No More Data Loss Nightmares: Unlock the Secrets of Reliable Backups

Is your data backup truly secure?

Let’s explore the gold-standard 3-2-1-1-0 backup rule—your blueprint for a failure-proof data recovery strategy. Data is the lifeblood of any business. Losing critical data can bring operations to a halt, compromise customer trust, and severely impact productivity and revenue. That’s why having a reliable backup system isn’t just optional—it’s essential.

At Ontrack Data Recovery, we’ve seen it all—unexpected hardware failures, external threats, and costly mistakes born out of misinformation or negligence. As your trusted data recovery partner, we believe in empowering businesses to safeguard their own data. With our experience as your guide, we’re here to introduce you to a backup method that’s not only efficient but also gives you peace of mind.

Table of contents

• Why are backups important and necessary?
• What are common causes of a data loss?
• Reasons for creating a data backup
• Backup requirements and critical questions
• How should you choose a backup strategy?
• Why are backups important and necessary?
• Why adopt the 3-2-1-1-0 backup strategy?
• Which media type is best for backups?
• How to Get Your Backup Plan Up and Running
• Essential tips to ensure success
• Nobody’s Perfect—But We’re Here to Help

Why are backups important and necessary?

Backups are essential for safeguarding your data against unforeseen disasters, such as hardware failures, cyberattacks, accidental deletions, or natural calamities. In today's digital age, where businesses and individuals rely heavily on data, losing critical information can lead to costly downtime, compromised trust, and even irreversible damage to operations. A robust backup strategy ensures you have a reliable safety net, enabling quick recovery and continuity in the face of data loss. Simply put, backups are not just a precaution; they are an indispensable element of resilience and security in an unpredictable world.

What are common causes of a data loss?

Here are some common scenarios that highlight the importance of having reliable backups:

1. Hardware Failures: A sudden hard drive crash or SSD failure can render important data inaccessible, especially without any prior warning.
2. Cyberattacks: Ransomware attacks can encrypt your data and hold it hostage until a ransom is paid. Without backups, recovery can be nearly impossible.
3. Accidental Deletion: It's all too easy for someone to delete critical files or databases unintentionally—and once they're gone, they may be gone for good.
4. Natural Disasters: Floods, fires, earthquakes, or storms can physically destroy computers, servers, and storage devices, leading to complete data loss.
5. Theft or Loss: Losing laptops, USB drives, or smartphones to theft or misplacement can result in lost access to crucial information.
6. Corrupted Files: Files can become corrupted due to software bugs, power outages, or improper saving, leaving them unusable.
7. Malicious Insiders: Employees or individuals with access to company systems might intentionally delete or sabotage data.
8. Outdated or Fragile Media: Data stored on older media like CDs, DVDs, or tape drives may become unreadable over time if not regularly updated or backed up.

These situations underscore the need for a solid backup plan to ensure data recovery and minimize downtime or losses!

Reasons for creating a data backup:

Data loss scenarios can have significant repercussions for businesses, often leading to both short-term disruptions and long-term challenges:

1. Operational Downtime: Without access to critical data, businesses may face interruptions in daily operations, delaying projects, orders, or services.
2. Revenue Loss: Downtime or compromised systems can directly result in financial losses, whether through halted sales, missed deadlines, or penalties.
3. Reputation Damage: Losing customer data or failing to deliver on time can erode trust and harm a business's reputation, making it harder to retain clients or attract new ones.
4. Regulatory Non-Compliance: Many industries require strict data protection and backup protocols. Data loss might lead to violations of these regulations, resulting in hefty fines or legal actions.
5. Increased Costs: Recovering lost data, whether through professional recovery services or rebuilding the information from scratch, is often expensive and resource-intensive.
6. Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities: In cases like ransomware attacks, businesses may face extortion demands or need to invest in enhanced security measures to prevent future breaches.
7. Loss of Intellectual Property: Proprietary information, designs, or trade secrets could be permanently lost, hindering innovation and competitive advantage.
8. Employee Productivity Issues: Teams may struggle to work effectively without access to the files and tools they need, lowering overall productivity.

