Access Systems Blog

The Importance of Offsite Backup Systems

Mar 15, 2017 8:58:47 AM

Over the past few years, malware and ransomware were two terms that have now become commonplace to hear in your daily media coverage.

From the massive information breach at Sony to hospital data being held ransom for steep sums of money, malware and ransomware threats are not going away.

This is why you need to protect your business and valuable files. And if you don’t think so, think again.

A malware and ransomware breach can be caused by many things, such as downloading an attachment or software from an email, a disgruntled employee, or poor security practices.

The malicious software then infects the user’s system and can spread across an entire network in minutes.

Often times these breaches go undetected for weeks. In fact, 4 out of 5 breach victims didn't know they had been attacked by malicious software for longer than a week, per a Verizon report.

This can spell trouble for businesses, as the ransomware will often demand a ransom of hundreds to thousands of dollars to be paid in order to decrypt the files - and that’s only if cyber-thieves even give up the decryption key after being paid. There have been countless occasions where even after the ransom has been paid, the files are left encrypted or damaged, thus rendering them useless.

However, there is a critical and simple solution to safeguard devices and business systems from this risk – full image offsite system backup.

A full image offsite backup system is the process of taking a full image of an IT system, which includes all files, drives, and operating systems in a server environment in which the backup service is connected to. The service sends that image into the cloud, where it is stored in a location away from a business and without direct access to the business's network.

This keeps your files safe and secure should the network be compromised. These images are retained for anywhere between 30 days to a year before that file is overwritten with a new snapshot of the system.

The best defense against ransomware is a high-retention backup. A system with routine full image offsite backups is easier to restore if disaster strikes versus one that only has file-level backups.  Trust us, a business would rather have its network backed up with its most recent files, not just a few files from months ago.

Also, the price of suffering a cyber attack is much higher than that of implementing a full image offsite backup system? If a system is compromised by a cyber attack, the U.S. National Cyber Security Alliance found that 60% of small businesses close their doors six months after the cyber attack.

Now ask yourself, would your business be able to survive without an adequate backup solution?

Topics: Blog

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