The importance of data backup couldn’t be emphasized enough. It could be the one thing that can save your business from a complete wipe out following a disaster.
Wait…you don’t have a backup plan in place?
Don’t worry, you are not alone. Well, you should worry. But the reality is that data backup is one aspect in small business that is often overlooked. Even when investment is made in IT support, back-up plans don’t always come up.
Because of the uncertainty of the times – flooding can happen, fires can occur, and hackers can infiltrate your network, you should have a secure digital backup system in place.
The operative term is secure digital backup. So if you’re planning to use a tape drive to store all your data and files, you should seriously reconsider.
Tape backup refers to a process of periodically copying content from your computer hard drive to a tape cartridge or tape drive, a storage media that reads and writes data on a magnetic tape. For a long time, it was the cost-efficient choice, known for its long archival stability. But a lot of things can go wrong with a tape drive, and along with it is loss of data.
It is likely to fail with improper handling, improper electricity currents, magnetic waves, and time-related degradation, including failure to save or play back.
Where you store tape backups can also contribute to failure of the device. Tape drives aren’t exactly waterproof, so it is wrong to store them in places where the risk of flooding is high, i.e., a storeroom with water pipes running overhead. When these pipes burst, you can be sure tape drives will be useless. The same thing is true when you place them on the floor, or lower shelves where flooding can reach them.
Lost in time
Say you are always careful in the storage and handling of tape drives, and that you have procedures in place specifically for tape backups. But how often do you need to backup data? How much data drives will you need or add to your stockpile? How certain are you that data backup will be done as scheduled? Unless you assign one person to focus on tape backups, there is a huge possibility that it can be forgotten in your busy schedule.
Spending more than you should
Isn’t tape drives supposed to be cost-efficient? Only if you don’t break them or get them wet, where you need to buy a replacement. As they have become outdated, very few people use them, which means only a few manufacturers are left that could resort to overpricing. So what used to cost $25 now cost $250.
Security concerns
A hacker can’t get to tape drives, right? After all, they are physical storage media that is not connected to the internet similar to a Cloud. Probably. But a disgruntled employee can steal a tape, and sell it to the highest bidder.
So forget about tape backups. There are more sophisticated and secure ways to backup data. What about security concerns? High level of IT support will take care of them.
Branch Technologies offer backup capabilities and encryption services guaranteed to keep important data safe and secure while in storage. For more information, give us a call at 843-800-3043 or send us an email at sales@branchtec.com.