By recognizing these potential impacts, businesses can understand the vital role that proactive backup strategies play in mitigating risks and ensuring resilience.

Remember though - If your backup fails, you may still lose data

Some simple reasons why backups fail

Backups can fail for a variety of reasons, and understanding these issues can help you create a more reliable system. Here are some common causes:

1. Hardware Failures: Backup drives, servers, or storage devices can fail unexpectedly, leaving your backups incomplete or corrupted.
2. Human Error: Mistakes such as incorrect configurations, overwriting files, or forgetting to run backups can result in failure.
3. Insufficient Storage Space: If the destination storage runs out of space, the backup process may halt or fail without completing.
4. Outdated or Poor Backup Software: Using outdated software or tools with compatibility issues can cause errors during the backup process.
5. Network Issues: For cloud or network-based backups, poor connectivity, latency, or interruptions can disrupt data transfer.
6. Inconsistent Backup Schedules: Not adhering to a regular backup schedule increases the risk of missing critical files or changes.
7. Data Corruption: Files may become corrupted during the backup process, especially if the source or destination media is already compromised.
8. Ransomware and Malware: Some malicious software specifically targets backups, encrypting or deleting them to maximize damage.
9. Encryption Key Mismanagement: Insecure or lost encryption keys for encrypted backups can render the data unrecoverable.
10. Physical Damage: For local storage, backups can fail due to physical issues like fire, water damage, or accidental mishandling of hardware.

Identifying these potential failure points allows businesses and individuals to implement safeguards like redundancy, regular checks, and updated protocols to minimize risks.

Backup requirements

When preparing for an IT emergency, consider these critical questions:

• What is the maximum duration we can operate without access to IT systems?
• How can we maintain key processes and services, even with limited resources or unavailable assets?
• How long can we function effectively without communication or control systems?
• What level of data loss is acceptable for specific processes?
• Can we continue operations if customer or patient data becomes inaccessible?
• What steps can ensure data integrity during a crisis?

How should you choose a backup strategy?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer—it largely depends on factors like the responses to the previous questions, the size and structure of your organization, and the unique requirements of the data you handle. Options range from automatically backing up customer data from mobile devices to performing full, incremental, or differential backups on your servers. While every software solution varies, plenty of resources and experts are available to guide you. The key is to take that first step: establish clear rules, implement a backup plan, and test it regularly to ensure reliability.

The 3-2-1-1-0 backup rule

is a widely recommended approach to ensure reliable and fail-safe data backups. Here's what it entails and how it helps protect against data loss:

3 Copies of Data: Maintain three copies of your data—one primary copy and two backups. This ensures redundancy and reduces the risk of losing all copies simultaneously.

2 Different Storage Media: Store your backups on two different types of media (e.g., an external hard drive and cloud storage). Using diverse media minimizes the risk of simultaneous failures due to vulnerabilities in a single storage type.

1 Off-Site Copy: Keep one of the backups stored off-site, away from your primary location. This protects your data from physical disasters, like fires or floods, that could affect all on-site copies.

1 Offline Copy: Have at least one backup that is offline (disconnected from the internet). This is essential to guard against ransomware or malware, which can corrupt or delete online backups.

0 Errors: Regularly test your backups to ensure zero errors in recovery. A backup is only valuable if it can be restored without issues when needed.

This method significantly reduces the chances of data loss by addressing multiple risk factors—physical damage, cyberattacks, accidental deletions, and corrupted backups. By following this rule, businesses and individuals can ensure that their critical data remains safe, accessible, and recoverable in almost any situation.

Why adopt the 3-2-1-1-0 backup strategy?

The principle of triple data storage significantly reduces the risk of total data loss. For example, if the failure probability of one hard drive is 1 in 100, the likelihood of two drives failing simultaneously drops to 1 in 10,000—and with three backups, the probability becomes as low as 1 in a million.

