Updates

  • World Backup Day is March 31March 26, 2020

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    Data loss can strike at any time, and the cost of recovery will be high—unless you have a recent, usable backup.

    Take the first step to protecting your valuable information by following the 5 Ws of backing up data—the who, what, where, when and why—on World Backup Day, March 31, 2020.

    Why you should back up

    Let’s begin with why. Backup copies are a form of insurance against a devastating data loss that can be caused by hardware failure, human error, cyber attacks and natural disasters. Consider these alarming statistics: More than three-quarters of U.S. small and mid-sized businesses reported a cyber attack in 2019—21% more than the prior year. 1 In the UK, 65% of SMBs were attacked, up from 55% the year before. 2

    Who should back up

    Everyone needs to back up. Yet many families and SMBs claim they do not adequately backup their information. According to a survey, 20% of computer owners have never backed up their data and 25% backup only once each year. 3

    What to back up

    Back up data that is difficult and time-consuming to recreate or recover. For personal data, this includes:

    • Personal identification documents, such as copies of a driver’s license or a passport
    • Educational and employment records, including awards, promotions, commendations
    • Medical records, especially paper records
    • Passwords and contact lists
    • Photos, video, or music files—including what is on phones and computers.

    Businesses should back up operational, financial and customer information, including:

    • Accounting databases, including AR and AP records
    • Financial management reports
    • Payroll records and employee files
    • Point-of-sale and transaction history
    • Customer records and CRM database
    • Fixed asset inventory, photos and preventative maintenance logs
    • R&D, blueprints, and proprietary information
    • And more.

    When to back up

    Back up on a regular schedule. To determine frequency, think about how much data you create on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. Then decide how much you could afford to lose should disaster strike when you are between scheduled backups. Restored data is only as good as your most recent backup.

    For a family, backing up several times each year may be sufficient. If you take a lot of photos or work from home as a contractor or creative professional, consider backing up more frequently. Most businesses would benefit from an automated system for daily or weekly backups.

    Where to store backups

    Once you have decided on a regular backup schedule, follow the 3-2-1 rule for backing up. 4

    • Make at least three copies of your files and information.
    • Create those backups on two different types of storage media—including USB drives, external hard drives, tape backups, or cloud storage.
    • Keep at least one copy of your backup offsite, either in the cloud or safely in another building, a safe deposit box, or at another business location.

    We have partnered with CyberScout to offer comprehensive identity management services. If you detect suspicious activity or would like to proactively protect your identity, contact us at 417-843-6265 to be connected to a CyberScout fraud expert.

    1 “2019 Global State of Cybersecurity in Small and Medium-Sized Businesses,” Ponemon Institute, 2019.

    2 Ibid

    3 “More People Than Ever Backing Up According to Our Survey,” Roderick Bauer, Backblaze blog, July 9, 2019.

    4 “Follow the 3-2-1 File Backup Rule for Safe Data Storage,” University of Illinois Chicago Academic Computing and Communications Center, Brian Levine, September 17, 2019.

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