FINAL WORD
“
COMPANIES NEED TO
ESTABLISH AND IMPLEMENT A
SINGLE, CENTRALISED BACKUP
POLICY ACROSS THE ENTIRE IT
ENVIRONMENT THAT ADDRESSES
THE NEEDS OF THE BUSINESS.
To overcome the challenges facing
businesses during this time, here are three
steps they can take to ensure their data
crown jewels are protected, no matter what.
1. Improve visibility
Digital Transformation means more data
is being produced today than ever before,
and applications are on the front line. These
applications are stored across a range of IT
environments, which makes it difficult for IT
teams to know where business-critical data
sits, let alone carry out the correlation and
centralisation processes required to back it
up effectively.
needs of the business, no matter where the
data actually resides. Creating data audit
trails can be useful here, as they can track
who created a copy, where it was accessed
and for how long.
This means companies know where their
most important information is at all times
and can ensure that their data is properly
backed up and compatible with the wider
corporate strategy.
3. Secure the backup
The next piece of the puzzle is to securely
store and isolate backups from the
broader network. This will ensure that if a
cyberattack does occur, backup recovery will
not be compromised. Part of this involves
encrypting the data being backed up, in
transit and at rest, and putting in place
robust access management to ensure only
authorised entities can access it.
End-to-end encryption means that any
stolen data is rendered useless, ensuring
businesses don’t fall foul of data regulations
if they’re breached.
Different lines of business may store
information in different locations, even
if they are using a similar environment.
For example, both the finance and HR
departments may use cloud services, but
one might be using apps on Azure and
another on AWS. This makes it even more
difficult for IT teams to gain visibility, as the
same data may be stored in multiple cloud
environments, as well as on-premises.
A sustained increase in homeworking
beyond the current crisis will make this
problem particularly trying, especially as
well-meaning employees – in a well-meaning
bid to keep working and keep productive –
purchase their own cloud applications and
services from consumer app stores.
Implementing a single, overarching
management layer is a crucial first step to
providing IT teams with the visibility required
to build a successful backup and recovery
plan. This can show where mission-critical
data sits and its level of protection, as well
as how it can be accessed and restored if
the worst happens – be that an accidental
deletion or a targeted ransomware attack –
all in one location.
Jay Ralph, Cloud Management
Lead, SoftwareONE
2. Standardise your approach
Once IT teams have established where
critical data resides, the next step is to create
a standard process of how it will be backed
up. As businesses increasingly move to the
cloud, it is extremely likely they will be using
multiple providers – in fact 81% of public
cloud users work with two or more. Although
these providers have their own backup
policies, there is no standardised process
and therefore no guarantee that data will
be protected in the same way. Businesses
need to ensure their providers’ policies
align with their own needs. At the same
time, in a hybrid environment, data could
reside in both 365 and in some on-premise
solutions like file servers, hybrid SharePoint
or Exchange deployments. Though different
scenarios, a standard approach is required.
Companies need to establish and implement
a single, centralised backup policy across the
entire IT environment that addresses the
Businesses should not leave data
security and backup to chance. Digital
Transformation has increased the threat
surface for cyberattacks, leaving companies
far more vulnerable to serious breaches than
ever before.
We are also currently experiencing an
increase in remote working that may in fact
remain as the ‘norm’ for many, even when
the present threat from COVID-19 recedes.
It is crucial that companies have effective
backup strategies in place, so that any
lost data is easily recoverable. This will
also protect businesses who over the past
couple of months have facilitated home
working for employees that previously
would never have worked anywhere other
than in the office. These workers may be
less tech savvy and there may also be fewer
corporate policies in place to govern remote
working; as a result, the margin for error
is subsequently wider. So, by improving IT
visibility, creating a standardised process
for data backup and enhancing security,
businesses can be confident that their data
crown jewels are protected, no matter what
may come their way. •
86 INTELLIGENTCIO www.intelligentcio.com