the Cloud

For businesses, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions offer unparalleled opportunities to enhance efficiency, scalability and overall operations. However, growing SaaS backup-related misconceptions also have the potential to hurt your business growth. In this blog, we’ll shed light on some SaaS-related truths you simply cannot afford to ignore. Let’s dive in. Don’t let these myths put your business at risk As businesses move to the cloud, here are some common misconceptions that need to be dispelled: Myth 1: My SaaS solution is completely secure. While leading SaaS solutions like Office 365, G Suite and Salesforce do offer top-of-the-line security along with robust recovery features, the truth is that they aren’t completely foolproof against all threats. They can’t protect your business data from malicious insiders, accidental deletions or hackers. Solution: By regularly backing up your cloud data, you can protect it against a wide range of threats and unforeseen disasters. Myth 2: My SaaS provider is solely responsible for my data security. There is a widely held misconception that your SaaS provider is solely responsible for protecting your cloud data. The truth, however, is more nuanced. While a provider is expected to implement robust security to protect your data, businesses also are expected to play an active role. Solution: Proactive steps like training your employees on data security best practices and implementing access control steps can ensure your data remains secure in the cloud. Myth 3: My SaaS provider’s backup is all I need. While some of the top SaaS providers offer features such as Recycle Bins and Vaults that can store accidentally deleted files, these solutions have limitations and don’t offer comprehensive backup and recovery. Solution: Consider taking the help of an experienced IT service provider who can not only securely back up your data but also help you enhance your cloud security. Elevate your data security with a strategic partnership Ready to empower your business with an advanced backup and recovery strategy? Partner with an IT service provider like us to build a comprehensive SaaS backup and recovery strategy that suits your business needs. Let data recovery be the last of your worries! Contact us today for a free consultation and learn how our IT team can be your strategic partner.

When you entrust your business data to a cloud-based platform, you expect it to be safe and sound. However, most cloud platforms like Microsoft 365, Google Workspace and Salesforce acknowledge their backup shortcomings and recommend having an additional backup and recovery solution for your cloud-based data. This is because cloud-based platforms often have limited data restoration capabilities, which can lead to data loss in the event of an outage or data corruption. Unfortunately, many organizations like yours realize a backup is necessary only after their valuable data is lost. Don’t hesitate to deploy a robust backup and recovery solution to safeguard your cloud-based data. Before you get started, knowing best practices can help you get the most bang for your buck. The four best practices Here are four practical steps that you can use to ensure your backup journey is smooth: Set your expectations When you subscribe to a cloud-based platform, you generally get some level of backup and recovery baked into it. However, will that be sufficient? The best way to find out is to read through the vendor’s terms and conditions (T&Cs) to see what type of backup they have in place. Even if a vendor says that backup is included, you need to know what they actually mean. For example, some cloud-based service providers may only back up data once per day, while others may back up data in real time. To reiterate, reading through your vendor’s T&Cs is the first step to ensuring your valuable data doesn’t vanish into thin air. Fine-tune your backup You should customize your backup to meet your needs; otherwise, you run the risk of using the solution either insufficiently or excessively. To successfully fine-tune your backup, you may need to consider several factors. For instance, you must know how quickly data changes to decide how frequently to back up data. Other factors must also be taken into consideration when deciding the frequency of data backups, such as the amount of data and the data type and importance. Test your backup regularly Anyone who has ever lost data understands the importance of backup. However, having a backup isn’t enough unless you test it on a regular basis to ensure it’s working properly and that you’ll be able to access your data when needed. By testing it regularly, you will be able to catch issues early and fix them before it escalates into something severe. So, how often should you test your backup? The answer may vary depending on your backup system and how crucial your data is, but as a general rule, it’s a good idea to test your backup at least once a week. Stay up to date on the security landscape As the digital world becomes increasingly complex, so does the security risks landscape. With the vast array of devices and applications we use, it’s crucial to be aware of the different ways your data could be compromised and have strategies in place to prevent them. This is critical for both survival and competition. If you’re ready to deal with any threat that may arise, your organization’s chances of survival increase significantly. This strategy will also give you an advantage over your competitors because you are now far more resilient than you were previously. An IT service provider can help If you’re working alone, following the above best practices may be difficult since you have a lot of organizational matters to handle. This is where an IT service provider can help. We can collaborate with you to create a backup plan that meets your needs and budget and provide support and maintenance to keep your data safe. Feel free to contact us for a no-obligation consultation. Want to learn more? Download our “Why Your Cloud-Based Data Needs a Backup Solution” eBook by clicking here.

