The Risks of Not Having a Backup and Disaster Recovery Plan

It is difficult to remember a time when business and industry was not so reliant on technology to conduct day-to-day operations. Among other things, technology increases efficiency by streamlining the processes by which companies produce goods and services. Modern workplaces have eliminated the need for endless paperwork and other old-school means of conducting business. There is a device or program capable of simplifying most tasks these days, eliminating most of the common barriers with which businesses previously struggled.

The news is not all good. With the convenience of a digitised world also comes a great risk if that technology is compromised. Is your business prepared to protect sensitive data and valuable information should a breach occur? Does it have a backup and disaster recovery plan in place? Thinking a digital disaster can never happen to you is a recipe for disaster.

Tempting (Technology) Fate

Businesses that have not created backup and disaster recovery plans may be tempting fate. The failure to have a business process contingency plan in place can cause partial or total interruption of normal daily operations. When that happens, businesses can hurt their profit margins and jeopardise client trust.

Businesses without backup and disaster recovery plans can face:

• The complete loss of crucial data. Payroll, customer files, billing information, and other sensitive data can be gone in a flash due to security breaches, technology failure, or human error. This is the worst-case scenario for companies without contingency and backup plans. With data breaches on the rise in Australia, now is not the time to leave sensitive data and systems vulnerable to outside attacks. Depending on the size of the business, a complete data loss can be a death knell for the company.

• A loss of clients. Even the most loyal client can turn fickle if a system-wide data loss causes an ongoing interruption to the products and services they depend on from your company. Or, worse yet, if their sensitive information is exposed during a data breach because the company failed to provide the most basic protections to safeguard it. Do not risk losing customers due to a failure to plan for technology failure.

• An expensive recovery process. Research conducted recently by IT giant TechRadar revealed that 42 per cent of UK businesses do not back up their data. This can be a costly mistake. Data loss is influenced by several factors, including hardware damage, rekeying costs, loss of employee productivity, and loss of daily profits. Some businesses never recover financially after a data loss.

Tips for Backup and Disaster Recovery Plans

As the old saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Why wait until disaster strikes to take backup and disaster recovery seriously? Do not let your business become an example of how not to handle such situations.

Brennan IT’s team are experts in crafting backup and disaster recovery plans for any size business. As your trusted Managed Services Provider, our team shoulders the burden of managing your IT infrastructure and business loads to ensure all data is properly backed up in a secure location.

With the number of cyberattacks growing, it is only a matter of time before your business is affected. Organisations can determine their risk profile via our self-assessment, then speak with one of our backup and disaster recovery specialists to discuss the best protection.

Our complete, end-to-end ICT services include, but are not limited to:

• Hybrid IT, Cloud and Infrastructure
• IT Security
• Data and Managed Network Services
• Security Consulting
• Network Security Services