5 Reasons to Back Up Your Computer Data

Business SecurityAl Feldman
Even brick and mortar stores are increasingly reliant on digital documents, making hard copies seem like a remnant of days long passed. All of this online data is convenient, but it also opens your business up to new vulnerabilities. Are you prepared to protect yourself and your business? Backing up vital data is a must-do task for all types of companies. You can store data in a virtual backup or, in some cases, keep a copy of digital files in your office safe. If you’re still not convinced that you need to invest in backup storage, here are five reasons to create a copy of your business’ most important data.

1. There are More Cyber Threats Than You Realize

Ransomware attacks are only growing in number and small businesses often make an easy target. You might assume that your small to mid-sized business will fly under the radar of hackers, but your lack of sophisticated IT could be the very reason they set out to steal from you. Once your system is under the control of a hacker, you could lose access to your programs and be victim to a major data breach within minutes. Cyber threats vary from email scams to pop-up threats, and new schemes are showing up all the time. Backing up your data could mean the difference between losing everything and restoring your data in total.

2. Natural Disasters Can Wipe Out Your Business

Natural disasters aren’t the number one reason for data loss, but they happen more often than you might think. Hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and fires can all destroy your physical business in a short period of time. If your servers end up under water or burnt to a crisp, what will you do without a data backup? Even a manmade disaster like a broken water main could lead to serious damage to your office computers.

3. Lost and Stolen Data Leads to Customer Attrition

More than half of all companies that suffer a data breach end up facing scrutiny from the public and may lose customer trust and loyalty. How can your customers move forward with trusting you if you’ve lost their important information? Even if the data is not lost through a hacker breach, customers are bound to be very upset that you didn’t protect their documents or other data. Having a secure backup signals to your customers that you’re committed to keeping their info secure.

4. Restoring Lost Data is Expensive or Impossible

A virus that wipes out your website or database could take hours to restore – if you even can. You’ll likely have to call in an expert to try to rebuild your systems and recover as much data as possible. In the meantime, you’re losing critical customer trust and you may even have to stop signing on new customers until your systems are restored. No one wants to deal with these inconveniences. In many cases, a virus or ransomware that wipes out your data can’t be reversed. You could end up spending thousands to try to get your data back, only to find that you must start over from scratch anyway.

5. Creating a Backup Now Provides Peace of Mind

Creating a backup system now means avoiding panic later. While the process may seem overwhelming, you have a lot of options. Smaller amounts of data can be stored on thumb drives or external hard drives. When you get into larger amounts of data, you’ll want to look into a NAS (Network Attached Storage) or cloud data storage. You may even want to explore having an on-site server backup. Investing in storage up front is one of the best things you can do for the longevity of your business. If you’re ready to back up your data, you can start today! Consider your cloud storage options (many of which are very affordable and secure) and get a safe to store your physical backups, such as external hard drives. A fireproof safe will keep your backups secure in almost any event. Contact Western Safe today to learn more about physical safe options.
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