Cyberattacks are occurring more frequently, becoming the norm instead of a rare occurrence, and businesses also have to worry about both natural and manmade disasters that can wipe out large caches of stored data.
In other words, organizations don’t want to underestimate the growing importance of data resiliency for modern businesses. If you’re unsure if your organization needs a data resiliency strategy here’s what you should know.
Understanding Data Resiliency
The ability of an organization to bounce back from data breaches and other forms of data loss, implement business continuity plans right away, successfully retrieve lost assets, and proactively safeguard its data is referred to as data resilience.
The idea of data resiliency is becoming more and more important since organizations are dealing with an increasing number of cyber threats. As criminal organizations look for new ways to disrupt organizations and/or hold their data hostage through sophisticated ransomware attacks, these threats are getting more sophisticated.
Tech-savvy thieves find new ways to get beyond cybersecurity defenses that are already in place; that’s why cyberattacks are still on the rise. However, there are other current threats to data security outside criminal activities.
Even though a large portion of modern computing is done on the cloud, data integrity can be compromised when natural disasters, like flooding, pose a threat to physical data servers and the power outages they frequently cause. Even human error can damage crucial data, such as when a file is accidentally deleted or inadequate data management techniques are used.
Nonetheless, an organization needs to be ready to implement a sufficient incident response plan at all times, regardless of how data might be lost, stolen, or compromised. Such a plan ought to accomplish the following:
- Attempt data recovery for lost data & information
- Provide strong defense strategies for data storage
- Implement data protection measures
- Ensure proper data availability
Remember that developing such a plan in advance of necessity is always the best option.
A Quick Look at Common Data Resiliency Strategies
Before you begin implementing various data resiliency strategies, it’s important to remember that every business is different in size and scope. Your company may not need to implement every type of data recovery strategy that’s out there. On the other hand, others may require a robust plan to help them stay safe and secure.
Take a good hard look at your business before you start implementing various processes. It can save you time and money and ensures that your saved data is always available as needed.
Some common strategies include the following:
- Backing up the data regularly, often more than once a day.
- Encrypting all stored data. This is an effective strategy against potential hackers.
- Have protocols in place to recover any lost data after a natural or manmade disaster.
- Use the cloud to store your data.
Before sending your data to the cloud, do a little research on the service provider—after all, you want to ensure your data will be safe. This process includes checking the service provider’s safety protocols. Remember, the cloud itself can also be vulnerable to hackers, so you want to do everything to stay safe.
Benefits of Implementing Data Resiliency Strategies
Achieving data resiliency has many immediate advantages, such as preventing data loss, increasing reliability, and reducing downtime.
A further benefit of attaining data resiliency is that it promotes data retention and supports persistent data management strategies, which assist organizations in adhering to legally-mandated requirements for the preservation of commercial and legal data.
Perhaps the most significant advantage is that it can protect a business’s reputation. Even in the event of a data loss, an organization can maintain sufficient data resiliency to ensure that regular business operations are carried out without interruption and that the company’s reputation is never damaged. Many data losses can be handled right away and their effects can be lessened with the use of appropriate data resiliency solutions.
In the best-case scenario, the clientele of a company will remain unaware that a data loss has taken place. Even so, if it appears that the business has behaved honorably, has made an effort to safeguard customer information, and is making every effort to prevent future intrusions, it might not damage the company’s reputation even if the loss becomes widely known.
Must Read: How You Can Improve Security/Safety Within Your Business
Why Data Resilience is Vital for Your Business
You’re probably aware that losing data can be detrimental to your business, and depending on your industry, it can also come with regulatory issues. For example, healthcare facilities may be violating HIPAA regulations if data is lost or stolen, which can result in hefty non-compliance fines.
There’s also the hit to your brand when consumers learn their stored personal information has been hacked, and sometimes, brands may never fully recover from a data breach.
Along with regulatory compliance issues and potentially losing consumers’ trust, not having strong data resilience protocols can also disrupt daily operations. If you’re lucky, only a portion of your company will be affected when data is lost; however, this is rarely the case. Instead, it commonly has a cascading effect that impacts all aspects of your business.
So, don’t underestimate the importance of data resiliency, as doing so can be disastrous for your business. This information is crucial for smooth daily operations whether you’re storing small or large amounts of data.
Remember, you can’t predict when a disaster will strike, so it’s always best to be prepared well ahead of time. Spending some time implementing robust data resiliency controls is the best way to prevent future problems.
Final Words
It’s not wrong to say that a strong online presence is a must for any business in the modern world if it is to compete and survive. While data security is crucial, data resilience is much more crucial. Likewise, building and maintaining a secure network is not enough; the company also needs to be able to respond timely to cyber threats. Moreover, the company needs to implement new technologies that can be used to stop possible breaches.
