What Does Backup Protect Against?

There’s no way to predict the future, and Murphy’s Law tells us that anything that can go wrong will go wrong. If you don’t have a well-thought out recovery plan, your company’s data is teetering on the edge of a cliff without a safety net. Here are some of the scenarios where BDR (Backup and Disaster Recovery) proves to be most helpful:

User Error
We all make mistakes, like accidentally clicking a malicious link, dropping our computers, misplacing a mobile device or deleting something we intended to save. User error was cited as the leading cause of data loss in a 2015 Databarracks survey. Backup plays an important role in ensuring these mistakes don’t turn into serious problems.

Hardware Failure
Different hard drives, servers, desktops and other devices have varying life expectancies and refresh cycles, but hardware often fails. Whether it’s due to normal wear and tear, defects, or the unexplainable, businesses need to be prepared. BDR can help ensure that entire datasets are replicated and accessible should something suddenly stop working.

File Corruption & Software Failure
Software will also occasionally fail. Files and data can become corrupted and things may be deleted without warning. In addition to providing complete restores for entire machines, BDR allows for data recovery.

Natural Disasters and Extreme Weather
According to Climate Change Preparedness and the Small Business Sector, small businesses lose an average of $3,000 per day after closing due to a major storm. With the regularity of these events in certain locations and resulting power outages, small leaks and other less severe issues creating costly downtime, BDR is a no- brainer.

Insider Threats
If a disgruntled employee were to intentionally encrypt, delete, steal or corrupt sensitive information, having that data backed up ensures that it can be recovered and restored. This isn’t to say that BDR can necessarily prevent such behavior, but it helps to mitigate damage.

Cybercrime
Viruses, malware and cybercrime – especially ransomware – are an increasingly dangerous threat today. The Ponemon Institute’s 2015 Cost of Cyber Crime Report claims that businesses saw an average of 160 successful cyber-attacks per week. BDR can help you save money when attacked.

Download the pdf: Types of Incidents and Disasters