You’ve done everything right to protect your business and your data from cyber criminals: You have layers of security, you’ve trained your staff, and you backup your data every day. But why isn’t that enough? Your backups are also at risk – and where you store your backups matters.
On-Premises vs Public Cloud Backups
While these two options are represented as an adversarial comparison in most cases, they should be viewed as a complementary solution. You can – and should – have both.
On-Premises Backups
On-premises backups store data at your location. There can be some peace of mind in knowing right where your data is stored. You can control your data, including when, what, and how backups are done. But there are risks:
- What happens if your server fails?
- Worse yet, what happens if your building is damaged or destroyed in a fire?
- What happens if one of your employees is tricked by a sophisticated phishing email and clicks a link that introduces ransomware that not only infiltrates your network but your backup servers, too?
- What happens if your files start mysteriously disappearing?
There can be many drawbacks to relying solely on your physical location to store your backups. On-premises backups often do not have the necessary safeguards that are available with public cloud backups. With fewer security features in place to protect your data, on-premises cloud backups become an easy target for cyber criminals.
Benefits of Public Cloud Backups
There are three primary benefits of offsite replication through public cloud backups like the one thinkCSC offers:
- Enhanced security – Public cloud solutions like thinkCSC’s have enhanced layers of security that prevent cyber criminals from breaking in and accessing your data. 24/7 monitoring, immediate patching, high levels of encryption, and sophisticated security measures all ensure that public cloud storage solutions are highly secure. While no system is foolproof, offsite replication to a public cloud backup like thinkCSC’s is widely considered to be the best option.
- Inexpensive scalability when compared to on-premises backups – To add additional storage on-site may require you to invest in more servers or additional storage space, as well as auxiliary maintenance. Scaling your data storage – up or down – in the public cloud is a simple adjustment for your managed service provider to make. You can more effectively manage your data storage costs and respond quickly to changes in demand for your business.
- 24/7 accessibility – even when your building is not accessible. Should something happen to your office space that prevents you from accessing the physical location, having an offsite replication solution that puts your data in thinkCSC’s public cloud allows you to service your customers and work from anywhere.
thinkCSC believes that backing up your data to secure public cloud storage is the best way to prevent having to pay a ransom, in the event that your on-premises data backup becomes compromised in a cyber-attack.
The Case for Public Cloud Storage for BDR
If your business experienced a hardware failure today, would you be able to conduct business as usual? What if your network was attacked by a virus? Do you have a plan if an employee (either accidentally or with malicious intent) deleted files that were necessary to operate your business? Would you be able to work if a fire destroyed your business location?
Could you immediately recover your data? Do you have a separate backup of your data offsite in a secure location? Do you have a recovery plan?
It’s not just big businesses that need to worry about protecting their data with public cloud backups. Small businesses, school districts, municipalities, and nonprofits are also at risk. The main concern that most small business owners have is that the cost of BDR is too high. But this mindset fails to take into consideration the cost of not having BDR: the complete and total loss of the business.
Offsite Replication is the Only Option for Recovery in the Event of Catastrophic Loss
Investing in backup and data recovery is not always a top priority for many businesses. It’s difficult to measure the ROI of your investment until you go without it. The business-halting cost of a data breach can often be avoided. So can the resulting fines, reputational damage, and loss of business. Public cloud storage like thinkCSC’s ensures scalability and immediate access to your data. However, it can also enhance your overall business continuity planning.
thinkCSC’s data backup and recovery solutions place your data in our cloud. We keep you working until repairs are made or until it’s okay to return to the office. When you store your data in our cloud, it can reduce downtime, provide provisions during emergencies and outages, and prevent the loss of your data. Get in touch to learn more about how we can help you protect your data from risk.
