5 Data Backup Mistakes that Might Bankrupt Your Startup | Entrepreneur

In the present info age, knowledge disasters have turn into the largest risk to companies. Based on a 2024 knowledge loss statistics report, 51% of companies that undergo knowledge loss shut down inside two years, and 43% by no means reopen their doorways. Although most startups take the precaution of backing up their knowledge, lots of them don’t try this correctly. In this text, I’ll listing 5 of the most typical knowledge backup errors that might derail your startup and the way to repair them quick.

Mistake 1: Taking cloud storage as backup

One of the largest misconceptions is taking knowledge sync on cloud storage as an auto backup mechanism. Actually, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive and Dropbox are storage options, not backup options. Data sync helps when your native gadget is broken or misplaced. But if you happen to delete an necessary file on the native gadget by mistake, or your file is encrypted by ransomware, the copy on the cloud drive will even be deleted or encrypted.

I’ve encountered many such instances. For instance, a design firm permits sync between the native drive and Google Drive. One day, the hacker assaults their native programs and encrypts all of the drawing information. When they detect the assault, they resort to Google Drive, however solely discover that each one the copies on the cloud are additionally encrypted!

Solution: Find or implement a real backup resolution that may create a separate and remoted copy of your knowledge. The resolution may be based mostly on cloud storage. However, current tendencies present ransomware won’t solely assault the unique knowledge, but additionally infect the backups. Therefore, to guard your backups from ransomware, it’s higher to make a backup that’s fully bodily remoted out of your gadget and the web.

Related: 5 Reasons to Make Regular Data Backups a Part of Your Business Plan

Mistake 2: Backup through copy

Startups usually ask their workers to again up through copying information to an exterior laborious drive, to avoid wasting the price of buying knowledgeable backup resolution. But this methodology has the next disadvantages:

• Over time, it would turn into increasingly more advanced to handle a number of backup variations.

• Backing up duplicates information and knowledge repeatedly in several backup variations, losing numerous time and pointless disk area.

Solution: It is less expensive to decide on knowledgeable backup resolution as a result of it could possibly:

• Manage the backup variations on completely different time factors simply.

• Most of the options help incremental or differential backups, which can solely again up the distinction because the final backup or final full backup, saving numerous disk area and time.

Mistake 3: Manual backup

Similar to mistake two, startups usually select to backup manually as a substitute of automating the method. But there are a lot of issues with this methodology:

• Employees could overlook to again up even when there’s a common backup coverage.

• Due to human inertia, workers who initially comply with the backup guidelines could step by step start to slack off.

• The backup course of will devour numerous time and system assets, affecting the conventional workflow of the workers.

Solution: It is at all times beneficial to automate the backup course of, as a result of:

• Data will at all times be backed up on the scheduled time, not affected by human components.

• By scheduling backup time on off-business or off-peak hours, the backup course of won’t have an effect on the conventional workflow or the pc efficiency significantly.

Even if you happen to can’t automate the backup course of fully, it’s best to select an answer that lets you carry out the backup through one-click or one-press as a substitute of numerous operations, which can make workers extra keen to carry out the backup frequently.

Related: Why Every Small Business Needs a Backup and Disaster Recovery Plan

Mistake 4: Backup with out encryption

Many startups will use varied mechanisms to guard their delicate knowledge, resembling privileged entry administration, multifactor authentication, and so on., however neglect the safety of their backup knowledge. Whenever the backup gadgets are misplaced, stolen, or the cloud knowledge heart for the backup is invaded by hackers, an information breach happens.

• IBM report exhibits that the worldwide common price of an information breach in 2024 is 4.9 million USD.

• Other than monetary losses, knowledge breaches may result in compliance points and will even end in enterprise closure.

Solution: Find a backup resolution with encryption help. Make certain you:

• Use high-strength encryption algorithms. It is beneficial to make use of AES-256 to encrypt and decrypt the backup knowledge since it’s quick and safe.

• Do NOT use obsoleted or insecure algorithms, resembling DES and 3DES.

Mistake 5: Backup with out validation

Completing a backup isn’t the tip of your knowledge safety journey — it is only the start. The subsequent step is to validate the integrity of the backup knowledge to ensure it may be restored efficiently when wanted. Validation is essential as a result of:

• Backup is time-consuming and usually includes an enormous quantity of knowledge, so any error within the course of can corrupt all the backup.

• With the elapse of time, the bodily gadgets storing the backup knowledge will deteriorate, inflicting knowledge corruption.

Solution: Find a backup resolution that helps validation. And be sure you:

• Validate the backup instantly after a backup course of completes.

• Validate the outdated backups frequently. If potential, automate the validation periodically.

The startups that last more are these taking knowledge backup because the core a part of their companies as a substitute of an afterthought. By checking and stopping the 5 errors on this article, you’re planning for the worst and turning knowledge vulnerability into resilience.

Related: Create a Back-Up Plan for Your Data