How SMBs should protect critical data

The information boom of the past several years has given added importance to enterprise data, which means that strategies and solutions to protect it are now more important than ever. The issue is magnified for small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), many of which would not be able to last long without access to files and records.

Unlike their larger counterparts, SMBs may not have the resources available to press on after an IT disaster cuts them off from critical information. That's why, according to a recent SmallBusinessComputing report, all SMBs should have a portion of their records management programs dedicated to data backup and recovery.

"Data backup is a small business’ first and best defense against harm," contributor Moosa Matariyeh, wrote.

The process begins, according to the report, with the creation of a data backup strategy. SMBs will want to set forth a set of guidelines and goals for backing up and recovering data so there is a blueprint to follow should a data loss incident occur.

Within this strategy, data administrators should identify in what manner company data will be backed up. The method an SMB chooses will be determine by its needs and available resources more than anything else.

According to SmallBusinessComputing, many SMBs tend to choose tape-based backup strategies that feature offsite tape storage. When doing so, companies should examine their stored data and determine what works best to be archived on tape. Chances are it will be information which must be kept for long periods of time.

"[S]mall businesses should not overlook the opportunities that data tape still provides," the report said.

By storing the tapes off site, SMB data administrators can also be assured that information will remain unaffected by incidents suffered by the company, including natural disasters or power outages.

According to a recent Windows IT Pro report, SMBs come up with many excuses as to why they don't backup their data properly. Contributor Jason Bovberg stated that some companies argue that backup processes are too costly, while others say the commitment to managing strategies is too much. There is even a common notion that SMBs are less vulnerable to data loss. According to Bovberg, all such excuses either aren't true, or don't hold enough weight to override the need to protect data.