Using two distinct storage technologies, such as different types of media, adds another layer of protection. Devices manufactured in the same batch often have similar lifespans, much like how light bulbs in a home tend to fail around the same time. The same applies to RAID systems, where a second hard disk might fail soon after the first. Diversifying storage technologies helps mitigate this risk.

Storing at least one backup off-site is equally crucial. This ensures that a flood, fire, theft, or other disaster won't result in complete data loss. An off-site backup can be as simple as placing it in a bank safe, a branch office, a private residence, or with a trusted friend—an inexpensive step that could save your business in a crisis.

Finally, additional measures like time-blocked backups (hardened repositories) offer further protection against threats, enhancing the overall reliability of your backup strategy.

Which media type is best for backups?

Some storage options are less suitable for long-term backups. DVDs, for instance, have limited storage capacity and are vulnerable to damage from heat and light as well as manufacturing changes to drives which may render the DVD obsolete. Similarly, USB sticks may use lower-quality chips, making them prone to data loss or corruption. USB sticks and other flash media also requires constant repowering to maintain cell integrity.

Hard disk drives (HDDs) remain a reliable choice for backups, as they offer easier data recovery compared to flash-based memory like SSDs or USB drives. External hard drives are an affordable and proven solution for storing large datasets or virtual machine images. Just remember to encrypt your data for security—pre-encrypted drives can simplify this process.

If managing multiple drives feels cumbersome, a network-attached storage (NAS) device might be a better option. NAS provides centralized file sharing across a network and typically consists of multiple HDDs in a RAID configuration, offering resilience and convenience. Popular NAS vendors include Dell, NetApp, Synology, QNAP, and Western Digital. However, NAS devices stored on-site remain vulnerable to risks like fire or flooding, so always maintain an off-site backup.

In business settings, magnetic tape storage is still widely used. Tapes are inexpensive, durable (lasting up to 30 years), and ideal for storing large volumes of data. However, tape drives and related hardware can be costly, and handling tapes is less convenient than managing external drives. Regular readability checks should be part of your backup strategy.

Cloud storage offers an alternative that eliminates the need for physical hardware. Cloud services are particularly appealing to small businesses due to their scalability and off-site convenience. While there are recurring fees for cloud storage, it removes costs for equipment and infrastructure. Consider solutions designed for businesses, such as CrashPlan, Veeam, Druva, Commvault, Veritas or Acronis. Be sure to thoroughly review contracts to avoid issues if you later switch providers.

How to Get Your Backup Plan Up and Running

Ontrack Data Recovery experts have witnessed countless instances of data loss caused by flawed or outdated backup practices. Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) often believe they have reliable backups, only to discover that their last backup was conducted far too long ago.

To start fresh, treat this seriously: Take stock of the data generated across your business processes and collaborate with an experienced IT professional to draft a comprehensive plan. It may feel challenging at first, but persistence is key. A backup plan is only effective when it’s properly implemented.

Consider potential failure scenarios and establish a realistic timeline for data restoration. Evaluate how long your operations can function without specific data, and ensure essential personnel are familiar with your systems through regular reviews. Testing your backup and recovery procedures is crucial for maintaining reliability. Additionally, adopt a data protection policy that encompasses the entire lifecycle of your data—from creation and usage to storage and secure disposal. Be mindful of legal requirements for data retention and deletion.

Here are some essential tips to ensure success:

• Invest time in choosing a robust backup solution and developing your plan.
• Determine the ideal backup interval to meet your needs (long intervals risk outdated data).
• Schedule backups to run regularly and monitor reports for errors or failures.
• Test your hardware, backup software, and stored data at least quarterly to confirm integrity and functionality.
• Map your data accurately and maintain its security using encryption.

By following these guidelines and committing to consistent testing and refinement, you can ensure your backups are reliable and your data remains secure.

Nobody’s Perfect—But We’re Here to Help

Lost access to your backup? Or found out too late that your backup didn’t work? Don’t panic—there’s still hope!

