Are Backup Files the Missing Link in Your Cyber Security?

Do you have backup files for your critical business data and software? Where are they stored? How often are they updated?

During Cyber Security Awareness Month, you should be asking these three critical questions. Too often, business leaders and employees see cyber security as an ongoing battle against phishing, business email compromise and other direct scams. While these are core concerns in cyber security, data safety is also essential. You can train your people to stop pretexting attacks, but that training is of no value when a hacker encrypts or steals all of your business data, shutting down your operations. Even the most experienced IT professionals can have a blind spot when it comes to data backups.

Cloud Backup Files Are Not Enough

The default choice for many businesses is cloud backup, which is simple to implement and easy to access. The convenience of cloud backup files can obscure a significant risk: Cloud services can be hacked. If your only backups exist on a server, and that server is compromised, your backup data are gone. You may have done enough to qualify for a cyber liability insurance or business interruption insurance claim, but you still lack the data you need to run your business.

Cloud backup files should be part of your cyber security protocols, but they should not be your only path to data recovery. Backups on a solid-state device, such as a USB drive or an external hard drive, are also necessary for the following reasons: