Critical Business Data: How to Keep It Safe

Ensuring that your data is secure at all times is one of the top priorities of almost every company out there. Hard disks and databases often contain sensitive information and critical data that must always be available.

As cybercrime is on the rise, the risk of a data breach is a serious issue that should never be underestimated. Losing some of the information you have saved (or all of it) can have a huge negative impact on your business. Even simply slowing down while trying to make up for lost time can cause irreparable damage to your customers’ trust. Here are some handy tips for saving your data or, at the very least, minimizing the damage whenever data loss occurs.

Always backup your critical business data

While this may sound like a straightforward tip, the importance of backing up your data can never be overemphasized.

I know it’s boring, I know it takes time, but you have to do it seriously. Today there are much easier and simpler methods to streamline this process and create a backup of everything in minutes. If you have a website, there are many plugins available to save your data with automatic options.

If you need to store physical data, an external hard drive allows you to store it securely. But if you do not want to back up everything, you can still save the most critical files or folders to your USB flash drive.

To back up your customers’ files on their Windows-based endpoints, such as their personal computers or laptops, and manage them through a multi-tenant console, you can go for the best Endpoint backup for MSPs created and established by Altaro.

Store backups in a secure location

Even if you have used all the best, most secure methods to ensure your data security, an accident like a fire or an electrical short circuit can always happen, causing you to lose everything. Keep your backups off-site in a safe place to make sure your data is always available, no matter what. Move the most important files to your laptop that you store in your home, for example, or if your business is located in a city where there is an increased risk of earthquakes, keep the backups in another city.

Use a secure chatting platform

Many work-related communications take place on free consumer chat applications, which, surprisingly enough, exposes you and your employees to serious security and privacy risks. If a conversation leaks, breaking the data can cost you a lot of money.

If a data breach occurs during communication, you may be liable for any collateral damage and may even be sued for it! Spending money on buying a fast business messenger is a great idea, especially if you want to protect communication in your workplace at all levels.

These tools provide several security layers, such as P2P channels, to ensure that all communications occur only between authorized users and integration with antivirus and anti-malware software to protect data transmission.

Make sure that the critical data is properly encrypted

Data encryption is a great way to ensure that no one can access your vital information when a security breach occurs.

By preventing unauthorized users from gaining access to your encrypted data, you are minimizing exposure and, at the same time, giving your customers an extra reason to trust you with their sensitive information. Remember to keep your encryption keys in a safe place, especially if you are using a cloud-based solution.

Store your data in Cloud Storage

Whether they are USB flash drives, external or traditional, hard drives are still physical objects made of metal and plastic. As a result, they can break down and stop working for many reasons.

However, if you place it on the cloud, you no longer risk losing it due to device failure.

Of course, there are some downsides to this choice, such as the limited capacity of many cloud storage services or the need for a stable internet connection. On the other hand, you also get many useful benefits, such as improved accessibility from any device connected to the Internet.

Network Attached Storage (NAS)

Network Attached Storage (NAS) are small devices that act as servers in a local area network (LAN). They are used as storage units connected directly to the network, so you do not have to physically connect a new device every time you want to back up your data.

Advanced NAS devices also have server mode to act as a database, print server, and email, and they are a popular solution for disaster recovery and redundancy. Their main downside is that they can be expensive to purchase and maintain.

Think of computer security insurance as a necessary evil

State-sponsored cyberattacks are on the rise, as is the largely unknown Internet of Things (IoT) vulnerability. Sometimes, no matter how much you invest in your internet security, you can still become the target of a massive attack that will find a way through your protected id. One way or another, if you think of security breaches as an inevitable risk, Internet security becomes a necessary evil.

Although his premiums may seem expensive, you will be more than happy to have paid them if something bad happens. Some insurance companies also provide additional tools or recommendations to help secure the infrastructure and prevent damage.

Conclusion

Many unwanted attacks are happening today, and many people cannot handle it or are unavailable to do more because they don’t possess the right tools or backups.

There are many different ways to protect your data from unnecessary risks. Newer devices and software are being developed every day, as well as smarter solutions. You have to pay attention to the method that best suits your needs. While these solutions may seem expensive, consider how much complete data loss would be. Bottom line, keep in mind that it’s always better to be safe than sorry! Start by backing up the critical business data as one of the most important keys to developing and managing a business.