Backup as a Service: The Smarter Way to Secure Your Data.
Disasters come in all shapes and sizes – so do backup plans. These days a business’ IT infrastructure is its frontline protection against natural disaster, cyber-attack, human error or even disruptions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s why backup has evolved into the sophisticated service area it is today.
Automation, 24/7 monitoring, end-to-end encryption – as cybersecurity threats have increased, Backup as a Service has adapted to guarantee business continuity. Businesses still relying on manual, out-of-date practices for backup are taking unnecessary risks. And as we know, poor backup plans lead to costly recovery processes that no business can afford to deal with.
Reasons to consider Backup as a Service (BaaS)
Cloud backup services aren’t just convenient – they’re now cheaper and even safer than most manual, on-premises solutions. There’s a reason why 85% of businesses worldwide are using cloud technology. Storing files in the cloud means they are automatically backed up by your service provider. Backing up manually exposes your files to the most common form of data loss: human error. True cloud backup protects your files automatically so you don’t have to. It also ensures that data can be retrieved from any location for a fixed monthly cost that you agree to upfront. Any service provider worth their salt will provide 24/7 support on all managed services at no charge to ensure your data is protected. They should also secure your backed up data with encryption, two-factor authentication and real-time alerting /monitoring services to protect against security threats.
Backups are automated – near-continuous backup streams mean data is almost available in real time. Automated backups can be important not only for disaster recovery, but also for staying in compliance with regulatory requirements, like those imposed by the BMA, HIPAA or SOX. Any gap in the frequency of your backups poses a potential risk of data being lost and not recovered. How much data can you afford to lose? How long can you go without access to critical data, applications and services? If the answer is ‘none, we need constant access to our data’ then automation is essential. Make sure there is a clearly defined RTO (Recovery Time Objective) and RPO (Recovery Point Objective) in the Service Level Agreement. RTO defines the time within which the BaaS provider ensures recovery while RPO defines how frequently the data backup is taken. Both are important for guaranteeing a quality service.
Services can be scaled to your needs – as your business grows and its processes become more advanced, the volume of data you want to backup will grow too. If you maintain your own backup system you have to continually increase capacity and modify processes to accommodate the extra data. This can get costly and require extra personnel with the right expertise to secure data to the highest standards. Backup as a Service is designed to grow with you and can be a flexible way to manage backup costs so you’re only paying for what you need, when you need it. Just make sure your provider is willing to alter the frequency of backup and extend the retention period. Otherwise, you could be locked into a set contract with expensive surcharges (not ideal).
Choosing the right BaaS provider
Lower cost doesn’t always mean better value. If you think your data is worth protecting then you should evaluate security measures as a priority. Your chosen data centre should be designed to Tier 3 standards to offer a high level of uptime, with appropriate security levels in place such as biometric systems and authentication protocols.
Quality service is guaranteed. Disaster can strike at any time so your provider should be able to demonstrate a proven track record of delivering speedy 24/7 customer support at no extra charge should you need their assistance. That includes having a documented backup and recovery plan with processes that your management and IT teams can rely on.
Not just a “canned service”. A custom solution for data backup and recovery has the benefits of being both cost efficient and flexible to what your business needs. With existing infrastructure and applications to integrate, any management of data is going to require a BaaS provider capable of flexing to your needs.
Want to know more?
Our backup services are custom-built to be secure and reliable. What’s more, we pride ourselves on service with a 98% client retention rate to prove it.
Get in touch with our Cloud Hosting specialist on +1 441 278 2807 or email us.