At Ontrack, we’ve helped countless customers recover data from “lost” or failed backups. Before making any hasty decisions, take a breath and reach out to a professional data recovery expert like us. We’re here to guide you and give your data the best chance of recovery.

Ontrack Data Recovery specializes in helping customers recover lost data from backups, no matter the situation. With expertise build since 1985, they offer tailored solutions for individuals, small businesses, enterprises, and even government organizations. Their services include:

• Comprehensive Data Recovery: Ontrack can recover data from a wide range of storage devices, including hard drives, SSDs, RAID systems, magnetic tapes, and cloud storage. They handle everything from accidental deletions to hardware failures and even ransomware attacks.
• Advanced Technology: Leveraging cutting-edge tools and techniques, Ontrack’s engineers can address complex data loss scenarios, ensuring the highest chances of recovery.
• Custom Solutions: For unique or challenging cases, Ontrack provides custom recovery options, including in-lab, remote, or on-site services, depending on the urgency and complexity of the situation.

• Secure and Transparent Process: Ontrack prioritizes data security and offers a transparent recovery process, including a free evaluation to determine what can be recovered before proceeding.

Their expertise and state-of-the-art facilities make them a trusted partner for recovering data from failed or inaccessible backups.

Interesting reads:

Back Up for Eternity - Part 1

Back Up for Eternity - Part 2

Back Up for Eternity - Part 3

To learn more about our services, visit:

Ontrack 

Here are some real-world examples of how we’ve successfully rescued customer data:

• VMware Cyber Attack:
  Ransomware cyber attack on a 110 TB NAS with 64 HDDs system with a factory reset of the configuration and the backup files of virtual machines. Complete description of the Ontrack recovery process. Restoration of all VMware VMDK and Snapshot files.
  
  
• Cyber Attack - Tape Backups: 
  An international manufacturing company and supplier for airport transportation was hit by a cyberattack. Following their IT guidelines, the company was AIR GAPPING their tape backups on a regular basis. Unfortunately, the restoration of the virtual backup from tape failed and they quickly detected that some tapes were missing. The tapes were found left in the tape library being quick formatted.
  
  
• Cyber Attack - Microsoft SQL Recovery: 
  A leading high tech incubator construction company suffered from a ransomware cyberattack. The attack was quickly detected and the customer shut down their systems immediately, but their systems and backup had already been compromised. Recovery of a very important MS SQL database from virtual backups stored on a QNAP NAS. 
  
  
• Water Damaged Tapes: 
  A leading pharmaceutical company, needed data management expertise when over 5100 tapes were found in a basement partially flooded by fire sprinklers. No one knew what was on the tapes, and the data dates back to 1996 when the company in question had not yet been acquired by the pharmaceutical company.
  
  
• The school district containing 165 schools was shut down by a Ryuk ransomware attack that affected its entire network. The attack was detected and interrupted, but a large portion of their systems had already been impacted. The client needed to recover important data from their storage system that contained 61TB of Commvault backups.
  
  
• Consolidation of 100.000 tapes to Microsoft's Azure Cloud:
  As part of an IT services consolidation process, the customer decided to move from data centers managed by an MSP to Microsoft's Azure Cloud. To achieve this goal, the company sought an easy-to-use and cost-effective solution for all legacy backup data from multiple servers, created with different backup programs on more than 100,000 tapes.
  The customer's tapes had to be able to withstand a long storage period and included file formats from the last three decades. The backup tape types include DAT, DDS, DLT, and LTO, and the backup software used also varied. In addition, IBM TSM, ArcServe, and HP DataProtector were all used to write data onto the tapes
  
  
• Server room hit by spring flash flood
  A early spring flash flood in Germany permeated the walls of a server room in a hobby and art supplies store, severely affecting the IT system. Vast amounts of water flooded into the server room affecting two Dell devices: A SAN with 96 hard drives and a RAID 10 backup server with 12 hard drives.
• 
  A ransomware attack of a company server encrypted the Microsoft Dynamics 365 data and demanded payment. Recent backups of the server were stored on multiple LTO-6 backup tapes, which had been erased by the malware.