While backing up data may seem straightforward, minor flaws can lead to significant disasters. Many companies understand that their backups are not as reliable as they pretend to be only after a system failure, a successful cyberattack, or accidental deletion.
However, the damage has already occurred. Consider the following best practices to keep your team, customers, and business safe.
1. Relying on a Single Backup
Your business will always be vulnerable when business data backup mistakes include relying on one copy only. Hardware could fail, the administrator could accidentally delete important files, or the only copy could be erased due to a hacker attack.
As the Data Protection Report from Veeam puts it, about 76% of enterprises faced data unavailability after a backup failure. This source is not reliable. You can never know which backup will fail at the wrong moment.
2. Not Updating Backup Schedules
Your backup schedule should match the pace of your business. For example, if your team works every day and your backups run only once a week, you have gaps.
Datto states that companies with poorly updated and monitored schedules lose an average of six hours of data. Daily or hourly backups are part of backup best practices for businesses and help with preventing data loss from backup failures.
3. Skipping Backup Testing
Many businesses believe their backups are running properly if the system shows that the process is completed. However, it does not mean your files will be restored.
According to IDC research, approximately 58% of all backups become unsuitable for recovery due to errors. Regular testing confirms restore points are valid and helps prevent data loss from backup failures before a real incident occurs.
4. Keeping Backups in Unsafe Locations
Having a backup in the same physical location is much the same as having no protection. Floods, fires, break-ins, or hardware faults may destroy multiple devices at once.
According to FEMA, there’s a 40% probability that a small organization will not recover from a physical disaster. Using secure off-site or cloud storage is essential when learning how to protect business data backups.
5. Ignoring Cyber Threats During Backups
As cybercrime becomes more sophisticated, attackers increasingly target files directly. Ransomware incidents rose by 13% in a single year, with backup systems often being a primary target.
Protecting backups means encrypting files, limiting access, and disconnecting systems from the main network. These steps are critical for how to protect business data backups.
Stronger Backups Build a Safer Business
By avoiding these mistakes, you can increase your business resilience. Multiple backup locations, updated schedules, regular testing, secure storage, and protection against cyber threats all combine to keep your data safe. And, when your backups do, in fact, function, you recover more quickly, prevent substantial work pauses, and save face.
