Cybercrime is more of an issue than ever, affecting businesses of all shapes and sizes to cause untold damage to their financial statuses and reputations. Many companies have in fact closed their doors for good due to the damage caused by a cyber-attack or data breach, and whilst there are many steps you can take to protect your IT systems, sometimes the simplest solution is the most effective. Backing up is still an important part of safeguarding the data and networks your company holds dear. With data loss a primary and major consequence for those suffering a cyber-attack or security breach, having a corporate data backup strategy you can rely on is essential.
According to data protection software specialist Acronis, some 20% of companies impacted by a data loss event lose customers as well. In fact, 40% of those surveyed lost a fifth of their customer base as a result. Finding the backup solution you need to secure your IT systems, even in the aftermath of a cyber-attack, is of the utmost importance. There are tons of ways to backup, but choosing a data only or full system backup to protect the information that’s important to your company and its customers is one decision many struggle to make. In this blog post, we discuss the pros and cons of each backup method so you can make your choice with ease.
The full system backup
As the name suggests, full backups take care of the whole of your device. Generally, most only use a full backup as their initial backup, performing incremental or differential backups from thereafter. Performing full system backups on a regular basis as your preferred backup method however comes with a number of advantages.
The benefits of full system backup include a quicker and easier recovery process with all applications and data backed up readily available. Companies will also unlock easy version control, whilst access to associated applications, files and folders is simple via a single backup set. Full system backups don’t come without their cons. You will need more storage space and additional bandwidth to execute a full system backup. The advantages of conducting a full backup on a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly basis are many, but the process is more time consuming in comparison to other methods. With a full system backup, it’s not just data restores that are possible. The system image stored is useful for physical to virtual migration meaning your company can reap further rewards.
The data only backup
Often referred to as the common backup, this method backs up the data rich files and folders stored in your system. The data is generally backed up in an unstructured and simple manner rather than the complex picture a full system backup builds. Thanks to the smaller scale of this backup type, restores tend to be faster and carry a smaller data footprint than full system backups. The execution of this backup method is also far less time consuming. With a data only backup you can’t backup or restore the whole device meaning new applications will be lost in the event of a disaster.
Whatever your preferred backup method, backing up on a regular basis is the key to ensuring your technology continues to deliver. Make sure an IT emergency doesn’t slow you down by finding a backup method that works for you and performing it frequently.
A specialist IT Company based in Corby, Northamptonshire, Syntec Systems provide expert IT Solutions and IT Support services to businesses in the local area. Syntec Systems specialise in IT Management, IT Consultancy and IT Procurement, and their experienced technicians also offer a 24/7 helpdesk service to help resolve untimely IT Issues for all businesses with no prior contract.