In today’s digital world, data is one of the most valuable assets for any business. Yet, many micro and small businesses still underestimate the importance of a reliable data backup strategy. At Southern IT Networks, we’ve seen first-hand the devastating impact data loss can have when companies contact us in a panic because they've left it too late.

Keeping your business data safe doesn’t have to be a headache! We're breaking down the essentials of data backup to show you, as a small business owner, how you can protect your most critical information with ease.

Why is Data Backup Critical for Small Businesses?

Data backup should be seen as the last line of defence for your business. If something goes wrong, whether it’s accidental deletion, cyber threats like ransomware, or hardware failures, your backup is your safety net. Without a proper backup strategy, you risk losing valuable business data, productivity, and revenue.

Many small businesses assume that because their data is stored in the cloud, that means it’s already backed up. However, cloud providers like Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace operate under a shared responsibility model meaning:

• They manage infrastructure security.
• YOU are responsible for backing up your data.
• If you don’t take action, you could be left without a recoverable copy of your critical files.
  
  

  Common Causes of Data Loss?

  Businesses face several risks when it comes to data loss, including:

• Human error – Accidental deletion, or overwriting  of important files.
• Cyber threats – Ransomware and malware can encrypt or destroy data.
• Hardware failure – Devices can fail unexpectedly.
• Natural disasters – Fires, floods, and other disasters can disrupt or destroy data.
• Cloud service issues – Services outages may cause data to be inaccessible.

Types of Backups: Full, Incremental, and Differential

Understanding backup methods will help you choose the right solution:

• Full Backup – A complete copy of all your data.
• Incremental Backup – Saves only the changes made since the last backup, reducing storage space and time required.
• Differential Backup – Similar to incremental, but saves all changes since the last full backup.
  

Most backup solutions use a combination of the above to balance back speed and storage requirements.

Choosing the Right Backup Storage: External vs. Cloud

Does your business rely on external hard drives?

It's a good start, but it does come with its own risks:

• Ransomware can encrypt them if they're plugged in, which in our experience is often the case.
• Physical drives can be easily lost, stolen, or damaged.
   

Cloud-based backups, on the other hand, provide better security and redundancy. Providers store data in multiple locations, ensuring availability even in case of a failure. However, businesses should always verify that their chosen cloud provider meets their backup needs. Just because your data is in the cloud, doesn’t mean it's backed up. 

A reliable provider should offer features like:

• Point-in-time recovery: to allow you to restore a file back to a previous state.
• Granular file restoration: to recover specific files or folders rather than entire backups.
• Immutable Backup: A data copy that cannot be modified or deleted, essentially creating a snapshot of data at a specific moment in time. 
  
  

Always check whether your provider includes these recovery options to ensure you can fully restore your data when needed.

Ensuring Backup Security: Encryption and Access Control

A backup is useless if it’s compromised.

To protect backups:

• Use encryption to ensure only authorised users can access the data.
• Store backups offsite or in a secure cloud location.
• Implement strong passwords and multi-factor authentication for backup access.
  
• Store it in 2 different locations (at least 1 copy offsite if using eternal drives).

The Importance of Testing Backups:

A backup is only as good as its ability to restore data. Regularly testing backups ensures they work when needed. At Southern IT Networks, we help clients by:

• Randomly restoring files to verify integrity.
• Simulating full system recoveries to ensure everything works as expected.
• Providing reports so businesses can see their backup health.
  
  

Without testing, businesses risk thinking they have a backup when, in reality, it may not be functional. And you don't want to find this out once it's too late!

How Often Should You Back Up Data?

Backing up your data regularly reduces the risk of losing valuable information if something goes wrong. But how often should you back up, and how quickly must you recover? That’s where RPO (Recovery Point Objective) and RTO (Recovery Time Objective) come in. Recovery Point Objective and Recovery Time Objective help determine how much data can be lost before it impacts operations and how quickly systems must be restored to keep the business running smoothly.

RPO (Backup Frequency)

How Much Data Can You Afford to Lose?

• Hourly – Best for businesses that have data which changes frequently (e.g., online stores, accounting firms).
• Daily – A solid choice for most small businesses.
• Weekly – Works for businesses with minimal data updates or have data which isn’t time sensitive.
  
  Think about the amount of data you generate, and the furthest point back in time that you are willing to recover data from. Is that going to be hourly, weekly, or daily? This is critical information to share with your IT provider to ensure you have the right backup solution in place for you business.

RTO (Recovery Speed)

How Quickly Do You Need to Be Back Online?

• Immediate – Essential if any downtime means lost revenue (e.g., e-commerce, digital, critical services).
• Hours – You can handle a short break but need to be back quickly.
• Within a day – Works if a little downtime won’t seriously impact your business operations.
  
  

  Think about what you need to prioritise! Which systems are critical, and need to be back online first? This may be your accounting system, your CRM, or emails. Every business will be slightly different and have different priorities. Always ensure you share these details with your IT provider, so that they can work with you on creating a recovery plan ahead in advance of data loss. You don’t want to be making this up when sh*t has hit the fan!!!

  Understanding these two key metrics will help you choose the right backup strategy and ensure your business recovers quickly after a disaster.

So, ask yourself: How much data can I afford to lose, and how fast do I need to be back up and running? The answer will guide your IT support decisions!

Avoiding Common Backup Mistakes:

The biggest mistake we see is Business Owners assuming cloud services automatically back up everything and not sharing information about new systems with their IT provider.

Many businesses believe platforms like Microsoft 365 provide full backups. In reality, they only offer basic redundancy, so if Microsoft or another provider loses your data, you may have no way to recover it unless you have a separate backup in place.

Other common mistakes include:

• Not verifying new data sources are included in backups.
• Keeping backups in the same location as the original data.
• Not securing backup files properly, leaving them vulnerable to theft or cyberattacks.

Implementing a Backup Plan with Southern IT Networks

Our solid backup strategy involves:

• Identifying critical data.
• Choosing the right backup method.
• Selecting a secure storage option.
• Scheduling regular backups.
• Testing restores frequently.

A well-designed backup solution isn’t just a safety net—it’s a business necessity! Small businesses must know exactly what’s being backed up, how often to back up data, and have a clear recovery plan in place. It's not enough to simply assume your IT provider has it covered without giving it proper attention.

👉 If you want to have a chat about how best to secure your data, then we're here - just drop us an email, or give us a call 🤝