Always Encrypt

Always encrypt your backups, whether they are stored on-site or with a third-party provider or in cloud storage. Encryption means you do not have to worry about who else has access to the data. If the data is lost or stolen without authorization, a password is required for decryption. The password must be unique and as long as possible, and at least one copy must be available offline (e.g., sealed in a safe or deposited with a public notary).

Many companies still rely on tape backup to achieve the "air gap." Because such data can only be actively deleted or manipulated when the tape is inserted, you have a very high level of protection against external and internal attacks. The disadvantage of such a backup is that you have to take care of the tapes regularly and manually move monthly or annual backups to a safe or locker.

If you are considering outsourcing your data to a cloud provider, you need to clarify a few things in advance and include them in your backup strategy, including the available bandwidth, among other things. If an asymmetrical line is used, the upload capacities are usually very limited, and it is technically impossible to store the backup data quickly on the provider's facilities.

Cloud storage is often used to archive backup data that needs to be stored for years or even decades. Do not underestimate the costs for this time, and research your options carefully. The choice of provider also plays a major role. In some cases, plain vanilla data storage is very inexpensive, but retrieving the data then costs several times the storage fee.

Once you have chosen a provider, migrating the backups to another provider after the fact usually involves high costs. Also bear in mind that outsourcing data may oblige you to continue the original storage subscription, even if you have long since changed the primary provider used.

Cloud storage also offers some advantages. Even small companies without a large IT budget can store their data quickly and easily at a second location without investing in additional hardware and software. If an incident occurs on-site and the local systems are compromised, destroyed, or stolen, the data is safe and still accessible in one or more data centers.

Conclusions

A coherent backup strategy, coupled with a good combination of hardware and software, enables your data to be restored quickly and reliably. Outsourcing to another location additionally ensures that operations can be resumed on-site, even in the event of a major disruption.

High-performance backup not only relieves the burden on the infrastructure in production environments but often also empowers you to create backups at times when this was previously not possible. In companies for which IT must be available 24/7, this can have an extremely positive effect.