As data becomes increasingly central to business operations, having the right enterprise backup and recovery solutions is more important now than ever. With data volumes on the rise, cyberthreats becoming more sophisticated, and IT environments growing more complex, it’s crucial for businesses to adopt effective strategies to safeguard their data and ensure quick recovery from any disruption. Here are five best practices to help you build a stronger, more resilient data protection framework for 2024.
1. Make the Most of Cloud Resources for Scalable Backup and Recovery
Using cloud resources isn’t just about keeping up with the latest trends — it’s a smart move for businesses who want to enhance their backup and recovery capabilities too. The cloud offers the flexibility and scalability needed to efficiently manage growing amounts of data.
Choose a hybrid or cloud-only approach: More companies are moving away from traditional, on-premises solutions and embracing hybrid or cloud-only deployments. A hybrid approach allows you to use on-premises storage for quick recovery while taking advantage of long-term storage. This setup offers the best of both worlds: Rapid access when needed and peace of mind knowing your data is securely stored offsite.
Lock down your data with immutable storage: To keep your backups safe from threats like ransomware, consider using immutable storage, which prevents your data from being altered or deleted once saved. This simple step can protect your critical data against both internal and external threats.
Why it matters: With most businesses now preferring cloud-based data protection, integrating cloud resources into your strategy isn’t just a good idea — it’s essential. The cloud is key to having a scalable, flexible solution that grows with your needs.
2. Beef Up Security to Guard Against Cyberthreats
Cyberattacks are getting more sophisticated, and backup systems are often in the crosshairs. This means that if your backups aren’t secure, your recovery options are limited. It’s crucial that you have a plan that doesn’t just respond to threats, but actively works to prevent them.
Think zero trust: Adopting a zero-trust approach means you can never automatically trust anything inside or outside your network. Each access attempt should also be verified, whether it’s a person or a device. Using multi-factor authentication (MFA), air-gapped or logically separated infrastructure, and proactive threat detection capabilities all support zero-trust principles.
Use proactive threat detection: Tools that can identify and alert you to unusual activity, like unexpected data deletions or encryption attempts, can be a lifesaver. The quicker you can catch these actions, the better your chances are of preventing a serious breach.
Consider ransomware recovery guarantees: Some backup solutions come with ransomware recovery guarantees. These programs not only reimburse you if data recovery fails, but can also provide additional services like regular security assessments to ensure that your defenses are up to date.
Why it matters: Security incidents — particularly ransomware — are a leading cause of business disruption today. Protecting your backup infrastructure from these threats is critical to maintaining business continuity and avoiding costly downtime.
3. Streamline Operations with Backup Services
Managing backups in-house can be a heavy lift that requires specialized skills and constant monitoring. That’s where backup services come in! Backup services can take the load off your IT team and free them up to focus on more strategic tasks.
DRaaS: DRaaS solutions can automate many aspects of disaster recovery (DR), ranging from backup scheduling to failover and failback. This means your team can spend less time on routine tasks and spend more time driving your business forward.
Backup services: Beyond DR, there are many backup functions that can be purchased as-a-service. This includes a cloud-based and off-site storage target or turnkey BaaS in the cloud.
Why it matters: With 70% of outages requiring significant recovery efforts, having some or all your data protection offloaded to experts makes recovery faster and more reliable, which minimizes business disruptions.
4. Update Your Backup Strategy for SaaS and Containers
If your organization relies on SaaS applications and containerized environments, traditional backup methods may not cut it. Modern data protection needs to include these newer architectures to keep your data safe across all platforms:
Back up your SaaS data: Applications like Microsoft 365, Salesforce, and EntraID are critical for daily operations, but their native backup options may not be enough. Using third-party tools designed for SaaS data protection gives you more control and flexibility, as well as the ability to recover data to a specific point in time.
Optimize for container environments: Containers, like those managed by Kubernetes, come with unique challenges. It’s essential that you use backup tools that are specifically optimized for these environments to ensure your data is backed up consistently, regardless of how the workloads shift or scale. This enables DevSecOps teams to migrate, run dev/test, and more.
Why it matters: As the use of SaaS and containers continues to grow, your backup strategy needs to evolve to effectively protect these types of workloads. More than half of organizations are already using tools tailored for these environments, so don’t get left behind!
5. Use AI and Automation for Smarter Backup Operations
AI and automation are revolutionizing how enterprises manage their backup and recovery processes. These technologies can handle repetitive tasks, detect potential issues before they become problems, and even improve the overall efficiency of your data protection strategy.
Automate repetitive tasks: Automating tasks like scheduling, monitoring, and reporting frees up your team to focus on more strategic work. It also reduces the risk of human error and helps ensure that your backups are always completed on time.
Leverage AI for threat detection: AI tools can identify vulnerabilities and unusual patterns to provide real-time alerts and suggestions on how to address these issues. This proactive approach can help you stay ahead of potential threats and keep your data secure.
Incorporate AI assistants: Generative AI assistants can enhance the user experience by providing instant support and guidance on backup configurations or troubleshooting. This reduces the need for specialized staff and speeds up resolution times.
Why it matters: Nearly 40% of enterprises are already using automation to manage backup and recovery. By incorporating AI and automation into your data protection strategy, you can reduce cost, improve efficiency, and stay resilient against future challenges.
Conclusion
To keep your data secure in 2024, it’s crucial that you adopt these five best practices for enterprise backup and recovery solutions. By integrating cloud resources, enhancing security, utilizing managed services, modernizing SaaS and container workloads, and leveraging AI and automation, you can build a resilient and future-proof strategy.
For more insights and a deeper dive into how to choose the best solutions for your organization, download the “Enterprise Buyers’ Guide to Data Protection 2024” today!