Before, all data is stored only in one place – the employee’s computer. There used to be no backup system in place, especially when it comes to small and medium-sized enterprises. Now, raise your hand if you had your work computer broken down on you at least once. It is an inevitable holdup when it comes to any organization. Once or twice, I had to make do with a spare computer just to continue doing my tasks.
The problem, however, is that the spare computer does not contain all the files I need to get the job done. The worst case scenario is my computer ceasing to function completely and losing all its data. One of the steps we can take to add a layer of protection to our database is having a cloud system in place.
Dangers of losing your data
Back then, few would rely on external hard drives to make backup copies of their files. This method may be time-consuming though, especially when you are copying files with a huge file size. It’s also manual labor that is prone to inconsistency, even if one set a schedule to back up files frequently. The external drives could also be misplaced if not properly stored.
Another difficulty with protecting data is when there’s a ransomware attack that prevents from accessing data. Organizations are forced to pay the ransom just to get back the data being ransomed. According to Statista, 493.33 million ransomware attacks were recorded last year. IBM also conducted its own research and found the US averaged a cost of $9.44 million due to data breaches. While the number had decreased from 2021, losing files to threats like this remains a concern for most organizations.
According to Statista, India has highest number of users attacked with ransomware #cybercrime #cyberattacks #Ransomware #CyberSecurity pic.twitter.com/23rrz00pXU
— Digiward Solutions (@dwsolglob) March 22, 2017
Uploading data on cloud servers
Nowadays, uploading data on the cloud server is a mainstay when protecting one’s data. By doing so, the data remains intact online and can be accessed with a simple log-in, as you would any social media platform or web-based email service. A quick Google search would yield you results of cloud services to choose from depending on your preferences. Now this is a more convenient approach to secure data and make sure there is a backup copy. With ways available to secure our database in this age, more companies are adopting the cloud system. According to Gartner’s forecast, cloud services are expected to grow 21.7%, from $491 billion in 2022 to $597.3 billion in 2023.
Gartner finds that 85% of organizations are using multiple clouds within their org’s #infrastructure operations and the practice is not that uncommon. #GartnerDA #cloud pic.twitter.com/xbqEwT1R06
— Gartner (@Gartner_inc) March 21, 2023
Aside from having your computer data in the cloud as a backup, some cloud systems can also be used for collaboration with team members. Data can be shared with any chosen group, and video calls are also supported. The data syncs in real-time, so any change or update on your computer files will automatically be updated on the cloud account as well. The cloud backing-up system also proved to be useful during the pandemic, when everyone was working remotely from home and had no access to their work computers. Since the files are uploaded to the cloud, it is easy and convenient to access them with any computer, tablet, or even mobile phone.
Losing company data is a corporate nightmare with guaranteed repercussions. Aside from the added stress of not being able to access the files to do work, there is also the horror of possibly starting from scratch should the data never be recovered. This ultimately results in added costs for the business. While cloud services aren’t 100% guaranteed that your files will not be prone to cyberattacks, it is one way to ease the burden of data and company loss.
Photo credit: The feature image is symbolic and has been done by Christopher Isak with Midjourney for TechAcute.
Sources: Statista / IBM / Gartner
