Today, we can look at data as a new currency.
Many times, both small and big companies have lost their data. It’s easy to talk about it, but experiencing it is hard.
Losing data in any way leads to adverse consequences for the affected company. It damages reputation, decreases customer satisfaction, and results in financial losses.
The best business strategy you can implement for your data is to handle it properly and have proper mitigation steps in place.
This is where backup and disaster recovery come into play. Even if data is lost, using a backup solution allows you to restore it quickly, minimizing downtime.
Today, business critical data is under even greater threat as we experience more cyber-attacks than ever before. Hackers inject ransomware into networks, encrypt data, and demand money. That becomes a standard story we hear.
This blog talks about 7 significant problems you might experience in your organization, but if you have a backup and disaster recovery solution in place, you’ll be safe.
Let’s dig deeper into it.
Hardware Failure
Hardware failures happen every minute; hardware components can fail at any time. If the hardware components where we store our data stop working due to hardware failure, our data becomes inaccessible.
But wait! What types of failures are we talking about?
Firstly, there’s the type of failure where a disk, such as a Hard Disk Drive (HDD) or Solid-State Drive (SSD), fails. HDDs typically fail due to mechanical or malfunction issues, while SSDs, even though more durable than traditional hard disks, can fail due to electrical issues. There are also hybrid disks, a combination of faster storage such as SSD and higher capacity as HDD.
Both failures will lead to data loss.
Next, consider RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks); if the RAID controller malfunctions, it can break the array and result in the loss of all your data. Additionally, when configuring RAID, do it with caution, as a mistake can lead to the deletion of all your data. This type of failure is caused by human error and we will address in the coming section.
If the motherboard, power supply, or RAM malfunctions, it can result in unexpected shutdowns, potentially causing data corruption or loss.
However, even when data is stored on NAS (Network Attached Storage) or SAN (Storage Area Network) storage, it is not immune to such issues. Any component, from the motherboard, memory, and power supply to the disk, is susceptible to failure, posing a potential risk of data loss.
You usually cannot predict or prevent hardware failures, but you can have a backup of your data and restore it to different machines with just a few clicks.
The question is, do you have a backup? Implementing regular backups can help you recover quickly and restore your workload.
While employed as a computer technician, I came across many customers who ignored all the symptoms of a failing disk and would seek my assistance to recover data from a completely dead disk.
Unfortunately, that didn’t work.
To make matters worse, they didn’t have backup copies.
Ransomware Attacks
Ransomware attacks are a type of cybersecurity threat that frequently occurs, even as you read this article. The idea promoted by hackers or hacking groups is to gain access to your system, followed by your data. They encrypt the data using strong encryption and leave you a note. This note contains all instructions and demands for payment if you want your data back.
The only way to retrieve your data is to pay. If you don’t do it, they won’t decrypt it, making your data practically useless. However, if you choose not to pay, they start blackmailing you. They threaten to expose the data to the public.
In order to prevent this from happening, you need to implement strong security measures, perform active threat monitoring, and have backup and disaster recovery in place.
One backup feature that effectively prevents ransomware from altering your backup copies is called immutable backup. In practice, even if ransomware attempts to encrypt your data, it will be unsuccessful.
You are in the right place to learn more about what ransomware can do and how to protect your organization. In one of my latest articles, I discussed Locker ransomware, Rhysida ransomware, and Monti Ransomware. They target different systems to encrypt data.
For example, Locker targets VMware ESXi servers and encrypts virtual machines, Rhysida targets Windows and Windows Servers, and Monti targets Linux distributions.
They are dangerous, but implementing a proper backup and restore strategy gives you strength in your defense.
You can read more about them in the following articles:
- Protect your VMware workloads against Abyss Locker Ransomware
- Rhysida Ransomware: Latest Cyber Threat & Effective Defense Strategies
- Monti Ransomware Returns: How to Protect Your Linux Machines
Human Errors
One of the common ways companies get hacked is the result of human error. The same vulnerability extends to data. Just a few seconds of not being cautious and a wrong click can lead to data loss.
To add a personal touch to this blog article, let me share my own experience. A couple of years ago, in a rush to format my 256 GB USB flash drive, I mistakenly clicked on the 2 TB data partition and formatted it instead. This partition held all the private data I had collected over 10 years.
The realization hit me too late, as the popup window appeared, cheerfully announcing, ‘Formatted successfully.’
My heart sank at the thought of losing all that valuable data. Fortunately, I had a backup, though not fully updated, it proved to be a lifesaver. I also learned a lesson the hard way.
Another remarkable story I’d like to share is about James Howells.
Have you heard of it?
James owned a hard disk containing 7500 bitcoins. In 2013, while cleaning his home, he accidentally discarded the hard disk. He explained that he had two identical laptop hard drives, and he mistakenly put the disk containing the cryptographic private key in the trash.
Despite submitting a request to the Newport City Council to go through the landfill and search for his disk, it was unfortunately rejected.
Fast forward to January 2024, and the value of those 7500 bitcoins stands at 275 million euros.
This is just one example of human error that can occur for individuals, and the same holds for organizations.
Backups help mitigate the impact of human errors, such as accidental deletion of files or misconfigurations. Even if a human error occurs and your data is lost, with a proper backup, you can recover it quickly.
Natural Disasters
When we discuss backups, we refer to onsite and offsite backups. Onsite backups are stored where the data is, and offsite backups are in a different geographical location. Offsite can be another company data center or in the cloud.
In the face of natural disasters like floods, earthquakes, or fires, having offsite backups ensures that data can be recovered even if the primary location is affected.
