Data Loss Disasters Come in Many Forms

If we’ve learned anything from the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s that we don’t have it all figured out. Same as the data loss we encountered in our servers and systems.   Not only are we vulnerable as a species, but so are the systems, processes, and devices we’ve built.  Natural and human-made disasters, as well as other contingencies, can still cause significant damage and bring businesses to a grinding halt. That is right to say; Affinity Technology, An IT support company in Newnan, GA, can provide a data loss solution for your business.  

Backup and Disaster Recovery (BCDR) for Data Loss

Now is the time for companies of both big and small industries to take the following steps. First, to ensure their business continuity. Second, they must invest in natural-disaster resilience. Finally, they have to consider backup and disaster recovery (BCDR). These must be a top priority for businesses because the repercussions of even a single data loss incident are too destructive.

Cyber news describing the series of cyber hacks is everywhere. It costs the victim or industry a tremendous amount to pay ransom for their files and data loss. Same as you were in a health service provider industry, for example, and you ended up losing all patient data after a fire burned away your on-premises backup device. An incident like that could cause irreparable damage to your business. 

This post will break down different types of data loss disasters and gain insights into preparing for the attack. In addition to that, we will also learn how to leverage BCDR to meet and maintain regulatory compliance obligations.

The Many Forms Data Loss Can Take

Data loss disasters come in many forms, from natural disasters like hurricanes and floods to cybersecurity threats such as malware infections. Let’s analyze each type and learn how to plan and prepare for them.

Natural Disasters

Most businesses have a central server that stores all of the company’s electronic files. These are accessible to almost all of the employees on a network.  Furthermore, the server is a physical piece of hardware, and it needs to be kept safe. These are the most highly protected servers. However, they can still experience unexpected malfunctions - entirely or partially wiping anything stored in it.

Phenomenons such as storms, hurricanes, floods, fires, tsunamis, and volcano eruptions are natural disasters. In most cases, you can expect infrastructural damages, power failure, and mechanical failures, leading to data loss. 

Hardware and Software Malfunctioning

When your laptop or computer acts up, you need to specify the issue the best way you can.  A correct diagnosis of the problem will help you to perform active troubleshooting. You’ll be in a better position to decide what to do If you know the cause of the problem. Besides, you can determine whether you can fix the problem on your own or you have to contact tech support or a certified computer technician. 

Software and hardware failure can cause data loss if you don’t have BCDR measures in place. It could be due to bugs, glitches, configuration errors, programmatic errors, component failures, or simply because the device is at its end of life or the software is outdated. 

Unforeseen Circumstances

Data loss can happen due to random, unexpected scenarios. For instance, a portable hard disk and an employee accidentally lost it, your server room may have a water leak because of a plumbing issue, or there could even be a pest infestation in one of your data centers. 

Human factor

Aberdeen Research found that everyday human errors cause nearly 64% of data loss incidents.[1] These errors range from accidental file deletions and overwriting of existing files to naming convention errors, forgetting to save or backup data, or spilling liquid on a storage device. 

On the other hand, BakerHostetler’s Data Security Incident Report states that human error accounted for 24% of cyber security incidents, ranking only second to Phishing/Malware at 31% (which still requires a human fault to activate).

Moreover, let us stop the following ordinary acts such as sharing passwords, poor patch management, double-clicking on unsafe URLs. In addition, we must emphasize that administrative access through a personal device is just a few human errors that lead to a security threat.

Cyberthreats

Your business may fall prey to malware, ransomware, and virus attacks, which could leave your data and backups corrupt and irrecoverable. Additionally, data loss could be caused by malicious insiders with unauthorized access, which often goes under the radar. A recent study shows that employee action is involved in up to 23% of all electronic crime events.[2]

How to Plan and Prepare for Data Loss Disasters

As you can see, data loss disasters can manifest in a wide variety of ways. The key is to be proactive and plan for these disasters. Don’t wait for disaster to strike. Here are a few tips to help you get started:

• • Perform a business impact analysis and draft a plan on how to recover key functions in the event of a disaster. 
  • Define an acceptable Recovery Point Objective and Recovery Time Objective. 
  • Set up a business continuity team that will take charge during a disaster.
  • Train your staff in backup management and data recovery.
  • Back up critical business data off-site and on the cloud. 
  • Conduct threat analysis and define recovery steps for each threat.
  • Perform frequent security audits and mock drills to review the efficiency of your disaster response.
  • Keep the plan up to date and make sure everyone on the team knows their role.
  • There should be proper storage for Banking Information that it can be accessed quickly and securely in the event of a disaster.
  • Invest in a robust backup and disaster management solution that is frictionless, secure, offers SaaS data backup, and doesn’t require extra hardware or network bandwidth.
  • Make sure you have a remote monitoring tool.
  • Employ waterless fire protection systems, moisture sensors, surge protectors, and backup battery systems.

Leverage BCDR to Achieve and Maintain Regulatory Compliance Obligations

Data loss prevention is not the only advantage of taking backup and disaster recovery seriously. A robust BCDR solution that offers constant monitoring of backup activity will make it easier for you to meet compliance obligations applicable to your business. Moreover, it provides continuous monitoring of backup activity. Plus, advanced threat detection, immutable audit logs, access control requirements, data retention rules, and infrastructure or storage controls

Data loss disasters are inevitable. But you can minimize their impact by making BCDR a critical component of your business continuity and resilience plans. Not sure how to get started? We can help. Contact us to get more information on how to build a reliable disaster recovery plan.

[1] Everyday human errors account for up to 64% of data loss incidents. Employees inevitably delete the wrong email, contacts, or critical configurations. [Source: Aberdeen research]

[2][Source: the CERT Insider Threat Center at Carnegie Mellon University