I know I know, after a while, I start to sound like a broken recorder – going on and on about the need to backup your files and company’s data. And yes, I know that it is without a doubt that you have already made a backup copy of all your files that are residing on your computers and servers.
But with much of your company’s data now loaded in cloud productivity platforms such as Microsoft 365, the problem is that many businesses haven’t included these in their backup platforms. These businesses often have a false sense of security that any data on the cloud is somehow backed up somewhere out there automatically. But that’s simply not the case! In fact, according to a research, 32% of companies have actually lost data from a cloud application.
Hence, here are some reasons why it is important to have a backup solution for your Software as a Service (SaaS) applications:
Minimizes Downtime Costs
One of the most important features of any backup and recovery system is the ability to quickly restore lost or corrupted files. The longer a business is down trying to recover files, the more it’s costing them. In fact, 45% of Singapore businesses have experienced unplanned downtime within the last year, and the average cost is $463,000 per incident. Therefore, investing in a SaaS protection plan that can quickly restore files like emails, documents, and even conversations in messaging programs is key to minimize downtime costs.
Files in SaaS Platforms Can Be Deleted or Overwritten
We are all human. We all make mistakes here. And this is where human error comes into play, which is the problem over here. Users can accidentally delete or overwrite files in cloud platforms. This is because such files in cloud storage apps like OneDrive are live files, they’re meant to be updated so users can always have access to the most current copy. Unfortunately, this leaves them at risk of accidents, and files can be lost forever due to a user error if they’re not backed up separately in a SaaS backup tool.
Maintain Control of Your Data, Even in Outages
One problem with relying completely on a SaaS service is that they inevitably have outages (touch wood). What this means is that you can be without critical data that you may need for an unknown period of time. Therefore, it is critical to back up your files outside the SaaS service. So even if there is an outage or any type of hardware error by the provider, you have a complete copy of all your vital data.
Syncing Issues Can Cause Data Loss
Cloud storage in apps like OneDrive is designed to sync with your computer and serve up “live” files that are always the latest version. But this is not the same as a file backup, which takes a snapshot of files in time. Because here’s the thing. When you are syncing files between your computer and a cloud storage account, a hardware issue or internet problem can cause syncing issues that can cause your cloud storage to not capture recent updates. Files can also accidentally be deleted if you have a hard drive crash and syncing isn’t handled correctly. Imagine that!
Protection from Ransomware Attacks
Ransomware doesn’t only attack on-premises data, it can also corrupt data stored in cloud tools. This means that if you don’t have a backup of your data, you may end up having to roll the dice and pay the ransomware attacker, hoping they’ll give you back access to your data (almost like what Injae’s Company in StartUp had to do when it was attacked by a Ransomware attack remember? So digressing a bit here, but are y’all team Dosan or team Han Jipyeong?). Therefore, backing up your SaaS platforms in a cloud account backup program ensures business continuity and IT security and keeps you protected from ransomware and other malware that can infect cloud storage.
Cloud Services Have Differing Data Retention Policies
Depending upon where you store your data in a SaaS platform, a different data retention policy may apply. This means that you may end up losing historical data that you need for legal or archive purposes if you’re unaware of a data retention deadline for emails or deleted accounts. On the other hand, when you backup your data separately, you have full control over how long you keep it and don’t have to worry about data being purged from a cloud system without you realizing it.
Want to invest in a backup solution for your Software as a Service (SaaS) applications? Click the green button below to contact us today!
eVantage Technology is a professional and trusted IT solutions provider, dedicated to providing exceptional service to companies in Singapore and across Asia.