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Modern businesses use a lot of data.
According to a 2016 Data & Analytics Survey conducted by the International Data Group (IDG), the average company manages 162.9 terabytes (TB) of data. Of those, the average enterprise has 347.56 TB of data, seven times as much as the average small- and medium-sized business (SMB), which has 47.81 TB.
No matter what size your business is, it’s important to keep all that data safe. And the easiest way to do that is with a backup solution like this one from Palm-Tech.
The Benefits of Backing Up Your Business Data
A data backup solution allows you to recover data if it is ever lost, damaged, or stolen (e.g., through a system failure or a cyber attack). And the more data backups you make, the more layers of protection you will have.
Other benefits of using a business data backup solution include the following:
- Easy data management. Manually managing multiple file copies can get messy. A data backup solution can automate the data backup and recovery process and keep everything organized for you.
- Competitive advantage. Standing out against the competition is increasingly difficult in the globalized economy. A business data backup solution can give you an edge by helping you leverage the full value of your data.
- Regulatory compliance. Many governments issue data privacy legislation that businesses must adhere to. A business data backup solution can help ensure you are always compliant and avoid regulatory issues.
That said, if you prefer to backup your business data on your own, here are some of your options:
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External Hard Drive
An external hard drive is a portable storage device that can be connected to your computer (usually via USB). You can use them to expand your computer’s regular storage capacity for daily use or use it as a dedicated backup storage device.
External hard drives can be hard disk drives (HDD) or solid-state drives (SSD). These days, most are SSD, which are faster and less noisy.
You can backup your business data to an external hard drive with the help of preinstalled backup software on your computer or a third-party backup program. You may also manually copy files from your computer to your external hard drive. However, this method is the most time-consuming.
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Cloud Storage
Cloud storage providers let you store business data on remote servers that you can access at any time via the internet. You can use them to store all types of data, including photos, videos, PDFs, text files, and more.
Most cloud platforms require you to pay for the service on a subscription basis. But many also offer a limited amount of storage for free. Some popular cloud platforms include Google Drive, Dropbox, and Box.
There are many benefits to using cloud storage to back up your business data: It allows you to easily and quickly restore lost data, it lets you access cloud data from different devices, and it’s secure, affordable, scalable, and easy to set up.
If you ever need more cloud storage, you can simply buy more space by upgrading your service plan.
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Use an Online Backup Service
You may also want to try a dedicated backup service, aka backup-as-a-service (BaaS).
BaaS companies take care of the entire data backup process for you by managing regular backup schedules and providing all the necessary storage space.
Many BaaS companies also offer many security features. For example, they might encrypt your files and store them in a remote location for extra protection. Most also offer a lot of flexibility by letting you pay as you go.
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Network Attached Storage (NAS) Device
Lastly, you can also invest in a network-attached storage (NAS) device. These are dedicated servers separate from your computers that act as a centralized storage location. They keep your data safe and secure but are also available 24/7 to authorized users and can be scaled out by adding additional NAS devices as needed.
If you want more control over your backup data, NAS devices are an attractive option. However, they are also more susceptible to disasters affecting your entire data center (e.g., a natural disaster like a hurricane).
Final Thoughts
Now that you know some different ways to backup your business data, try the 3-2-1 backup strategy. It involves having three copies of all your business data, at least two of which are on different storage devices and at least one of which is stored remotely.
By following this backup rule, you will always have multiple layers of data protection. So if and when a data disaster hits, you won’t need to panic. You can just retrieve the data from one of its other two copies. Give it a try! You’ll gain more peace of mind, and your business will be better off for it.
Thank you for reading!