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A good data recovery plan is a must for small and medium-sized organizations. Cloud computing offers opportunities for businesses to either implement data recovery for the very first time or upgrade an existing backup plan. Resources available from cloud service providers help companies reduce the costs of running numerous data centers. As a result, smaller businesses continue to adopt it cloud systems a faster rate. That makes a good backup and disaster recovery plan in the cloud more important than ever.
Here are a few key reasons why small and medium enterprises need a good backup and disaster recovery plan in the clouds.
To Protect Assets So They Are Never Lost
Businesses have corporate assets that need to be protected. A good cloud backup plan will ensure all security loopholes to your business assets are eliminated. Such a data recovery plan establishes several guidelines to ensure complete asset protection. Rules and regulations are set to determine and even control how users, devices and networks access and use data. Assets that are considered highly valuable are identified and accorded additional security, encryption and round-the-clock monitoring.
As a Checklist for Backup and Disaster Recovery
Just like in any other booming industry, there are qualified and unqualified cloud solution providers. Before settling on a given backup and disaster recovery plan in the cloud you must have a checklist of questions on the things you want to address. You should find out about things such as total costs, what files are to be kept in the cloud, whether the service is real-time, manual or scheduled backup, as well as about data compression and encryption issues. This way a business will be able to get the services it requires, since enterprises have different needs. (Learn more about cloud computing for small business in 5 Reasons Why Companies Love the Cloud – And Why They Don't.)
As Part of a Larger Backup Plan
A backup plan is necessary because data and assets are the lifeline of any business. Operating in the cloud has several risks associated with it, hence the need for disaster recovery plans. Data backup is more like an insurance policy and is a great investment for any small business. A backup and disaster recovery plan in the clouds will help protect a business from several security threats such as:
- Mishandling and criminal use of cloud computing by spammers and mischievous code authors
- Insecure interfaces and APIs, which can be in the form of anonymous access and reusable passwords
- Mischievous insiders who include the business internal and external publics. Internal publics are generally the employees, while external ones are customers, suppliers and partners.
- Shared technology issues, such as IT infrastructure and servers
- Data loss or outflow, either by accidental deletion or records alteration
For Flexible Configuration and Control
Cloud security offers numerous options for flexible configuration. There are isolated and shared security options based on your business needs. Cloud experts can help you configure your security options so that you have your own operating system, previously built standardized software, governance and administrative policies. All these will increase flexibility and control on your side, making your business more trustworthy and reliable.
A Way to Prepare Today for Tomorrow’s Disasters
All the security measures you put in place today are meant to protect the future of your small or medium enterprise. Develop adequate backup mechanisms to ensure you are covered when disaster strikes in the future. In a cloud environment, anything can happen and you might lose your most precious data. Also note that without data, you have no business to run.
Using a cloud oriented backup system is a crucial step for any business. It is therefore important that entrepreneurs understand how such a plan will work for their business.
