Due to modern technology, data loss is becoming less acceptable in our current culture. Thanks to apps and websites that save data on a near-continuous basis, people are starting to expect that accidentally closing their web browser won’t set them back more than a few minutes. And nearly everyone with a smartphone has access to cloud-based backups for their photos and other data.
If your employees and customers have zero tolerance for downtime and data loss—and the odds are pretty good that’s exactly the case—then the bar has been set very high for your business continuity planning. Downtime can be so costly, to both revenue and reputation, that some businesses never recover.
Unfortunately, backup and recovery architecture can be very complicated and expensive, especially if you don’t have an expert on staff. Many small- and medium-sized businesses are taking advantage of third-party solutions that automate most of the process. This gives them a world-class backup and disaster recovery, for a nominal price and ultimate flexibility.
The most popular and reliable solution is Veeam Cloud Connect, and when you source Cloud Connect through Virtual Systems as your backup and disaster recovery service provider, you also get the benefit of having an expert on call 24/7.
RELATED: Why Data Security in the Cloud is Greater – Not Less – Than On-Prem Systems
Why a Backup and Disaster Recovery Plan Is Essential to Your Business
In any given business, there is an almost guaranteed potential for data loss. After all, who hasn’t accidentally closed the wrong window, or had their computer freeze up in the middle of a critical project? Fortunately, those incidents are extremely local. Even in the worst case, you may “only” lose a day’s worth of work on one file.
However, threats to your entire collection of business data, including sensitive and protected information, are growing. Here are some of the most common sources for data loss:
Ransomware attacks. “Getting hacked” isn’t so much of a joke anymore as it is an inevitability. Ransomware attacks are increasing at an alarming rate, causing data security to become a primary concern for any business.
Hardware problems. Server failure and data corruption are very likely problems that can occur during the course of a year, especially if the hardware is older. Even for newer equipment, something like a coffee spill could become a major issue in virtually no time at all.
Human error. Accidental deletion, employees with too many permissions, people falling prey to phishing attempts, and even malicious actions from disgruntled employees all have the potential to cause lost data.
Natural disasters. Extreme weather events across the globe have raised awareness of business vulnerabilities, particularly from floods, fires, power outages, and similar geographical hazards.
Regardless of business type, digital data is usually a company’s most valuable asset (well, besides the humans who work there). Consider what may be lost if you lose your most valuable data – client information, proprietary design details, financial records, and protected information like credit card payments and employee identification.
The need for backup data is high, and the consequences of not having it can be profound. But it seems like most recovery software solutions are complicated and laborious, right?
Not all solutions! For example, you could save yourself a lot of trouble by utilizing a plug-and-play option like Veeam Connect.
RELATED: Why Your Competitors Are Moving to the Cloud
Veeam Cloud Connect: Backup and Recovery Software Made Easy
Fast and secure cloud-based disaster recovery might sound too good to be true. No specialized hardware, no on-site dedicated expertise?
But it’s absolutely true. With Veeam Cloud Connect, your backup and recovery processes are both effective and efficient. And they’re only a fraction of the cost of legacy systems.
Cloud Connect is delivered through a high-quality cloud services provider like Virtual Systems and offers hosted off-site backups to protect you from local natural disasters. Along with that, virtual machine (VM) replication protects you from hardware failures.
Most importantly, your immutable backups are protected from potential changes by outsider attacks or insider accidents. A multi-layered security suite ensures this protection from start to finish, including end-to-end encryption for transferring data to backups.
Even though this is a third-party solution, you still maintain full visibility and control. With access to the backup repositories and advanced networking services, you can choose how your data recovery looks. Both full and partial failback are available, so you have a choice in recovery methods. If you want, you can implement immediate critical data recovery to resume business operations and have the option for incremental backup restoration of archival data.
The icing on the cake is that backup and recovery software like Veeam Cloud Connect eliminates the pricey overhead of legacy backup architectures. Reducing the need for on-site hardware decreases costs for capital expenditures (as well as ongoing maintenance). A cloud backup solution is unmatched in its ability to scale up or down with your business needs, while also providing reliable backups and rapid recovery. The flexibility is simply unparalleled.
RELATED: Cloud Connect Overview
Learn More About Veeam Cloud Connect
As you consider what is an acceptable amount of time to resume normal business operations following a disaster, you’ll undoubtedly see the benefit of cloud backup. It’s easy to improve your current backup process with modern data protection software, and Veeam Cloud Connect is a top-tier solution.
If you’re curious and want to learn more, check out How Does Veeam Cloud Connect Work? We’ll walk you through the basics of how disaster recovery backup works in a cloud recovery solution.
We also discuss the details of data recovery using Cloud Connect on Talk Nerdy to Me, our YouTube video series. On the Virtual Systems YouTube channel, you’ll find related videos on cloud data immutability, security, and compliance as well.
Leave a Reply