How to Create a Cost-Effective Backup Strategy

Having a robust backup plan and solution in place is crucial for any well-run business. Having secure, reliable backups are costly, but they are the best last line of defence a business can have against data loss. The consequences of insufficient backups can cost businesses much more than backing up the data efficiently in the first instance.

As well-managed data backups are often pricey, many businesses seek to minimise this – sometimes without reason which often means that they fall foul to having old and sometimes untested backups which can be a huge issue in the event of a ransomware attack. However, when considered properly there are ways in which that a business can get the most out of their protection plan, without overspending.

Determine your Backup Costs

To determine the costs associated with a data backup plan an IT team must ask the following questions:

What data needs protecting? What data needs protecting? Not all data is as important as others. Businesses should consider what is most critical to keep the business running, and how long they would survive without it. This includes both structured data (such as databases) and unstructured data (like emails, documents, and multimedia files). Unstructured data, while more difficult to manage and analyse, can be just as vital for day-to-day operations and strategic decision-making. Understanding which unstructured data is essential can help prioritise backups, as this data often contains valuable insights and historical context that may not be captured in structured databases. Additionally, analysing data usage patterns and growth trends can help identify which data sets may require more frequent or robust backup solutions to minimise potential business disruption.

How much data is there that needs to be backed up? Data is ever-growing and the price of backing up that data and storing it will only increase. Therefore, business should establish how much data there is as this will affect any spending decisions.

Is data availability subject to legal requirements? Regulated industries like healthcare and finance have requirements for long-term historical record-keeping with some records going back decades. IT teams must consider those requirements when creating their backup plan, as well as considering the long-term plan for the data and how accessible it needs to be.

How much data loss is allowable? Data can be backed up as frequently as an organisation desire, but it also comes with increasing costs. One way to negate this is by determining how much data loss your organisation can handle, and how far the backups must go to maintain and recover any critical data.

How quickly do services need to be restored? Losing a couple of hours work can be relatively minor however having a key revenue generating system down for hours can be expensive. Or if you work in a healthcare setting it can be critical.

How many multi-generational backups are required? Immutable backups can be particularly effective against ransomware. They can be read but cannot be changed or deleted for a specific amount of time, this can be particularly useful as modern-day ransomware attacks are becoming increasingly backup aware and can wait until a backup is corrupt before striking.

What is the backup testing schedule? Testing is one of those things that often gets overlooked until it’s too late and the damage has already been done. Although it’s not without cost it is an essential part of the backup process.

What level of security is needed? Backups must be secure and encrypted, but the level of encryption and security will affect the costs. But remember, unencrypted backups that fall nto the hands of bad actors can be serious trouble, not only can you be at a reputational risk you may also be at risks of fines if you are an organisation which is regulated.

How to ensure cost-effective backups

There is not one size fit all solution, but the answer does lie in the way that your IT teams answer the above questions. Your IT team using the above questions should be able to determine whether the backup plan matches the business need while avoiding any unnecessary costs.

Talk to the experts

By working with our team, we can help you to understand your data, what is needed to backup effectively and keep costs to a minimum whilst also futureproofing your back up plan. Get the conversation started today and speak to our team.