Top 9 Mistakes to Avoid When Using Cloud Data Backup in Plymouth
Data loss due to a data breach, outage, server crash, or natural disaster can be devastating for any business. Fortunately, it can be prevented by putting a reliable backup and disaster recovery plan in place, one of which might involve a cloud data backup in Plymouth. But it can still be pretty disastrous if you don’t know how to handle an online data backup.
Assuming that you find some excellent cloud backup providers, you should be aware of a few costly mistakes that first-time users have committed. Knowing such missteps can also help you maximize the benefits of a cloud data backup in Plymouth.
Failing to Backup All Data
If you keep thinking about the cost of your online data backup and try to reduce it by being highly selective as to what data you should copy, you might be surprised to find that you missed to back up critical data. This could cause problems with your business operation.
In many cases, emails are forgotten in the list of files submitted to cloud backup providers for processing. Emails get deleted once the company’s inbox gets cleaned out. But if those emails contain crucial files, they need to be copied to your cloud data backup in Plymouth for archiving. You can ask your IT provider for assistance in storing emails in a server and backing it up to the cloud.
You also need to remember that some files may be saved in mobile devices, especially if you have a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy at work. Make sure to include them in your online data backup process.
Mistakes Committed During Collaboration
Another common human error in backing up files to the cloud is one done by collaborators. If your company loves using cloud storage to work together on projects, there is a high risk of data getting changed or deleted by mistake. You might copy the wrong data if you don’t catch the edits before the next backup process, or the file gets deleted due to file retention. This is why it’s best to agree with your cloud backup providers to schedule frequent backups of the entire computer or set a retention policy of over 30 days.
Using Unreliable Third-party Apps
Some third-party sites or apps may move, change, or delete data without your knowledge, causing problems with your cloud data backup in Plymouth. Before working with a third party, ensure that you can trust them to protect your data. If you cannot avoid but share your data with other people through third-party apps, be careful with granting access to your files. Keep a separate copy of these files in an online data backup and a local computer.
Choosing the Wrong Retention Policy
A retention policy refers to the amount of time during which cloud backup providers will retain your data so you can continue using it for your operations and observe data protection regulations. Talk to the IT specialists about your data retention needs before signing your contract for a cloud data backup in Plymouth.
Failing to Schedule Weekly or Monthly Backups
It helps to backup data frequently, but you might consume too much storage space. Frequent backups will also disrupt your computer’s performance because the process slows down the device, not to mention that it will also take time. Instead of grabbing the offer of a 15-minute backup interval, you might want to consider scheduling an online data backup process daily during off-peak hours. A weekly or monthly scheduled backup is also necessary for file restoration, especially for files that you need for daily work.
Not Performing Data Restoration Testing
Assuming that everything is backed up can cause you to be complacent, but you need to regularly test your cloud data backup in Plymouth to see if you can restore them. This will give you peace of mind knowing that your business continuity plan is safely in place.
Running Apps During the Backup Process
The backup process takes time and consumes bandwidth, but you will only delay it further and even mess it up if you keep running essential apps in the background. Once you’ve scheduled an online data backup, make sure to close apps that involve crucial files or databases. Doing so will ensure that these files will also be copied to the cloud.
Not Organizing Your Folder Structure
Cloud backup providers will copy data based on how you organized them. But if you have cluttered data without a proper folder structure, you might find data hunting your biggest challenge during file restoration. The more organized your files are, the easier they will be to sort when you restore them.
Network Medics
Instead of doing the backup process on your own, why not let the experts at a seasoned managed IT services provider like Network Medics do it? We have been offering cloud hosting and backup services, along with a few essential IT functions. We also have backup and disaster recovery service, Office 365 hosting, remote support, onsite support, network security, and more. If you don’t want these costly online data backup mistakes to cause problems with your business operation, talk to us for a quick assessment. Call us at 612.315.1900 and let’s get started on your cloud backup process!
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