Should I backup my data if it’s in the cloud?
Despite the convenience and reliability of modern cloud services such as Microsoft 365, many people make the mistake of assuming that their data is safe and protected. They believe that since their data is stored “in the cloud,” it doesn’t require any backup strategy. Unfortunately, this assumption is far from the truth.
What do cloud services offer?
While cloud service providers do have datacenters with backups, these backups are solely for their own disaster recovery and are not accessible to end-users. In other words, these backups are intended to protect cloud providers from data loss due to server crashes or natural disasters, but they do not provide individual users with a way to retrieve their lost or deleted data.
Reasons for backing up cloud services:
Firstly, cloud service providers like Microsoft 365 only offer limited backup and restoration options. For instance, Microsoft offers a 30-day retention period for deleted files, but after this period, the files are permanently deleted and cannot be recovered. In the event of accidental deletion or data corruption, this limited retention period can result in significant data loss.
Secondly, cloud service users are still vulnerable to data loss due to malware attacks. Malware attacks can affect data stored in the cloud, and if a user does not have an adequate backup strategy in place, they risk losing all their data. Malware attacks can be particularly damaging as they can infect an entire organization, resulting in the loss of critical data such as customer information, financial records, and intellectual property.
Lastly, it’s important to remember that cloud service providers are not immune to data breaches. While cloud providers have implemented robust security measures to protect their customers’ data, cybercriminals can still find ways to access and steal sensitive information. In the event of a data breach, users need to have their own backup strategy in place to mitigate the risk of data loss.
What is an effective backup strategy?
So, what does an effective backup strategy for cloud service users look like? Well, there are a number of measures, but they all start with an automated backup solution that performs regular backups of their data to a secure, offsite location. This backup solution should be able to restore data quickly in the event of a data loss incident.
Having a well-rehearsed a disaster recovery plan that outlines the steps to take in the event of a data loss incident is also important, because having backups is of limited use if your IT systems aren’t in a usable state and the data cannot be accessed or used. This plan should include identifying the cause of the data loss, notifying relevant parties, and restoring data from the backup solution.
Lastly, users should regularly test their backup and disaster recovery solutions to ensure they are functioning correctly. This testing should include simulating data loss incidents and verifying that data can be restored from the backup solution.
In Summary
Cloud services are not immune to data loss incidents, and users need to implement their own backup strategy to protect their data. Cloud service providers offer limited backup and restoration options, and users risk losing their data permanently if they do not have a backup strategy in place. If you are at all concerned about the safety and security of your data, please give us a call today.
