3 Cloud Backup Myths and a Plan
Cloud backup for small businesses is simple in theory. In practice, success depends on important choices you make during and after the backup.
That’s why TechKnowledgey’s put together this guide: To match you with the most cost-effective small business cloud solutions.
Why Small Businesses Need It
It’s important to have a business that can survive an unpredictable market. But what about an unpredictable risk environment?
Your business faces risks every day. Laptops break, people make mistakes, updates crash a server. Any of these events can trigger data loss, which can cascade into downtime, leaked data, legal fines, loss of reputation….the list goes on.
Cloud backup supports fast disaster recovery. If a server fails, you rebuild the image and keep working. If someone deletes a folder, you roll back to yesterday’s copy. Backup protects daily operations first. It also helps with audits, lawsuits and retention rules for stored data.
Three Backup Myths
Myth 1: “Cloud backup will save us money.”
Changing platforms almost never reduces costs.Iin fact, it usually raises them because you’re paying for several more services than you were before.
Proper cloud storage is worth it in the long run, but it also adds new fees. For example, here’s what you could be paying more for:
- Moving from one provider to another adds migration and downtime.
- Your internet connectivity may need an upgrade to handle larger data sets.
- New tools mean training for team members and support hours from your IT partner.
Bottom line: Switch clouds for operational reasons, not to save money. If you’re convincing an executive, remind them of the immense security improvements and peace of mind that come with cloud backups. You can pay up now, or you can pay a lot more later.
Myth 2: “Our on-site backups mean we don’t need the cloud.”
No matter where you’ve physically stored your data, it’s still susceptible to the same damage as your other systems. Not to mention, data policies require off-site/immutable copies.
Physical backups are one line of defense, but they’re not impervious. USB drives get lost, or maybe on-site copies burn or flood during natural disasters. They’re also not as easy to monitor as cloud backups.
Cloud backups give you distance, automation and a quick way to recover. Keep on-prem backups if they help, but you should absolutely add cloud backups.
Myth 3: “Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace Are Enough”
Not by themselves.
They sync files and make them easier to share, but leave you open to a great deal of risks. Even if M365 and Workspace are set up properly, mistakes or hacks can lose valuable data.
Here’s what you miss if you only rely on M365/GWS:
- Syncing files doesn’t automatically back them up. These platforms only cover short-term storage, if anything.
- Catastrophic risks like mass deletion or other human error.
- Third-party apps can modify data en masse. They’re also just as susceptible to hacking as any institution.
- M365 and GWS miss many other advantages of a proper cloud backup, including intentionality and document. (See also the next section…)
Cloud Backup Best Practices
The best programs start small and improve over time. Use these habits to build yours.
- Know what matters. Identify critical data first. That may include accounting, email, CRM exports or file sharing. Don’t forget device images and configuration files for firewalls and switches.
- Protect the whole system. Files alone are not enough. Back up applications and the operating system on key machines. This reduces rebuild time after a crash.
- Secure the pipeline. Encrypt data in transit and at rest. Set multi-factor authentication for admin accounts. Review access by team members every quarter.
- Plan for the worst. Document the process. Put recovery steps on paper. Decide who calls the shots, how to verify restored data, where to work from if your office is offline, etc.
- Test restores. A backup is only as good as the last time you proved it works. Restore sample files each month. Here’s an example: Do a full image test each quarter. Record the time it takes to resume work.
- Watch retention and costs. Keep daily copies for 30 days, then roll older versions into monthly or yearly sets to save storage costs. Balance compliance needs with storage bills. Understand the line between backup and archive of stored data.
- Data retention. Define how long backups persist and how many restore points there are. As always, make sure retention lines up with legal/contractual obligations.
- Data archiving. Got inactive data? Move it to a low priority, low storage cost area to make room for better speed and prioritization.
- Evaluate vendors on more than price. Check speed, security, location of data centers, customer service response and availability. Read the service level agreement and confirm what happens during large restores.
- Mind your bandwidth. Schedule large backups overnight or during slow periods. Use compression and deduplication to reduce transfer time over your internet connectivity.
What Are the Four Types of Data Backup?
Most small business plans use four types. The exact mix depends on your compliance needs and your appetite for risk:
- Full backup. A complete copy of everything you select. It’s simple to restore yet slow to create and large in size.
- Incremental backup. After a full backup, the system copies only files changed since the last backup of any kind. It’s fast and light. Restores can take longer because you stack pieces.
- Differential backup. After a full backup, each run copies all changes since that full backup. It sits between full and incremental in size and speed.
