If you are a business owner and rely on digital storage to manage your data, then you need to regularly perform backups. If you don’t perform backups then it’s highly likely at some point in your time running your business, that your data will be lost. Backups ensure that whatever happens, your data is safe, and don’t have to worry about losing it. When you don’t perform backups then it essentially means that your data isn’t truly protected and can be lost. One of the most common times that not backing one’s data up results in data loss is after a computer’s breakdown or destruction.
This article will explain how you can keep your business data safe and why backups are important:
Regular Backups
Backups are very important. If you aren’t already backing your data up, then it’s time to. If you have your own custom Cloud software, then you will need to manually schedule backups. It’s usually a good idea to schedule these for once a week. This is so that all of the information and data that you have compiled during the working week is stored. It’s best to schedule backups for midnight on the last day of the working week. Some businesses also schedule two backups a week, so that they can be confident their business’s data is secure. You don’t have to schedule backups to perform them, however. You simply need to navigate to your Cloud system’s backup feature and authorize a backup.
Using Software
If you use software that’s been designed by another company or business, then it’s highly likely that it will already come up with an automatic backup feature. The only time you need to manually schedule backups is if you are hosting your own Cloud servers or you are using software that has been created exclusively for you by a software designer. Microsoft Dynamics 365 is an example of software that automatically schedules backups. You can’t go wrong implementing Dynamics 365 Business Central into your business, especially if you want reliable Cloud software that helps to manage finance and accounting. Whatever software you use, make sure that you research it and extensively study its user manual, so that you can familiarise yourself with it.
Malware Protection
Moving away from backups and onto other effective methods of securing your business’s data, let’s cover malware protection. Malware is a type of computer virus. It is one of the most common types, in fact. If you are running a business, then you need to safeguard against malware infection. The best way to do this is to invest in a quality anti-malware program. Make sure that you research programs, so that you can find the one that’s right for you—don’t download the first program that you find. Not all anti-malware programs are effective. You need robust and effective protection for your business’s data.
Secure Network
In addition to investing in quality malware protection, you also need to think about the networks that you’re connected to when you access your Cloud services. If you use public Wi-Fi, then there’s a chance that you could be being monitored. When you use public Wi-Fi or unsecured networks, hackers are able to monitor your activity. This could then in turn result in them tracking your movements and gaining access to your business’s Cloud account. Never leave your business’s Wi-Fi network open. If you are going to have a public network for your business, make sure that you aren’t connected to it.
Password Safeguarding
Password safeguarding is very important. If you don’t protect your business’s Cloud accounts, then you won’t be able to effectively ensure that your data doesn’t become lost or compromised. Password safeguarding is relatively easy. Make sure that you don’t use a password that’s easy to crack (i.e., your birth date, name, or a pet’s name), and make sure that you only entrust your Cloud system’s password to people that are honest and reliable. Never let your Cloud’s account fall into the hands of an employee that hasn’t been thoroughly vetted and can’t be trusted to keep it safe.
Personal Devices
Never access your business’s Cloud software on a personal device. This is because the things that we do on our personal devices sometimes aren’t safe, such as visiting unreliable websites and opening unsolicited emails. You also need to make sure that your staff doesn’t use their personal devices to access your business’s Cloud software. Make sure that you only ever use devices that have been purchased exclusively for your business. If your staff have to access the Cloud remotely, then make sure that they do so on devices you have given them. Additionally, ensure that they don’t use their work devices as personal devices, by restricting their access.
Software Updates
An effective way of protecting your business’s data is to regularly perform software updates on your Cloud software. If you don’t perform updates then there’s a chance that your data could become compromised or lost. At the very least, your software will eventually become slow and hard to use. Software updates should be performed as often as the software’s manufacturer issues an update. You will usually receive a notification about updates directly to your email or application, although sometimes you actively have to go and search for them yourself on the manufacturer’s website.
Data Disposal
Finally, if you want to ensure that you keep your customer’s (and businesses’) data secure, then dispose of it properly. The worst thing that you can do is improperly dispose of data. If you have any tech experts that work for you or with you, then you should ask them what the best way to dispose of your data is. The method by which you dispose of data depends largely upon the method of storage that you use. If you use antiquated storage methods, then you won’t be able to dispose of your data in the same way that somebody using Cloud storage would.
Securing your data is essential if you want your business to succeed. It’s especially important if you retain customer data. If customers find that you don’t look after their data, then they will likely stop doing business with you. Regular backups are one of the best ways that you can secure your data.