December 2023

In today’s maelstrom of news regarding data breaches and criminal attempts to compromise key public infrastructure and systems – data protection when it comes to backup, storage and business continuity is more critical than ever. Truth be told, for us at B4Restore these critical elements have always been center stage and will always remain so.

Over the course of this year alone, we have witnessed a material uptake in reported incidents, where several of the targeted companies and organizations have been forced to cease operating. Sadly, in a number of these incidents restoring business operations was not possible due to either an incomplete approach to backup and restore capabilities, or because continuous stress testing of the solution was not undertaken as one would have expected when dealing with critical data systems.

The importance of embedded data protection in backup and storage as a service…

Business continuity in the event of an unplanned disruption is not a trivial matter, and in my experience, the critical success factors here are not mere software or service features. Data protection in these services is a critical aspect of business operations to ensure not only the security but also the integrity of an organization ’s critical data.

Albeit needless to say; in the event of an unplanned disruption, the ability to recover and as such be able to access data is likely the difference in-between maintaining business continuity and ceasing to operate.

Unconditional Separation-of-Duties (no ifs or buts)…

When we have the initial conversations with either potential customers or partners, we tend to gravitate early on to our architectural approach to separation-of-duties. Our hardened approach here has documented time and time again, that strict protocol, discipline, adherence to process and documentation gets the job done – that is, keeping your critical data protected, and with that your ability to continue operations even if what was not supposed to happen did so. Our separation-of-duties will by default deny that any single individual has complete control over a critical process or system on both the IT production system and the backup platform, reducing the risk of errors, fraud, and unauthorized access.

Backup-as-a-Service, which does exactly what it says on the box…

Our Backup-as-a-Service is a critical component of data protection. The service provides a secure, predictable, and reliable way to back up and recover critical data in the event of a disruption. It ensures that critical data is always available and can be quickly restored, minimizing the impact of an unplanned disruption of business operations.

Challenge your conventional wisdom – for the sake of your business…

We are concerned that rethinking our current data protection might be costly and resource intensive.

Not really, the cost of a data breach or loss far outweighs the investment in effective data protection measures. It is a critical aspect of business operations that requires adequate resources and attention.

We assume that our current approach is already compliant with data protection regulations.

Are you sure; compliance is merely the baseline; effective data protection goes beyond compliance to ensure business continuity and security in the face of evolving threats and challenges.

We have never experienced a significant disruption, so we are likely not a target.

Preemptive data protection management when it comes to backup and storage is always the better approach. Proactive investment in data protection measures is essential to mitigate the risk of a disruption and ensure business continuity in the event of an unplanned disruption.

Think about it, and act accordingly…

Effective data protection is not just a matter of technology. It is also a matter of strict protocols, well-documented processes, and enforced discipline in terms of managing backup and storage of critical data. The importance of making sure that regular testing, 24/7 monitoring, and updating of data protection measures will ensure the ability to keep the business humming.

It is a critical aspect of business continuity that requires the attention and involvement of key decision makers. The potential impact of a data breach impacts the business, the reputation, and exposes a potential lack of regulatory compliance. The successful management of data protection enables focusing on what really matters, the strategy, the business, the innovation, all while confidently managing the ever-present risks.

Do The Right Thing…

Protect Your Business

• B4Restore has been protecting customers’ critical data for more than 20 years.

Leverage the Right Technology and a Trusted Managed Service Provider

• B4Restore’s Backup-as-a-Service executes more than 70,000,000 backup jobs annually.

Identify and Hire the Right Managed Services Partner

• B4Restore’s information security standard is ISO 27001 certified. B4Restore’s Business Continuity Management approach is ISO 22301 certified. And lastly, B4Restore has the independent service auditor’s ISAE 3000 assurance report.