Businesses like yours are increasingly adopting cloud-based solutions to keep up with the rapidly changing technological landscape. According to a recent study by Gartner, cloud adoption will not slow down anytime soon.* Many of these organizations, however, are unaware of the critical importance of having a backup for their cloud-based data. If data is lost or deleted, it can be tough—or even impossible—to recover it without a backup. You don’t want to be in a situation where your data is accidentally deleted and you attempt to retrieve it from the cloud, but realize it hadn’t been backed up in a month. If you rely on cloud-based solutions, use a good backup—and use it frequently. In this post, we’ll look at some of the core cloud backup benefits so you can see why it’s such a vital tool for your business. 4 cloud backup benefits Although cloud backups can benefit you in a variety of ways, the four most important ones are: Security If you own an organization, you understand the importance of data security. You can’t afford to take any chances with your data when so much is at stake. This is where cloud backup comes into play. Cloud backup is a secure, off-site data storage solution. With cloud backup, your data is stored remotely—in the cloud—and can be accessed anytime, from anywhere. Even if your information is lost or stolen, you can be confident that it is fully recoverable. Cloud backup is key to the success of your data security strategy, so if you haven’t implemented it yet, now is the time. Scalability As your business grows, so does the data it produces. Without the right tools, this can quickly become unmanageable. If you’re dependent on on-premises backup systems, you’ll have to make a substantial initial investment in hardware that you might not utilize to its full potential. On the other hand, cloud backup is scalable. This means that cloud backup can easily adjust to your changing needs. You never have to worry about outgrowing your backup solution—it will always be able to grow with you. Manageability Cloud backup is highly manageable. The fact that you can easily manage backups remotely can save a lot of time, especially when you’re already stretched thin with other business matters. However, what exactly is manageability? How can it help your organization? Here’s a quick overview of manageability in the context of cloud backup. Manageability lets you centrally operate and monitor your backup system from a single location. This means you can quickly and easily see the status of your backup, identify any issues and make changes as needed. Manageability can also help you set up automatic backups and give you the flexibility to restore only the data you need. Recoverability One of the most important benefits of cloud backup is recoverability. In the event of data loss, cloud backup can help you recover your data quickly and easily. You can thus resume normal operations and avoid costly downtime and lost productivity. If you are seeking a dependable backup solution for your business, cloud backup should be at the top of your list. It can help you safeguard your data and keep your organization running smoothly. An IT service provider can help If you’ve read this far, you’re probably using cloud-based solutions and want to have a good backup in place. If you’re not sure where to start, we can help. We can assess your needs and suggest the best backup solution for your cloud-based applications. We can also help you in implementing and monitoring the backup solution to ensure it is functioning correctly. Contact us today to schedule a no-obligation consultation. Want to learn more? Download our eBook “Why Your Cloud-Based Data Needs a Backup Solution”. *Gartner IT Symposium