- Mirror or image backup. This copies an entire device or server every day (including the operating system and settings). It enables quick rebuilds, which is vital for disaster recovery.
Designing a Practical Cloud Backup Strategy
Start with your current environment. List your devices, servers, SaaS apps and shared drives. Identify critical data and rank it by impact. Interview team members to learn how they do their work. Note any services tied to the business cloud like Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, or QuickBooks Online.
Next, choose scope. Do you need “files only” or full image backups for servers? If you rely on cloud apps, do you have a way to back up the data outside the vendor’s platform?
Then, choose a provider. Evaluate cloud storage services based on encryption, locations of data centers, restore speeds and customer service.
When you choose a provider, you’ll pay for three things:
- Storing the data (which is often the largest line item depending on total size and retention)
- Moving the data
- Setup and maintenance
Finally, set retention. Keep daily copies long enough to catch human mistakes. Keep monthly and yearly sets to satisfy laws and contracts. This is a balance between risk and cost. Longer retention increases bills and sometimes slows searches. Short retention reduces cost but limits recovery options.
Measuring Success
A good program shows results you can see; here’s what to look for when gauging your success at implementing a cloud backup.
Plan in Advance
You should have written steps for disaster recovery and people who know their roles. You should also know the time to restore one file, one device and one full server. Your audit logs should show regular backups and test restores. Your team members should know how to flag a suspect email or a missing folder.
Set RTO and RPO by Data Class
Recovery Time Objective (RTO) is how fast you must be back. Recovery Point Objective (RPO) is how much data you can afford to lose. Assign targets by business impact. “Mission critical” systems should restore quickly, but archives and other “nice to haves” can wait longer. Publish targets, test against them, and adjust as your operations change.
Managers, Include Everyone in Regular Tests
Resilience improves when everyone is onboard for backup and restore routines.
Involve your team during monthly file checks and quarterly image tests. Ask them to confirm that restored data opens and behaves correctly, then capture simple feedback: what slowed them down, what confused them, what fixed it?
Teach staff how to request a restore and how/where to track its status. After a real-life incident, run a short recap for the affected team.
Treat cloud backup like any core business workflow. Assign an owner, review outcomes on a set schedule, review and update the plan when software changes.
In Case Your Boss Doesn’t Know What Cloud Backup Is…
A cloud backup copies your data and systems to a provider’s infrastructure. Those copies live in remote data centers with strong physical and digital controls. Most providers run on large platforms, including Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure. These are public clouds, which means many customers share the same platform while staying isolated from one another.
Your backups travel over your internet connectivity, then sit in the provider’s data storage. Good cloud storage services keep several copies on separate hardware. They also encrypt the data to improve data security. When something fails, you download the needed pieces and return to work with restored data.
Here’s a big distinction: Cloud backup is not the same as file sharing.
Tools like OneDrive or Google Drive help your team members collaborate. They keep recent versions of files, yet they are not a full backup by default. A real backup protects entire systems, applications and history. It covers accidental deletion, ransomware and operating system failures.
Q&A
How Often Should I Backup Data?
Daily at minimum. Some systems should also perform frequent snapshots during the day for databases and cloud apps. The goal is to keep the restore window small while controlling costs. If your team edits shared files all day, consider hourly increments to limit data loss.
Do I Still Need On-Prem Backups if I Use the Cloud?
On-prem copies are fine, but they aren’t an excuse for disorganized cloud backups. Prioritize the cloud first, then on-prem/other physical copies.
How Long Should We Keep Stored Data?
It depends on regulation, contracts and risk tolerance. Most of all, it should match industry standards for stored private data.
But here’s a rule of thumb: Many firms keep daily backups for 30 days, monthly copies for one year and yearly copies for seven years. Longer retention raises storage costs, especially in public clouds.
What If Our Internet Connectivity Is Slow?
Consider only a few moves each day to ease pressure on your bandwidth. You can also schedule jobs for nights and weekends to use the system at low-priority times. Most backup tools have a built-in scheduling feature, so use that to your best advantage.
How Do We Verify Our Backups Work?
As always, follow industry regulations, but here are some guidelines:
Run a monthly test by restoring a random file along with a sample database. Then, every quarter, perform a full device and/or server restore to a lab machine. Check application launch, user access and data integrity.
However you end up checking backups, document your steps.
What Should We Look For in Vendor Customer Service?
Ask about availability, real humans on the phone and guided restore help. Check response times, escalation paths and whether they assist during a real disaster recovery event. Strong customer service is worth real money when your team is offline.
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