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3-2-1 backups need a rethink in the work from home era

The 3-2-1 backup strategy has served businesses well for the most part but in a work from home era, it might need a bit of a rethink.

As you will be aware, 3-2-1 means having three copies of your data on two different types of media with one copy housed off-site.

But with workforces spread out thanks to a global pandemic forcing companies to adopt a work from home strategy, what is the best way to backup your data to ensure business continuity?

The first solution that may address this issue is remote backups but then one needs to consider how those backups will be done.

At the office employees might have access to a dedicated fibre line which makes cloud backups simple, but with workers at home backing up a day of work could be hampered by the cost of connectivity.

So what should you do? According to Operations Director at Gabsten Technologies, Chris de Bruyn, businesses should be exploring more agile data protection strategies that can ensure data is backed up even if a device is located in the middle of the Karoo.

“When adopting a strategy, the key backup parameters that companies need to consider are organisational-based and aligned to what the organisation needs at the time. This is where agility is important, as a company’s data management solution must be able to adapt to what it needs at any given point,” explains the ops director.

“If an organisation’s data management strategy does not provide for this, then it must be relooked at against the company’s needs and against what is affordable. The truth is that some enterprises simply cannot afford to throw money at the problem. In that case, organisations should rather team up with a data management partner that has the expertise to guide them through these problems and can also assist with a Business Continuity (BC) plan, which must include a disaster recovery strategy,” says de Bruyn.

One solution that covers many bases is making use of cloud applications that don’t necessarily save data to a local machine. Shared drives also offer a benefit.

To be clear, 3-2-1 thinking for backups is still very relevant but it’s how they are executed that needs to be refreshed.

It also goes without saying that security should be a major factor in deciding how best to update backup practices.

As de Bruyn said, a data management partner can help guide you toward the best solution for your business and with the COVID-19 pandemic set to be with us for a long while still, it’s an investment worth considering.

[Image – CC 0 Pixabay]

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