Digital data has become the cornerstone of modern business operations. From spreadsheets to word processors and databases, all of these programs store their information digitally, rather than on paper. These utilities make businesses more efficient by enabling them to manage data in a centralized, shared location. They also make it much easier for employees to find the information they need when they need it. After all, with so many different people accessing different programs on a daily basis, it’s easy for files to get misplaced or even accidentally deleted. If you’re currently storing your business data digitally and don’t have a backup plan in place yet… now is the time. The unfortunate truth is that computer crashes are more common than we’d like to imagine. There are several different ways that this can happen, whether it’s from a hardware failure or an attack from malware or hackers.
Why Having a Data Backup Plan Is So Important
You might be wondering why a business would need to back up data when they could just recreate it again from scratch. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. If your computer system crashes, it can take a data recovery specialist days or even weeks to restore your information. With data backups, your business can get up and running again immediately by restoring your data from the most recent backup file. This way, your team members can continue their daily operations without any interruption. It’s also a good idea to keep data backups stored offsite in a remote location. If your office experiences a fire or other catastrophic event, your backups will be safe and sound.
Equipment Failures
Hardware fails — it’s just how the world works. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to avoid computer crashes due to a failing hard drive, for example. If you’re storing your data locally, you’re putting yourself at risk for data loss every single day. It’s also important to note that this is only true for a single computer. If you’re working from a remote location, you can’t experience data loss on your own computer. You must be in the office to experience this problem. In addition to the potential for data loss, aging equipment can also slow down your operations considerably. If your employees are spending hours waiting for programs to open, it’s going to create unnecessary stress and frustration.
Malware and Hacking
There’s no doubt that malicious hackers are a real threat to businesses. In fact, cybercrime is estimated to cost $600 billion per year globally, and that number is expected to rise in the years ahead. If you’re storing data digitally, it’s important to take appropriate precautions. This includes regularly updating software, using a VPN and, if possible, using online tools that offer two-factor authentication. If your computer system is infected with malware, it could delete your data from the hard drive. If your organization doesn’t have an offsite backup of your data, you could lose everything. If your employees are spending hours trying to clean the malware from your system, this is an unnecessary distraction.
Human Error
Humans are not machines, and we’re bound to make mistakes from time to time. If your employees are manually copying and pasting data from an older file into a newer one, there’s always a risk that they’ll make a mistake. If you’re using spreadsheets to manage everything from employee hours to sales numbers, and you’re manually entering numbers into these documents… you’re at risk of human error. You’re also not taking advantage of the extra functionality that comes with digital applications. For example, if you’re manually entering sales numbers, you’re missing out on the ability to create graphs and charts.
Syncing, Cloud Synchronization and Continuous Data Protection
If you’re not syncing data across all of your devices, you’re at risk of losing information if your computer crashes. Some cloud-based applications offer continuous data protection that can automatically create copies of your data to keep you safe. If you’re storing your data in the cloud, you should always choose a provider that offers data encryption. This is standard procedure for any reputable company, but you should always check to make sure. If your data is unencrypted, it’s not protected from prying eyes. This could include hackers who are trying to steal your information or government agencies who are legally allowed to access your data.
Conclusion
Digital data has become the cornerstone of modern business operations. From spreadsheets to word processors and databases, all of these programs store their information digitally, rather than on paper. These utilities make businesses more efficient by enabling them to manage data in a centralized, shared location. They also make it much easier for employees to find the information they need when they need it. If you’re currently storing your business data digitally and don’t have a backup plan in place yet, now is the time. The unfortunate truth is that computer crashes are more common than we’d like to imagine. There are several different ways that this can happen, whether it’s from a hardware failure or an attack from malware or hackers.
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