Ds Your Company Have a Proper Offsite Backup System? by Jennifer Burl

As many companies are increasingly relying on computers for mission critical tasks in this day and age, it is important for businesses of any size to ensure that they have proper offsite backup systems in place to provide protection in the case of disaster or simple human error. For many companies, managing a backup system can be difficult and costly due to the fact that having the backups on an efficient schedule is only part of the process. To guarantee compliance with regulations and industry standards, it is important for companies to ensure their backups incorporate version control and archiving as a way to provide multiple snapshots back in time to simplify the restoration process.

Even with properly configured systems, managing and storing data sets can be a hassle for any size company. Although onsite storage is an attractive option, if a disaster occurs, the backups will be useless. To ensure availability in today's uncertain environment, it is vital for all companies to make sure that their backups are stored with a properly equipped third-party provider. Failure to properly implement backup solutions can lead to:

Difficultly retrieving what is needed for a full recovery.

Improper disclosure of sensitive information.

Trouble locating data that might be required for immediate disclosure by regulators and auditors.

Proper backup solutions, however, allow companies to:

Get back up and running after a disaster or virus or similar event to prevent business failure or revenue loss.

Have confidence that data can be accessed when it is needed.

Minimize the risk that data will be accessed by unauthorized parties.

Utilize inventory tracking technologies to know what is on every disk/tape to ensure quick retrieval for compliance purposes.

When evaluating offsite backup providers, it is important to balance cost with benefit. Although it might be tempting to go with the lowest cost provider on the market, keep in mind the hidden costs of such a decision. When purchasing a service, it is important to evaluate aspects such as the provider's reputation, experience and whether they are equipped to handle the scope and scale of your company's materials.

LINK:	http://blogs.ironmountain.com/2013/service-lines/data-backup-and-recov...
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