Cloud backup – an effective way to protect small businesses from major disasters
Data loss can be devastating for a company, yet it is easy to prevent. Look at what cloud backups offer, how they work, and why it makes sense to use them even in small and medium-sized businesses.
There is nothing small about small businesses anymore. Small and medium-sized enterprises, although few people realise it, play an important economic and social role in society. In Europe, they account for more than 90% of all businesses, contribute 60% to GDP, and employ over 40% of the population. However, senior managers, especially those of smaller companies, often have very conflicting perceptions of the risks associated with the loss, damage, or misuse of company data. The idea that ‘nothing can happen to small businesses’ is in fact misleading and dangerous.
The most valuable thing a company can have
Nowadays, data is often the most valuable asset a company has. Machines can be repaired, employees can be hired or trained — but lost data cannot always be recovered. There are many ways to lose data — from human error, intentional damage, or technical malfunctions to device theft, cyberattacks, and natural disasters. Regardless of the cause, data loss almost always results in unexpected costs, lost time, and a host of complications. Add to that the loss of trust among clients and partners, possible penalties, and high financial losses from interrupted operations, and such a situation can be devastating for smaller businesses.
The statistics are relentless
Almost 40% of small businesses reported significant data loss after a cyberattack. Research shows that up to 75% of small and medium-sized businesses would have significant difficulty continuing to operate if, for example, they were targeted by a ransomware attack. And 51% of ransomware victims preferred to pay a hefty ransom right away just to get their data back. Statistics from IBM and NASDAQ show that after a ransomware attack, 22% of small businesses go out of business, and if the loss is long-term, 93% of companies that have lost their data go out of business. Yet many continue to bury their heads in the sand.
Backups are not a cure for everything: why testing and recovery planning are crucial
Many small and medium-sized companies already back up their data in some way, but only about half of them evaluate it regularly. ISO 22310 standards are being implemented slowly in the Czech Republic, and 21% of companies that at least back up their data have neither a recovery plan nor regular verification of its functionality. Yet a disaster recovery plan is a key part of a strategy for the rapid recovery of company data and the operation of key systems. Untested backups can also be very treacherous. For example, before demanding a ransom, ransomware can encrypt company data for weeks or even months without anyone noticing, including backups. And encrypted backups are useless. When it comes to the proportion of small companies that have at least a basic backup strategy, such as 3-2-1, the numbers are unfortunately still alarming.
Downloading data does not mean backing it up
Occasionally downloading data to a portable drive stored in a drawer or to a second server in the server room is definitely not enough. Both the drive and the backup server can fail. Storing data on a server at another branch is safer, but let's be honest, how many smaller companies have branches that are technically prepared to back up data from headquarters and other locations? And where should data from the backup branch be backed up, and who can still make sense of those backups?
A backup should be used to fully restore data if the company loses it. It must therefore contain not only work data, but also system configurations, database contents and structures, metadata, and access rights information. It is also important to have backups of company emails, data from the company intranet, and other components of the corporate information system. Otherwise, it may happen, and it does happen, that a company has a backup but is simply unable to reconstruct the original system from it. Backups must also comply with GDPR requirements.
Cloud backup
Cloud backup is the ideal solution for small and medium-sized businesses. Backups are stored via a secure and encrypted connection to remote cloud servers provided by a cloud service provider. The security and availability of the backups then rests on their shoulders. Backups are accessible from anywhere without the need for physical access to backup devices, which, among other things, allows you to restore your company's IT systems to a different location than the original one after a flood or fire, for example, and thus significantly speed up the recovery of the entire company's operations. Other advantages of cloud backup include:
- the ability to automate backups, which reduces the risk of someone forgetting to create and save a backup,
- the ability to increase the volume of backed-up data without investing in new hardware,
- faster, more reliable, and assisted recovery,
- redundancy, as most reputable providers back up their cloud data in other geographically separate locations, virtually eliminating the possibility of backup loss or damage.
The transition to cloud backup is usually not complicated. Remote cloud storage is simply connected to the client's environment without any major changes. The provider's specialists can also help with the preparation of a strategy and plan for restoring operations after a crash, disaster, or incident, and will design and prepare the backup so that recovery is reliable, as simple as possible, and as fast as possible. This not only relieves the client of backup concerns but also ensures that even in the event of the worst-case scenario, their business will not be shut down for long.
Data backup and recovery in the CRA cloud
Simple, fast, fully integrated, and inexpensive cloud backup and data recovery using VEEAM Backup & Replication and Microsoft 365 Cloud Backup software provides peace of mind in moments when the future of a company can literally be decided in minutes. Not only can specific data be backed up and restored, but also the entire company's IT operations. All data, both currently used and stored, is encrypted and does not leave the Czech Republic.
The availability of critical infrastructure elements is up to 99.999%, which means that the total maximum annual service outage will not exceed 5 minutes. The unique VIRTIX cloud platform provides easy control and configuration of all cloud services. CRA has all the necessary certifications, and its specialists will also help with the design and preparation of Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity plans.
VEEAM Cloud Connect, Microsoft 365 Cloud Backup, or just a virtual NAS?
Veeam Cloud Connect provides easy, efficient, and fully integrated cloud backup. Clients simply connect remote cloud storage to their infrastructure and can start backing up. It requires no changes to the company's IT architecture, and recovery is performed directly from the user interface on the client side, giving them complete control.
Backing up in a Microsoft 365 environment prevents data loss, whether caused by human error or cyberattack, and ensures fast recovery of emails, files, and Microsoft 365 or Office 365 suites. Here, too, the user has full control over the backed-up items.
Virtual network storage, NAS, offers easy access directly via NFS and CIFS protocols, strong security, and, of course, Active Directory and LDAP support.
Prevention is always cheaper than dealing with the consequences.
This applies in general — and backup is no exception. Ignoring risks, believing that ‘it can't happen to me,’ or simply complaining about the price has never protected anyone from data loss. However, effective, reliable, and well-designed cloud backup does.
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