Backup and Disaster Recovery Made Easy: How Managed It Services Can Prevent a Business Meltdown

Technological disasters are more severe than many business owners expect.

Failed systems can result in lost sales, failed products, inconsistent business processes, and ruined hardware and/or software.

If your business relies on your tech, you should have an IT recovery plan. Backup and disaster recovery are the most important aspects of this recovery plan. How can a managed IT service help with this?

Here’s how they can help back up your data and provide relief for any technological disasters.

Backup Recovery

58% of small businesses are not prepared for data loss. Implementing a data backup recovery plan can put you ahead of your competitors and prevent lost business and declining sales.

The best course of action is to outsource a managed IT firm to help you create a backup recovery plan. Here’s an overview of their processes.

Data Organization

The first step a managed IT service will do is to organize your data. This is done in many ways, depending on the kind of data your business has.

Common data classifications include:

• Public
• Private
• Restricted

Other common examples include data from applications, data on the cloud, specific security measures, and your most sensitive information.

This will help the IT service better store your data, allowing certain members of the team access to the data on different platforms.

Planning Ahead

What if your data is compromised? This is never a comforting thought for any business owner. But a managed IT service will always plan and think ahead.

Ransomware is on the rise and criminals target businesses of all sizes. Costs are expected to reach $20 billion USD by 2021. And ransomware isn’t even your only concern.

Other disasters such as hardware failures and employee negligence can result in data loss.

Your IT managed service will back up your data to different platforms to ensure your data is never fully lost. They may also secure and encrypt your data to ward off hackers.

How They Backup Data

Your managed IT service may use a combination of different methods to backup your data. This includes:

• Backing up your data to an external hard drive
• Backing up data to a separate computer or system
• Transferring files to another platform such as the cloud
• Backing up data to other devices (such as a mobile phone or a tablet)

Not only will they back up your data but they will also monitor it on a consistent basis. This ensures it’s safe and accessible.

Education

After your data is safe, your managed IT service will educate you and your staff and data safety.

The biggest cybersecurity risk is employee negligence. In addition, it’s easy for an employee to accidentally delete or overwrite your important business files.

Your managed IT service will educate your staff on proper file management, on cybersecurity, and what to do in case you lose your data.

Disaster Recovery

Is data loss the only technological disaster your business can face? Even though we rely on technology for so many duties and technology is advancing every year, it’s not eternal. Your systems can be the victim of a serious disaster.

This includes common disasters, such as system shutdowns and viruses. In addition, a natural disaster can cause havoc on your systems. A fire, electrical outage, or a flood is enough to permanently damage your systems.

Here’s how an IT managed service can help recover your systems after a disaster.

Implementing Multiple Interfaces

Today, it’s easier to transfer different business processes on different devices. The same role can be done on your computer by a downloaded program but can also be accessed on the web and on a mobile app.

Your managed IT provider will find the most accessible software and will streamline it to multiple devices. In case one of your devices fails, you can still access your software on another device.

They Will Keep Data in Mind

We discussed data backup extensively.

This idea is also key to disaster recovery. When one device or software fails, it will likely take all of your data. Your managed IT provider will ensure all programs and data are backed up to multiple devices or hardware.

Will Keep Costs and Savings in Mind

Your managed IT service wants the most reliable disaster recovery process for your organization.

However, they will also keep costs and savings in mind. If there’s a way to utilize a cheaper service such as the cloud, compared to expensive software, your IT professional will choose the cheapest and most affordable option.

They Will Monitor Your Systems

Your IT service won’t streamline your processes and be done with your business. They will monitor your systems to ensure all devices are working well and you’re able to access your software.

The minute a disaster strikes, your IT service will be there to coach you throughout the recovery process.

Time Is Everything

Let’s say you do endure a disaster and one or more of your systems are compromised.

How long will it take everything to get back to normal? While you can work on one device, such as your phone, you don’t want that to become a permanent option.

Your IT service provider will plan a disaster recovery method to ensure you can work your normal business duties as soon as possible. They will do this by using the quickest programs, software, backup equipment, etc.

If your systems are compromised, your managed IT service will immediately resolve any issues so you can resume your daily business functions.

Do You Need a Backup and Disaster Recovery Plan?

A managed IT service can support you with any technological issues. Above everything, your business should have a backup and disaster recovery plan. Don’t have one yet? Let us help you.

Our Toronto IT firm offers managed IT services as well as consulting, cloud solutions, spam protection, and other useful IT solutions. Contact us today for a free consultation.