Physical Data Backups for Business

There are several reasons why physical data backups remain important despite the prevalence of cloud storage. From the speed and reliability of the backup and restore process to the security it offers, physical backups serve a crucial role. Here are a few reasons why physical backups should be conducted regular

Reliability:

First, it’s essential to understand how the “Cloud” operates. Cloud storage services utilize physical hard drives and SSDs to store data, either in local data centers or offshore facilities. While these services typically employ redundancy and protection measures, their reliability is heavily contingent on your internet connection speed and reliability. Consequently, automatic cloud backups may sometimes be incomplete or infrequent, leaving businesses vulnerable to significant data loss. For some businesses, losing a week’s worth of data can be a major setback. Local backups offer a secondary layer of protection against data loss for instances when cloud backups are not up to date for any reason.

Cloud backup services usually work by “syncing” the data on a client machine, essentially creating an identical copy at all times. However, there are instances where a client may have accidentally deleted a file or modified it without realizing, and this false information gets backed up to the cloud. Nowadays, cloud services offer a 30-day rollback system, but the corrupted data must be identified first. In contrast, a physical drive backup will retain multiple backup date iterations, allowing you to go back in time and retrieve the correct file.

Speed:

Cloud backups are heavily dependent on internet speed and the volume of data requiring backup. Consequently, most backup processes are scheduled overnight, and a complete cloud backup can take over 24 hours to complete. In contrast, a local hard drive backup for the same amount of data can be completed in less than an hour, regardless of internet connectivity. The significance of process speed becomes even more apparent when data restoration is necessary. A qualified technician can restore data from physical backups within a few hours and execute a comprehensive disaster recovery plan to expedite business continuity.

Security:

The security of cloud services varies depending on the provider. Respectable cloud backup services typically mandate features like Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) or Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). However, without these security measures, anyone with access to the credentials can potentially gain full access to your data stored in the cloud. Physical backups can be encrypted with the highest security standards, ensuring that even if someone gains physical possession of the backups, they cannot access the data without proper authorization. 

Control:

There have been ongoing discussions about the privacy policies of certain cloud backup service providers and the extent of access they have to user data. It remains unclear who retains control over data backed up in the cloud, and whether data will be deleted upon user request or persist indefinitely at the discretion of the service provider. Consequently, it’s crucial to conduct thorough research when selecting a cloud service provider or seek expert advice to ensure the right choice for your business.

“Data Backup” vs. “Data Storage”:

It’s important to distinguish between data backup and data storage. Simply copying data to an external drive, cloud storage, or NAS device and then deleting it from the user’s machine to “free up space” constitutes data storage, not backup. True data backup involves maintaining copies of data in two separate locations simultaneously.

“A backup a day keeps data recovery away.”