Today, more than 50% of UK businesses risk losing critical data, and over 700,000 companies have no access to data backup plans at all.

We’re living in a world where cybersecurity issues are on the rise, yet countless organisations still don’t know how to keep one of the most crucial assets safe.

If you’re in charge of securing your business this year, then you might be wondering how you can present the best backup strategy to your CEO or business leaders. After all, the most effective business transformation efforts always rely on buy-in from the people at the head of your enterprise.

The good news?

We’re here to help you put the ideal data backup plan into place.

Here’s what you need to do.

Step 1: Assess your company’s backup needs

An enterprise backup strategy and disaster recovery plan are crucial for any business. However, every organisation is different. While some companies will need a 24/7 helpdesk and mobile device security solutions, others will only need to ensure that they have a copy of their information available at all times on the cloud.

To start with, ask yourself:

How many different kinds of backup do you need? (Usually, it’s recommended to keep three copies of the same data).
What kind of different storage channels will you feel comfortable using?
What sort of data do you need to store?
Do you need to be able to recover and edit data quickly for GDPR purposes?
Do you need to access your data regularly for customer service purposes?
What kind of devices do you have that need to be secured?

Step 2: Understand your data risks

No matter how careful you are with the information that you collect, there’s always a risk that something could happen to your data. If you’ve ever been hacked before, then you might have an idea of where your vulnerable areas are.

If you’re new to cybersecurity and data backup plans, then look at where your employees manage and interact with information. For instance, if your staff members log into company files from their mobile devices, biometric and two-factor authentication can reduce the risk of data breaches if their devices ever get stolen.

Similarly, if you’re located in an environment that’s prone to flooding or other natural disasters, you’ll know that you need to keep your information off-site, and in a location that’s less likely to face physical issues.

Step 3: Decide what your backup infrastructure should be

Once you know what your data risks are, and what information you want to protect, you can begin to build a data backup plan that suits your specific needs. Look for ways that you can connect your potential data risks to possible solutions when presenting your enterprise backup strategy to your CEO. For instance, if you’ve been hit by a hurricane in your area before, a cloud-based backup service would ensure that your information stays secure, no matter what happens to you on premise.

Some of the available options you can consider for your plan include:

Hardware backups: These include hard-drives and other on-premise storage solutions that are available to access whenever you need them. Hardware storage is excellent when you don’t have access to the internet, but they aren’t protected from physical disasters.
Software solutions: Buying software and installing it on a virtual machine is a good option for companies who regularly change their data infrastructure.
Cloud services: Cloud services offer backup either through securely hosted vaulting, or an off-site backup. This ensures that no matter where you are, or what happens to your devices, you’ll be able to get your crucial information back.

Usually, the best backup strategy is one that doesn’t rely on one single option. To ensure that you’re defended no matter what happens, it’s often a good idea to invest in cloud and hardware backups simultaneously.

Step 4: Create a recovery plan

With your enterprise backup strategy ready to go, it’s essential to make sure that everyone in your team knows how to access your stored data when they need it. An easy-to-follow incident response checklist is an excellent addition to any data backup plan.

Remember that your CEO might ask you to refine your procedures. However, showing that you have a response checklist in place will indicate that you’ve put the right amount of time and thought into your data recovery strategy. Remember to cover:

The data sets to be recovered
Post-restoration steps that need to be taken
Dependencies that might affect recovery
People involved in the data backup and disaster recovery strategy

Step 5: Test your data backup plan

Finally, before you present your enterprise backup strategy to your CEO, make sure that you test it. You’ll need to ensure that your backup methods are successful and that you can access the right data from your chosen services when necessary.

It may also be worth running a test with a beta group to make sure that the disaster recovery plan you’ve implemented is easy enough to follow. This will make it easier to prove to your CEO that your plan works.

As you go forward, remember to keep testing your data backup plan. The last thing you want is to discover that something has gone wrong at the worst possible time.

Ready to discuss disaster recovery and backup solutions? Contact the team at Nice Network today.