Business Data Security

In a largely data-centric world, your business data has become a massive commodity that if lost can have serious ramifications on your ability to operate effectively. While the reality of data loss causing complete business shut-downs or even resulting in bankruptcy may be an exaggeration and exacerbated by the multiple knock-on effects of a data loss disaster, it’s vital that companies take data security seriously and employ effective solutions to ensure their protection.

Is Server Backup Enough?

Research shows that 60-80% of business data resides on user desktops and notebooks. While many companies employ policies expecting users to perform manual backups of their files to a central server, this has been proven both ineffective and costly.

In their latest report on endpoint user data backup (ID #: G00211731), Gartner highlights the issue of endpoint user data security as one of the major problems faced by IT today.

One of the key problems being that IT tends to look at user data protection in the traditional sense, meaning from the centre out, instead of from the edge, inward – with the main areas of risk and exposure residing on endpoint user devices such as laptops and desktops.

Organizations that fail to effectively protect the business data on user laptops and desktops have an exceptionally high risk of data loss, data theft, data corruption and unauthorised access– especially if policies are not centrally controlled and data backups are not automated.

IT departments know – users don’t follow policies. They forget, don’t know how or just don’t bother. Effectively your server becomes a hive of user movies, music and TV series while business files remain on user machines and put your business at risk.

Breaking Misconceptions: User Files Aren’t a Security Risk

C-level execs are often under the impression that the data on user machines is menial and inconsequential if lost, while their machines alongside possibly management machines contain the crucial data.

The impact of just one user losing data can be massive. User machines carry data that we may not initially see as ‘mission critical’: Client information, internal documents and data, staff personal files, company strategy and confidential data. This machine can also provide access to company networks and knowledge bases.

While the immediate and obvious effects of data loss can be devastating to a business, there are multiple knock-on effects that cost money and waste time.

Not only does ineffective data management  not help the business when desktops and notebooks are lost, stolen, corrupted or destroyed (along with the data stored on it) but it wastes the organization’s existing storage infrastructure.

The business of protecting, transferring and recovering data should not be a complex mess that keeps your critical IT resource away from concentrating on their core duties. Data loss not only severely damages a company’s ability to trade, affecting its bottom line – but, should information about the data breach be leaked it can also impact on the reputation of the business.

5 Data Security Considerations That Could Save Your Business

1. Are our data backups automated?

It’s vital that user data backups are automated and happen without the requirement for user intervention.
A centrally managed software solution allows you to decide what data is backed up, and ensures that backups happen automatically in the background. This not only prevents data loss, it gives you increased control over your infrastructure and prevents wasted storage and bandwidth.

2. Do we have granular control over backup policies, and can we customise different policies for different user groups?

3. Are we reducing bandwidth & storage wastage and costs and optimising our infrastructure?

4. Can we report centrally on all backups and restores, and do we have the ability to quickly assess our overall data protection rating?

5. Have we selected a solution that allows us multiple operational benefits such as faster and easier data migration?

Cibecs is the simplest and most secure user data protection software for business. Download a 30 Day Trial now and ensure that your business data is effectively backed up and protected.