Data backup in the company: 12 backup tips for your IT security

Data backup according to the protection goals of information security

To ensure that data, in other words information, is really secure, you should fulfil the so-called "protection goals of information security".

Important information must be protected because it is a particularly valuable resource for companies. In order to fulfil this need for protection, companies should be guided by the so-called protection goals of information security.

What are the protection goals of information security?

The protection goals of information security are, so to speak, principles that are used to protect the company's data from misuse, loss or damage in order to protect the company itself. The most important protection goals of information security are confidentiality, integrity and availability.

The first protection goal of information security: confidentiality

As the name of this protection objective describes, confidential data should only be made accessible to persons who need the data for their work and to whom you can entrust it.

Persons other than authorised, entitled persons must not have access to your business-critical data, sensitive data or customer data.

You can achieve this by encrypting the data or using access controls.

Second protection goal of information security: integrity

This protection objective refers to ensuring that data remains correct and unchanged – in other words, that it is also protected against modification or damage by unauthorised persons. This goal can also be achieved through access controls, encryption and data backups.

Third protection goal of information security: availability

Of course, your company's data only fulfils its purpose if it is available – in other words, if it is made accessible to authorised persons. To ensure availability, data and systems must be protected against failure and loss – for example due to environmental influences or cybercrime. This can be achieved through redundant systems, emergency plans and protection against cyberattacks.

If these protection goals are met, this not only serves to ensure business continuity, but also promotes the trust of customers and other involved parties. Negative legal consequences can also be prevented as a result.

Backup security: How to make your data backup secure

To ensure that your backup – the security measure among security measures – fulfils these objectives and at the same time pays off, it should meet various security criteria. Here is a selection of the most important points that you should definitely check before you sit back and relax when it comes to backups.

• 1

  Backup data should be stored redundantly – ideally at several geographically distributed locations to avoid failures due to disasters or hardware failures.
• 2

  Implementing different backup methods such as full, differential and incremental backups can increase the efficiency of your data backup and improve recovery time. It is important to consider the specific requirements of your organisation.
• 3

  The integration of your backup systems into a secure network reduces the risk of cyberattacks and data leaks, which protects the integrity of your business data and the reputation of your company.
• 4

  Awell thought-out backup plan that defines the frequency of backups, retention periods and recovery goals is essential. The individual requirements of your company must also be taken into account here.
• 5

  The backup processes should be largely automated to minimise human errors and ensure that backups are actually created successfully on a regular basis.
• 6

  The successful execution of your backups must be checked regularly. It is no good if you trust your backup – but it is not created at the desired intervals.
• 7

  There should be a clear disaster recovery plan in place that is regularly tested to ensure that data can be recovered quickly in the event of an emergency. This is critical to maintaining your business continuity.
• 8

  The backup system should comply with applicable legal requirements and industry-specific regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
• 9

  The physical security of backup storage locations is just as important as the security of the data itself. This includes protection against theft, fire, water and other potential dangers. Backup storage locations should therefore be secure and protected against unauthorised access.
• 10

  Regularly updating your backup systems minimises the risk of security vulnerabilities and increases resistance to cyber attacks, which improves the reliability of your data recovery.
• 11

  By restricting access to backup data to authorised users, you minimise the risk of data misuse or unauthorised access, thereby maintaining the integrity of your business data.
• 12

  Employees should be regularly trained and made aware of the best security practices when handling backup data. This can help to reduce human errors and increase the security of backup systems.

Do you need support in implementing a secure backup strategy? Then simply contact us. We will work with you to find the best backup solution for you.