Data loss is a genuine threat to all businesses. Not only can it cost a lot of time, money and other resources to fix, but it can also be a huge pain to deal with when you have other pressing business matters to handle. While there are plenty of reasons data can be lost, such as hardware damage, software malfunctions and natural disasters, the most frequent cause is something as simple as human error. That’s why it’s so important to have a data backup strategy in place. By backing up your data regularly, you can protect yourself from the devastating effects of data loss. So, what are you waiting for? If you don’t have a data backup strategy in place, now is the time to create one. Otherwise, you could be putting your organization at risk. Pros of cloud backup There are many benefits to backing up your data to the cloud. Here are four of the biggest pros: It’s cheaper to rely on cloud backup than to build and maintain an in-house backup method The most compelling reason to consider cloud backup is cost. Cloud backup services are typically subscription-based, which means you pay a monthly or annual fee for a certain amount of storage. This is significantly cheaper than building and maintaining your own physical backup infrastructure. Also, since cloud backup is often pay-as-you-go, you only ever pay for the storage that you use. Plus, you usually get discounts on cloud backup services by signing up for a long-term contract. Cloud backup is scalable and can grow with you As an organization grows, so does the amount of data it needs to save. With a traditional on-site backup solution, this can become a severe problem. You either need to purchase and set up additional hardware or start deleting existing data to make room for new data. However, with a cloud backup solution, you can effortlessly add more storage as required. This makes it easier to keep your backup up to date without stressing about insufficient space. Cloud backups are generally more secure against ransomware attacks In the wake of a surge in ransomware attacks, many businesses have been scrambling to beef up their security measures. One area that has come under scrutiny is data backup. Some organizations have been moving their backups to the cloud to take advantage of the increased security that cloud providers offer. There’s no doubt that cloud backups are more secure than on-premises backups. Cloud backup providers have numerous security measures to protect data, and they are always working to improve their defenses against new threats. Additionally, cloud backups are often stored in multiple locations, making it much more difficult for attackers to delete or encrypt all backup copies. Although cloud backups are more secure, you should still strive to protect your data. Cloud backups are not immune to attack, and you should take steps to secure your data, such as encrypting backups and restricting unauthorized access. Data backed up in the cloud is accessible from anywhere Local data backups are not the answer if you need to access your data from a different location. On the other hand, cloud backup allows you to access your backed-up data from anywhere, making it much more convenient than local backup. This is a significant advantage for businesses whose employees work remotely. Cloud backups not only enable you to access data from anywhere, but you can also share it for collaboration with a few clicks. There is no doubt that cloud backup is the future of data storage. It’s more secure and accessible than local data backup and is an excellent way to ensure your data is always available when you need it. Join hands for success If you’re like most businesses and rely on cloud-based applications and services, it’s crucial to have a robust cloud backup and disaster recovery plan in place. However, it could be a heavy lift if you are doing it alone. This is where an IT service provider like us can help. We can play a vital role in helping you protect your data by providing guidance and expertise throughout your cloud backup journey. To learn more, download our infographic “Your Cloud-Based Data Is Your Responsibility”.

Your data is essential for your business’s success. There’s no doubt about it in the modern digitized era. However, not having a backup for your cloud-based service provider can result in the loss of this valuable data. This is where the confusion begins because you must now decide how to back up your data. There are numerous options available and choosing one can be difficult. Most importantly, if you’re not careful, you may fall for some myths that are more harmful than beneficial. The problem with believing the myths about cloud backup platforms is that you eventually end up losing data, wasting money and harming your organization. As a result, it’s critical to be aware of the falsehoods to make an informed decision about whether a solution is right for you. In this blog, we’ll help you cut through the clutter so that you can develop an effective backup strategy. Myths debunked Without further ado, let’s dive into some of the most common cloud backup myths and dispel them, once and for all. Myth: My cloud platform provides comprehensive backup Truth: There might be a certain level of backup baked into productivity solutions like Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, but it is often not enough to fully protect your organization. Many vendors even recommend adding a more robust backup solution. While the built-in backup may be adequate for some data and applications, it’s crucial to have a comprehensive plan in case of a major disaster. This is especially true for businesses that rely heavily on email and other cloud-based services. A robust backup solution can help protect against data loss due to hardware failures, software glitches, user errors and malicious attacks. Myth: Backup protects me against ransomware Truth: Backing up your data is critical in protecting your organization from ransomware and other cyberattacks. However, a backup cannot prevent your data from being stolen or encrypted in the first place. A robust backup and recovery solution ensures you can quickly and easily restore your lost or stolen data. However, you may still be at risk of further harm if the cybercriminal decides to use your already stolen data against you. Myth: Any backup solution will do since all backup is the same Truth: When it comes to data backup and recovery solutions, businesses of all sizes have numerous options. There is a backup solution to meet the needs of any organization, ranging from simple solutions that create a copy of your data to more robust enterprise-level solutions that include integrations with productivity applications and advanced security measures. The first step in choosing the best backup solution for your organization is determining your specific requirements. Do you require a simple solution or a more robust enterprise-level solution? Knowing your organizational needs will help you choose wisely from the available options a solution that is best suited for your business. Let’s collaborate to make sure your business succeeds An IT service provider like us can proactively help protect your organization from the consequences of falling for backup myths. We can help create and implement a comprehensive backup and disaster recovery plan tailor-made for your needs. We can also help test your backups regularly to ensure their effectiveness and address any issues that arise. We can even provide training to your employees on proper backup procedures. By working side-by-side in implementing these steps, we can help you avoid the pitfalls of backup myths and succeed. Contact us today to schedule a no-obligation consultation. Want to learn more about cloud backup?  Download our infographic “Your SaaS Data Is Your Responsibility,” by clicking here.