Business Risk Scenarios When a Backup Fails

According to a recent survey conducted by Computerweekly.com, the failure rate of backups is a shocking 37%. This is the reason why organizations must invest in cloud backups and Security services together.

Let’s look at the risks you may face as an organization in the event of a backup failure without the right cybersecurity solutions.

a. Loss of Productivity

Backup failures may lead to your IT staff working overtime to investigate and fix the issues. The time and effort to recover the data are massive and could affect the ongoing work. This can lead to a delay within the IT department and cause a ripple effect in other departments. 

b. Loss of Reputation

Loss of data will lead to prolonged outages and delayed services, which will, in turn, affect your organization's reputation. You risk losing your existing customers and even reducing the chances of getting any potential customers on board.

c. Legal Problems

Data backup failures can create conflicts with compliance regulations, and this can even lead to hefty penalties. 

Why Do Businesses Fail to Back Up Their Data?

1. Susceptible Client Data

If a business is working with a client who has susceptible data, there is a constant worry that with an unsecured data backup, there is a possibility of data leakage. Hence, businesses fail to back up their data. However, there are multiple cybersecurity service options to explore.

2. Not Enough Time to Backup

There is a common assumption that data backup might take up much time and disrupt the ongoing work timelines. However, with online cloud backups, there is an option of ‘background backup’ provided where your work may not be affected.

3. There is Too Much Data to Back Up

Today's data is measured in terabytes, and most organizations assume that more data storage may lead to higher costs.

However, when you choose an online backup service, there is an option for unlimited data storage that can be availed at a lower cost with additional cybersecurity solutions.

Aside from these, there is always a possibility that organizations back up their data, and it could still lead to failures.

Five reasons why data backups could fail?

1. Lack of a Stringent Monitoring Process

Backing up data is one thing, but close monitoring of the frequency and success of backups is also equally important. Weak monitoring processes can lead to more data backup failures in the future.

The easiest way to tackle this problem is to use automation for backup. You can alternately switch to cloud backup and have a disaster recovery plan in place.

2. Hardware Failure

According to a recent survey, a whopping 67% of data losses occur due to hardware losses or failures. The best way to avoid this problem in the future is to incorporate a separate mechanism for storing the data.

You need to have multiple copies of the same data, stored on two separate forms of media. Additionally, you must store one copy of the data offsite.

3. Network Failure

When you are backing up data on the cloud, one of the common issues is a loss of connection. Cloud-based backups are a great alternative, however, they are heavily reliant on good network connectivity.

4. Problems with Configuration or Inadequate Resources

Misconfiguration can cause multiple problems with backing up data, more so when the amount of data storage goes up and the overall environment changes.

The problem of misconfiguration arises when there are multiple overlaps in the backup sessions. And this is primarily due to a lack of adequate resources to manage and oversee the process. 

5. Human Errors

One of the most common, yet at times neglected reasons behind data backup failure is human error. No matter the kind of automation you put in place, it has to be overseen by humans, and the overall functioning of the automated processes must be monitored by humans.

This can lead to some amount of human errors which are not foreseeable but can create long-lasting damage to the way the data is secured and utilized for the future. 

Final Takeaways 

Like every other aspect of the IT infrastructure, when it is designed well and configured appropriately, data backups are seamless in the way they function and provide a cushion of reassurance.

On the other hand, an inappropriate design, shabbily architected backup could cripple an enterprise.

Given the significance of the data backups generated, placing an enhanced degree of attention on ensuring failure doesn't happen is extremely important.

Advancements in modern IT have also meant an influx of cyber security services and solutions with varying degrees of sophistication that help businesses take care of their data backup needs effectively. 

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