If you don’t have an offsite backup and a natural disaster destroys your data center, there’s a high probability that all of your data will be lost. Don’t take the risk; implement proper disaster recovery by combining onsite and offsite backup destinations.
I recently wrote an article explaining the 3-2-1 backup rule, which outlines the recommended approach for backups. You should create three copies of your data: the original and two additional copies. These two copies should be stored in two different storage locations, with one copy saved in an offsite location, such as the cloud. The illustration visually explains it.
Don’t take the risk; implement proper disaster recovery by combining onsite and offsite backup destinations. You can read more details in this article What is the 3-2-1 Backup Rule and How BDRSuite Can Simplify it Practically?
Compliance and Legal Requirements
Did you ever get into a position where you wanted to certify your organization with ISO 27001?
ISO 27001 is the Standard for Information Security Management. It defines and shows your organization’s commitment to information safety. ISO 27001 states that you must treat your data and backup copies with utmost importance.
ISO 27001:2022 Annex A 8.13 defines all the details about your backup. Here is what is covered:
Identification and Restoration Procedures:
- Identify critical systems and services and outline clear restoration procedures
- Assemble workable copies of systems, data, or applications covered by backups
Commercial and Operational Requirements:
- Ensure organization-specific commercial and operational requirements are met (e.g., recovery time objectives, backup types, backup frequency)
Secure Backup Maintenance:
Maintain backups in an appropriate location that is environmentally protected, physically separate from the source data, and securely accessible for maintenance.
Regular Testing for Data Availability:
- Regularly test backup jobs to ensure data availability at a moment’s notice
- Measure recovery times against agreed-upon objectives in case of data loss or system failure
Encryption and Data Loss Checks:
- Encrypt backed-up data according to its risk level
- Perform checks for data loss before running any backup job
Communication and Remedial Action:
- Notify maintenance staff of the status of backup jobs to facilitate remedial action in case of complete or partial failure
Inclusion of Cloud-Based Platform Data:
- Include data from cloud-based platforms not directly managed by the organization in the backup strategy
Retention Policy Guidance:
- Ensure that backup data is stored according to a topic-specific retention policy considering the underlying nature of the data, including transfer and/or archiving to storage media
If your organization wants to obtain an ISO 27001 certificate, having proper backup and disaster recovery is not an option, it is a must.
Software Bugs
Have you ever experienced an issue when updating your machines or a product that led to unexpected problems?
I have experienced several times that Windows updates have made Windows non-bootable, and recovery took me so much time. The faster way to get back was to restore it from the last backup.
The answer almost always lies in backup and restore. Regular backups serve as a safety net against issues arising from software bugs, glitches, or faulty updates. When an issue surfaces, systems can be easily restored to a previous, stable state.
System Corruption
Imagine a scenario where the configuration file of an application, database operating system, or virtual machine becomes corrupted, making it impossible to run.
Your business operations are compromised, and the need to restore functionality quickly becomes critical. The worst part is the prospect of rebuilding everything from scratch—installing, configuring, and enrolling users. This process can take anywhere from a couple of hours to a few days, depending on the complexity involved. Such extended downtime can incur significant costs for your organization.
Fortunately, backups offer a recovery option in the event of system corruption, ensuring a clean and functional version of the data can be swiftly restored.
Other challenges
There are additional challenges that can be resolved through a backup and recovery plan. However, these challenges are variations of the ones already mentioned, including data loss due to system failures, other cybersecurity threats, business continuity, internal threats, customer trust, long-term data preservation, and others.
Developing and maintaining a comprehensive backup strategy is essential for businesses to address these challenges and ensure the resilience of their data infrastructure.
BDRSuite; Your Go-To Problem Solver!
BDRSuite is a backup product designed to help you overcome the challenges mentioned above.
It supports the 3-2-1 backup strategy and offers all the advanced features you need. In today’s diverse IT environments, including on-premises, hybrid and cloud configurations, BDRSuite is versatile.
Whether you use VMware, Hyper-V or KVM, you can back up and restore your workloads with just a few clicks.
In addition, it helps you back up your Windows, Linux and MAC endpoints as well as your server distributions, including Windows Server and Linux Server.
The cloud is also covered.
BDRSuite offers support for SaaS applications, including Microsoft 365 Backup and Recovery, Google Workspace, and AWS and Azure backup.
When it comes to specific applications, you are covered with backup solutions for Exchange, SharePoint, MySQL, PostgreSQL and Microsoft SQL.
I wrote an article that explains the 9 key features that make BDRSuite an ideal backup solution. You can read it here: 9 Key Features that Make BDRSuite the Ideal Backup Solution.
You can backup up to 10 virtual machines for free. Download it here BDRSuite: Simplifying Data Protection for Virtual & Physical Data Centers and let us know if you have any questions.
Conclusion
Data loss can happen at any time. It can be caused by human error, hardware or system failure, natural disasters, cybersecurity threats—mostly ransomware— software bugs, faulty updates, system corruption, and other factors. Compliance and legal regulations also play a key role in protecting your data.
The best way to stay proactive is to have a backup and recovery strategy plan in place. This plan should include a reliable backup and recovery solution, proper configuration followed by best practices, and regular backup verifications.
Due to its robust features, satisfied customers, and strong presence in the market, along with a solid customer base, we encourage you to go with BDRSuite.
It can back up any target you have in mind while keeping your workload safe and secure.
This article addresses different challenges that you can resolve with a backup.
I hope you enjoyed this article. If you have any questions, please let us know via the BDRSuite live chat (popup on the right side) or contact form.
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