In 2019, the need for businesses to have plans for data backup and restoration in the event of an emergency is continuing to grow. To meet this need, companies will continue to invest in automation and more efficient data backup systems. Here are three things you need to know about data backup in 2019.
AI and machine learning will change data backup for good
It’s 2019: The days of tape and manual backup are over. If you’re still manually backing up your data, it’s time to finally ditch this outdated method.
Not only is the manual backup process time-consuming, it’s also less secure and more likely that you will forget important files. In fact, as much as 60% of all data backups are incomplete.
With automated data backup, you get feedback and alerts on your updates, such as when there’s an interruption, and also the security that nothing is getting left behind.
Increasingly, businesses are using artificial intelligence (AI) for data backup to cut costs, organize databases, and control who has access to that data.
And thanks to machine learning, companies have more efficient ways of storing this data. Machine learning can show you how much space is available and what’s taking up most of your storage space.
Businesses will start adopting flash
Flash solid state drives (SSDs) are quickly gaining preference over hard disk drives (HDDs). Flash can be used in the cloud or as part of a hybrid storage system and it’s faster and more efficient.
Flash drives offer more storage capacity and provide faster transfer speeds. Plus, they can connect to any device, are easy to store, and are much more portable than traditional hard drives.
Backing up your data is essential, but also keep in mind that you need a plan for data recovery.
Investing in flash used to be a pricey endeavor, but prices continue to drop, making it a more affordable option for businesses of all sizes. According to a report from Digital Times, SSDs will account for 50% of the market share by the end of 2019.
Companies will need to have a data recovery plan
Backing up your data is essential, but also keep in mind that you need a plan for data recovery.
According to Nationwide, 68% of small businesses don’t have a disaster recovery plan. The problem with this is the longer it takes you to restore your data, the more money you’ll lose. Gartner found that this downtime can cost companies as much as $300,000 an hour.
In 2018, the city of Atlanta was hit with a ransomware attack. The attack took down numerous city departments and left residents unable to pay bills or parking tickets.
City officials were left filling out forms by hand after their digital processes were shut down. Employees were unable to turn their computers back on until five days after the attack.
Overall, the attack cost the city over $5 million and underscored the importance of having a plan to restore your data from backup. One of the best ways to do this is by having a layered backup plan, such as the 3-2-1 approach.
The 3-2-1 approach is a good way to ensure that your data stays safe when the unexpected happens. With this approach, you have three copies of your data. Two of them are stored in different locations on-site, while the third is stored off-site.
So if disaster strikes and your on-site data is compromised, you still have an additional copy in an off-site location.
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