Process not Panic: 5 data recovery steps to maintain your business’s credibility

More so now than ever, cyber attacks and the data recovery steps that follow them are an inevitable part of running a business. No matter how big or small your business is, a foolproof security strategy and an efficient data recovery solution to get your systems back on track must become second nature to the way your organisation is run.

With the right planning and preventative measures, you can make your data recovery process fast and efficient, meaning your business will suffer less downtime and less lost information. If the worst happens and you suffer a data breach or loss, you need to make sure your data recovery program can restore your services quickly, with as little disruption as possible.

Step One: Backup your files with a consistent data recovery strategy

With modern EU data regulations, it is more necessary than ever for your clients’ data to remain secure – so it’s key for your data recovery process to focus on your clients’ information. Make sure that even in an emergency situation, your data isn’t lost for good by backing up your information to at least two secure data recovery storage locations. One of the most effective ways to do this is by backing up your entire servers, which will dramatically improve your data recovery time from days to hours. Having a backup program with a solid data recovery strategy will also secure your peace of mind. Once everything is backed up and has a data backup schedule which suits your business needs, you need to stress test that solution. Periodic testing of your backup and recovery systems is critical to success when the time comes to put it into practice for real.  It’s one thing to come under cyber attack, and another to lose your data for good – a reliable backup solution combining on and off site backups means your data recovery can happen quickly and securely, without causing you any further headaches.

Step Two: What’s your disaster recovery plan?

The best way to protect your business from cyber attacks and ensure your data recovery is on track is to have a solution in place that stops attackers from even reaching your IT systems in the first place. A disaster recovery system works to replicate your infrastructure so if your systems are breached, your business’s digital infrastructure can be back up and running as soon as possible. Crucially, all data associated with your infrastructure can be saved in this way. This means that as well as remaining GDPR compliant, your data recovery process will cover all bases, restoring any information affiliated with your business. By implementing both a backup and disaster recovery strategy, you can ensure your data recovery process is thorough and efficient.

As well as putting steps in place to protect your business’s systems before a breach can happen, it’s best to have a contingency plan with a clear focus on data recovery in place, in case disaster does strike. Once a data breach has occurred, your data recovery process will be vital in protecting both your clients’ data and your credibility in the marketplace.

Step Three: Assess the damage to your systems

The first thing to do in a data breach emergency is to assess both the extent of the damage, and exactly what data recovery processes need to take place in order to avoid any further systems becoming compromised. Advanced machine learning technologies like Sophos Intercept X use software that prevents known and unknown malware before they can interfere with your data recovery process, with the added benefit of tracking any abnormalities that are thrown up in your systems. Additionally, if your systems are compromised with ransomware, a modern and quality data backup solution can allow you to rollback the data to the last known stable point, before the attack. Data engineers can then go into the restored systems, locate the ransomware, and quarantine it as if it was never there. Using software like this as part of your data recovery solution means you can see exactly what has attacked your systems, and which part of your infrastructure has been targeted.

Step Four: Let your clients know that data recovery is taking place

One of the most important steps you can take to aid your data recovery is keeping your clients in the know about what’s happening to their data. Hopefully you’ll have a complex and robust Managed Encryption platform managing your data security. It’s absolutely best practice to have Managed Encryption in place. This not only protects your data, but keeps you from facing fines and bad press. Six months on from GDPR being enforced, organisations all over the world are learning that being transparent with their clients when a cyber attack happens is the best way to make the most of a bad situation. By keeping your clients informed about your data recovery process, you can show that you are both trustworthy and in control of the situation, making sure your reputation remains credible even when disaster strikes.

Step Five: Make sure your data recovery system is fully prepared for the next attack

Finally, having a well tested recovery solution, and learning from past breaches, means in the event that an attack happens again, your data recovery process is far less likely to be compromised. Unfortunately, cyber attacks are becoming more and more frequent. Whereas a few years ago there were around 1,000 new malicious programs or code registered every month, there are now approximately 40,000 new malicious programs or codes registered every day. If you can work out how one attack happened, you have a far better chance of protecting yourself from the next. Having a scalable data recovery process that grows with your business will allow you to track any gaps in your security, so that next time malware sets your business in its sights, you can minimise any potential damage, or head it off completely.

At CIS, we predict potential dangers before they can affect your business. From planning to scalable growth, we support you with every stage of your security and data recovery processes. Contact us for the knowledge that your data will always be in the safest of hands.