What You Might Not Know When Making a Cloud Backup Decision

Availability

M sure your data is available whenever you need it. A vendor’s uptime depends on its tier and the technology in place is what really counts — higher tiers offer pre-emptive features like redundancy (for instance, backups of backups) and industry-standard equipment to protect data. To better understand, Tier 1 services are essentially server rooms that host data backups, whereas Tier 4 offers advanced power capabilities and temperature control (such as heating and HVAC systems) to reduce the chances of downtime and ensure the optimum level of availability.

Disaster Plan

Vendors can make all the uptime guarantees they want, but the reality is that unforeseen events, such as cyberattacks and natural disasters, can shut down servers and render your data inaccessible. While downtime is not always preventable, what’s important is to make sure the cloud data backup you choose provides an effective and efficient disaster-recovery plan to get you back online ASAP. This can mean anything from multilocation backups to cyberattack mitigation.

Backup frequency

You’re working on files and updating information all day, so you need the peace of mind that the latest versions are always backed up. You need to know the frequency at which your data is backed up to the cloud and how it’s done. Vendors’ backup practices vary widely, so some are more suitable for your type of business than others.

Privacy and Compliance

Your customers’ privacy is a top priority. The cloud data backup provider you choose should offer regulatory compliance to ensure the highest level of protection, such as the Payment Card Industry (PCI) standard, to protect financial information. And if you deal with particularly sensitive data, the provider should also be compliant with specific industry regulations.

Terms & Conditions

As with any other vendor, make sure you read the fine print to completely understand your terms of service and to avoid any unpleasant surprises down the road. Look for things like service limits, contract terms and whether a vendor lock-in is required. Vendor lock-ins will make it very difficult to move to a different vendor once your business outgrows current services.