Backup: recommendations and things to avoid

When it comes to security recommendations, backup is sacred. In this article, we share a few recommendations and a few things to avoid when you implement an effective backup solution.

Recommended: use a solution with central management of backup agents

Central management is very useful when the backup solution has to be deployed on a larger number of devices. Instead of going to each workstation to check the backup application, you do all of it from a central console.

Avoid: backup solutions that don’t recycle old backups

Many free backup applications fail to clean up old backup history, so the storage fills up. That, in turn, stops the backups. If the application doesn’t have monitoring either, you have no way of knowing when you need to step in and free up space on the storage.

Recommended: use a storage system with compression and deduplication

To store as many backups as possible on the server, choose a file system or a backup solution that compresses data well and eliminates duplicates (deduplication). The more space a backup takes up, the fewer backups fit on the server.

Avoid: backing up to a production server that’s also used for other things

For an effective backup, the storage the data is saved to shouldn’t be used by other applications or platforms as well. Don’t use the file server or the application server as backup storage, because you risk slowing down production. And if the production server is attacked, the backup on it is lost along with the data.

Recommended: use backup solutions with monitoring and alerts

Checking by hand whether a backup has completed successfully is no fun at all. To avoid it, we recommend a backup platform that provides statistics and sends alerts when a backup fails.

Avoid: full server backups during the day

A full server backup puts a heavy load on the network and the disks, which inevitably affects the workflow. Schedule full backups outside business hours, so that they don’t disrupt the company’s work. Incremental backups, which copy only what has changed, can also run during the day, even several times, if the solution and the network can handle them without slowing work down.

Recommended: test restores regularly

A backup is only good if data can be restored from it. Schedule test restores – a file, a mailbox, an entire server – and note how long they took. That way, you find out ahead of time if something isn’t working, not on the day you actually need the data.

Avoid: all copies on the same network and with the same passwords

Ransomware goes after the backups first, to delete or encrypt them before the data. Keep at least one offline or immutable copy (one that can’t be changed or deleted for a set period), use a different account for the backup console than the network administrator account, and protect it with two-step verification.

What should a business backup solution be able to do?

Whatever the vendor, a good business backup solution:

• has agents for every operating system used in the company: Windows (server and desktop versions), macOS (used on workstations) and Linux (used on servers);
• backs up files and folders, but also the entire operating system, and restores quickly;
• can back up email both at the client level (with rules and other local settings) and at the email server level;
• can also back up cloud applications: OneDrive, SharePoint and Exchange Online, from Microsoft 365, or Google Workspace;
• lets you recover individual files and folders, as well as entire data structures;
• encrypts data, so that it’s protected both in transit and in storage;
• can save data to local infrastructure or to the cloud;
• compresses data, to save storage space;
• keeps several versions of the same files, depending on your needs and the size of the storage;
• can keep immutable copies, and its console can be protected with two-step verification.

You’ll find more about backup types and backup policy in the guide Backup: what every company should know and in the article on the 3-2-1 backup rule.

RezolvIT offers Backup as a Service, with backups of your data on the network and in the cloud. If you’re not sure your company’s backup works, request a free IT audit or contact us.