We've walked into too many Nashville businesses that have the same backup strategy: "I think someone copies files to an external hard drive sometimes." That's not a backup strategy. That's hope. And hope is not a plan.
The 3-2-1 Backup Rule
Every business should follow the 3-2-1 rule at minimum:
- 3 copies of your data (the original plus two backups)
- 2 different types of storage media (local drive plus cloud, for example)
- 1 offsite copy (so a fire, flood, or theft at your office doesn't take everything)
What Should Be Backed Up
Everything your business needs to operate: financial records, customer data, email, your line-of-business applications and their databases, documents, and system configurations. If losing it would cost you money or time, it needs to be in the backup.
Testing Is Everything
A backup that hasn't been tested is a backup that might not work. We perform quarterly restore tests for all our managed clients. We actually pull data from the backup and verify it's complete and functional. Because finding out your backup is corrupted when you actually need it is the worst possible time to find out.
Ransomware Changes the Game
Ransomware attacks against small businesses have increased dramatically. Attackers know that small businesses often have weak security and no IT staff. A solid backup system with offline or immutable copies is your last line of defense. If your data is properly backed up, ransomware becomes an inconvenience instead of a catastrophe.
We build disaster recovery plans for Nashville businesses that account for hardware failure, ransomware, natural disasters, and human error. If you don't have a tested backup strategy, that should be the first call you make.