Backups tend to be one of those things that people plug in and hope for the best, and it’s only after a natural disaster, ransomware attack, or hard drive crash that they find out their backup wasn’t the safety net they thought.
There are several reasons for a backup solution failing, including not using backup monitoring and if your backup solution wasn’t a good one to begin with.
For example, thumb drives and external hard drives are a popular way to backup files, but if that’s the only backup solution you’re using, then you’re likely to be unpleasantly surprised if you suffer a data loss incident.
Only half of surveyed businesses are confident that all their data can be restored in the case of a data loss incident.
Drives that you can plug into your computer may seem handy and secure, but there are several problems with using them as a backup solution.
What’s Wrong with a USB Drive Backup?
File loss can be extremely costly to a business. According to a report commissioned by IBM, the cost per each lost file from a data breach is $150. So, losing just 1,000 files would mean losses of $150,000.
With so much at stake when it comes to your data and the many unexpected things that can happen to it, you want to make sure you’re using a backup solution that’s going to give you the highest probability for data recovery should a disaster strike your office.
Why aren’t hard drives and flash drives good backup solutions?
They Can Be Damaged Along with Your Computer
If you’re using a local thumb drive or hard drive to back up your computer, if your office is subject to a fire, flood or other disaster or a theft, your hard drive backup could be gone along with the files on your computer. That would leave you without any copies of your files.
They Can Crash or Be Corrupted
You’re unplugging your headphone USB cord from the back of your computer, but you accidentally unplug your hard drive instead and get a corruption warning.
When you’re using an external hard drive or USB flash drive for your backup, they’re easily damaged if dropped and can also cause your files to become corrupted if they’re unplugged while backing up.
They’re Susceptible to Ransomware
Ransomware is a big threat to file integrity and one of the things that a backup is designed to mitigate. However, if your pluggable backup drive is connected to your computer when it’s hit with ransomware, all the files on it can also become infected and be just as unusable as those on your hard drive.
They Can Run Out of Space
If you’re using a physical drive instead of a cloud backup, you can easily run out of space, which could result in some of your data not being backed up properly.
You also can’t add capacity to a thumb drive or removable hard drive like you can with a cloud backup solution, so you have to purchase a new one and go through that long initial backup process again.
Choosing a Better Backup Solution
Many businesses like the control of having an on-premises copy of their backup, but there is a way to have that plus the security of a cloud backup too.
Texas I.T. Pros works with both Datto and Replibit backup systems, which are both designed to ensure that businesses can have the best of both a cloud and on-site backup to ensure their data is protected no matter what type of data loss disaster occurs.
Ransomware
These professional backup systems have safeguards in place that keep the data stored on them protected from ransomware. If your computer is infected with ransomware or a virus, you can feel secure knowing that your backup files won’t be.
Security from Onsite Damage or Theft
Because Datto and Replibit solutions can simultaneously backup locally as well as in the cloud, in the event of a theft or a natural disaster at your office, you’ll have a recoverable cloud copy of all your data that can be restored to any computer quickly.
Designed for Efficient Backups
A thumb drive isn’t going to include things like multiple backup options, quick restore, or full image backup of your entire system. If you want to back up your entire data infrastructure correctly, you need to work with a solution that’s designed for full system backup and recovery.
Get Help with Local and Cloud Backup Solutions You Can Rely On
Don’t wait until the unexpected strikes to learn your backup system isn’t reliable. Texas I.T. Pros can help you put a strong backup and recovery strategy in place that will help you recover quickly from any data loss catastrophe.
Contact us today to learn more about our backup solutions! Call 940-239-6500 or reach out online.