Data is the information backbone of any given business venture or organization, and as such should really be treated like the Holy Grail that it is. It needs to be stored in such a way that makes it easily accessible to those who have the strict access permissions to view and use it – and as inaccessible as the Crown Jewels to those whose business it isn’t. So, why are so many companies leaving their data vulnerable to loss and the subsequent revenue forfeiture that goes with it? It surely has much more to do with ignorance of effective backup methods than any kind of devil-may-care attitude on the part of enterprise owners, who simply haven’t advanced their data protection means along with the many ways data loss can occur. In light of the fact that business owners need better tips and advice on data storage and backup, here are the top reasons why you need to be backing-up your data:
- Data loss often equals revenue loss. One estimate on data loss and the related lost revenue (done by EMC) showed that businesses lose 1.7 trillion dollars annually due to this all-too frequent occurrence. The study also showed that had merely adequate data protection measures been in place, most data loss situations could have been prevented. Data loss most often results in revenue loss, not just due to stolen or exploited data, but more often, believe it or not, because of the downtime and cost involved in attempting to retrieve it. It can sometimes take weeks or even months to recover lost data, which again is why having dependable backup systems in place is so critical.
- Data loss can occur by accident. You can have the best data protection and cybersecurity measures in place, but your data can still be vulnerable – due to loss by accidental means. The fact is, human error and software failure account for the bulk of data loss incidents. According to a 2014 Disaster Recovery Preparedness Annual Report, 50 percent of data loss incidents result from software error and 43 percent occur due to human error.
- Avoid a reduction in overall efficiency. Data loss more often than not also causes a loss of efficiency in the workplace. This is due to the shift of focus from normal tasks to recovering the lost data, as well as the inefficiency caused by not having access to the data to begin with. It’s kind of a domino situation: loss causes loss – of time, and ultimately, profitability because of the unforeseen data-recovery expedition.
For these reasons and others, any business that plans on reaching its business goals and keeping up-to-speed operationally must have a backup strategy and disaster recovery (as well as a viable business continuity plan) plan in place if they expect to have any kind of longevity are ongoing operations assurance at all.
Need More Data Backup and Recovery Advice?
If you need further data backup and recovery advice, Caffeinated Computer Consulting is a proven leader in providing data recovery and backup planning in Calgary. Contact one of our IT experts at (403) 775-7444 or send us an email at info@caffeinatedinc.net today, and we can help you with all your questions or needs.