Backup Data Security is a very important part of maintaining data security. However, mismanaging these backups can lead to problems that you did not anticipate. Whether we are talking about business or personal data, backup data security is the key to ensure that your important data and/or personal information is not falling into the wrong hands. Below is a 10 point guide for Backup data security.
1. Security Policies for Backups
Whether it is physical security, system monitoring or access controls, security policies are the best way to ensure that your backups are safe. When dealing with business data, it is important to choose physical servers that are appropriate for the job. For instance, the NetApp storage solutions not only offer huge file space, great speeds, and other features, but they are some of the most secure data backup solutions on the market.
2. Disaster Recovery Plans
Data backups are a part of disaster recovery plans, but you should also include the possibility that those backups may get damaged or stolen. Whether it is a malware attack or a physical incident, these backups could become compromised. Sometimes a double backup is the best way to ensure your data is safe – even from the worst circumstances.
3. Software Access Rights
When your system is backed up, the right to access those files and related information should be kept in a small circle. Only those employees or tech workers who need access should be given the rights.
4. Controlling Physical Access
Data can be backed up on NAS servers, external hard drives, regular hard drives or other machines. No matter what your method of backup, ensure that the rooms where these machines are being kept are fully secure. Only allow certain, trustworthy individuals access to these rooms.
5. Fireproof Media-Related Safes
If you are very concerned about sensitive data being lost, a fireproof safe is a solid storage option. But you must choose a safe that is fireproof for media-related purposes because many media backup machines have lower burning points than your typical fireproof safe.
6. Password Protection
When someone is trying to access your backups physically or through a server, they should encounter passwords and two-factor authorization before they can see those files. Such security measures ensure that even if someone does steal or gain access to the physical backups, they cannot easily get into the system to access the files.
7. Backup Encryption
Passwords are great, and physically keeping the backups safe can help, but encryption is the only way to be 100 percent sure that your data will not get intercepted and accessed by a malicious third party or rogue employee. To protect your data either for backup or online data transferred between the browser and web server, Encryption is the perfect layer of defense. For online data transfer security, people are using SSL certificates as best security measure as it also transfers information by encrypting information.
8. Choose What to Backup, and Test Them
Having the right backup machines is great, but you must know what data to backup. Some backups may contain all your data, but your special backups should contain only the most sensitive and important company data so that it has an extra layer of protection in case of an emergency.
And when you set up those backups, make sure they are being regularly tested to ensure they work, and that data is being properly backed up over time.