, for best results, both.
BRaaS solutions also give you flexibility when it comes to recovering your data. You can recover data from your local backup quickly. But you can also access copies in the cloud.
The Right Time to Reassess Backup
The recent spate of ransomware attacks on businesses of all sizes illustrates why this is a good time to reassess your current backup solution. Having a protected and complete backup of your data gives you flexibility when dealing with ransomware attacks. This is true even if an attack was successful in encrypting your production data.
Moreover, there are additional reasons why this may be a good time to revisit your backup capabilities. For example, your organization may be:
- Deploying new and/or complex applications
- Meeting new compliance requirements
- Changing SLA requirements for recovery from backup
- Identifying new parameters for acceptable backup frequency
- Experiencing limitations on backup capacity
These situations signal an opportunity to improve your backup and recovery posture and enhance protection for your enterprise data. Best-in-class backup solutions today are flexible, so you don’t have to settle for a one-size-fits-all solution. You can get exactly the right level of backup to meet your business needs.
Are you reassessing your backup and recovery solution? Contact us today for a professional consultation with specific recommendations for your business.
