Disk failure, human error, ransomware, fire or even a prolonged power outage: any of these can make years of an organization's data inaccessible in an instant. Organizations that come through such incidents unscathed have usually planned ahead.
The 3-2-1 Rule
Keep three copies of your data: the original and two backups.
Keep copies on two different types of media, for example network storage and tape or a separate disk.
Keep one copy off-site, in another building or in a secure cloud.
Many experts today add another rule: keep one offline or immutable copy so ransomware cannot encrypt it.
Two Key Numbers: RPO and RTO
RPO states the maximum amount of data the organization can afford to lose, for example one hour or one day of data. RTO states the maximum time within which a service must be restored. These two numbers differ for each system and determine how often and with what tools backups are performed.
Recovery Testing
A backup whose restoration has never been tested is only a hope. Regularly restore a server or database in a test environment and measure the time. Many problems, such as incomplete copies or forgotten passwords, are revealed only in these tests.
Disaster Recovery Plan
A written plan specifies who does what on the day of a crisis, which services take priority, where supplier contact details are kept, and how the necessary passwords are made available. The plan must be simple, up to date and accessible to the team, even when the primary network is down.
Modern Shabakeh Partak designs backup solutions, data replication, and disaster recovery plans tailored to each organization's RPO and RTO.
