Data backups are crucial when it comes to protecting your data. This makes it all the more important to ensure that your backups are protected and available.

For many companies, one data backup is sufficient. However, what they fail to understand is that a backup is not infallible. In fact, there are a number of issues that can affect the stability of a backup. And when your organization is in the midst of a disaster recovery scenario, your primary focus should be security. After all, your backup is your lifeline to getting back to business, so it should be as secure as possible.

To get you started, we're going to look at the five best ways to secure your backups:


1. Protect your backups with a password

At the very least, you need to make sure your backups are password protected. Yes, while it is possible for a password to be cracked, it still acts as a deterrent and guarantees a certain level of security. Of course, the stronger the password, the more protection you offer your backup, so make sure it's unique and contains a mix of uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and special characters. Be creative or use our password cards for more security when creating a password.

2. Outsource your backups

Under no circumstances should live and backup data be stored in the same place. This applies to physical disks and media as well as network storage and network segments. If you use physical media to create your data backup, store it in a safe in another fire area and/or in a locker outside of the company building. This creates a physical separation of live and backup data.

If you currently store your backups on network storage, make sure the backups are stored in a non-networked area such as a cloud. Otherwise, in the event of a cyberattack or infection with ransomware, all backups can be compromised and rendered unusable. E-mails can be secured most effectively with audit-proof, cloud-based e-mail archiving. In addition, they are long-term archived and stored in a tamper-proof manner.

3. Restrict access rights to backup files

The more people who have access to your backups, the greater the risk that they could be compromised or damaged. You should therefore only assign access rights to the backup software to those employees who actually need them. Nominating people with upfront access not only helps protect your backups, but also ensures restores are completed quickly when needed.

4. Ensure the functionality of the data backup

What good is the best backup if it's unreadable? Have your backup checked regularly for completeness and bootability. This is the only way to ensure that the data backup can also be read and used in an emergency.

5. Test the emergency

Practice creates masters. This also applies to disaster recovery scenarios. Play through this scenario at least every 6 months so that you can get to work routinely in an emergency. This ensures shorter recovery times and also saves a lot of stress within IT. To do this, download our Disaster Recovery Plan. This supports you in planning and implementation.

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