The importance of backups for corporate data security

Even before digital security became a popular subject of discussion, backups were extremely common among computer enthusiasts. The reason for this was quite simple: in the past, the computers and gadgets available to the public were not very reliable, and it was easy to end up with a damaged computer motherboard or hard drive due to a power outage, for example.

For this reason, many users started making backups without even realizing they were practicing information security. Backups, also known as “security copies,” are nothing more than copies of files, documents, and even entire systems that are stored in a safe place to allow rapid recovery of the content in case anything goes wrong. This is a crucial process for both ordinary Internet users and businesses.

In the corporate environment, backups have once again gained prominence mainly as a result of the increase in the number of ransomware attacks and viruses that hijack devices and encrypt all their files. To return them, cybercriminals demand the payment of a ransom in cash, which can reach thousands or millions of dollars.

In this case, even with the help of specific tools and experts, if breaking encryption is not possible, the only salvation is to restore all your systems with backups. This will ensure the continuity of the company's operations, which can suffer great losses due to the unavailability of critical applications or the lack of access to essential files for employees to perform their daily tasks.

Types of backups

There are various types of backups. The three most famous are:

• Full Backup: Also called full, complete copies of all the information stored on the computer or server are created each time they are used. Because of this, the hardware runs slower, and more storage space is needed to allocate the copies.

• Incremental Backup: In this mode, only new files or files that have been modified are copied, which are added to the primary backup. Here, the procedure is usually much more agile and saves more storage space.

• Differential Backup: Similar to the incremental backup, copies are made of all files changed since the last full backup. Operation time and storage space are halfway between the two previous types.

For a backup strategy to be successful, it is crucial that the user or the company use a reliable solution to automate the creation of these security copies, and establish a periodicity according to the level of importance of the information and the storage capacity.

Where should you keep the copies?

If backups used to be stored on USB flash drives, external hard drives, CD-ROMs, and even other computers (which were equally susceptible to risks), nowadays cloud storage services are undeniably the best option for storing your backups. They allow you to access your backups from anywhere and are not subject to physical risks, such as loss, theft, electronic component malfunction, fires, floods, etc.

In addition, cloud infrastructures (infrastructure-as-a-service or IaaS) are an excellent way to store backups as they are scalable and flexible — i.e., you only pay for the space you need to start your operations and you can later expand this capacity according to your needs, which helps you save money in the long run. Similarly, ordinary users rely on multiple cloud-storage platforms for their backups knowing they will be protected from major accidents.