WHY SHOULD BACKUPS BE A FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENT OF EVERY COMPANY'S IT-SECURITY STRATEGY?

In the face of constantly changing cyber threats and attacks, many companies are becoming increasingly concerned about vulnerabilities in their IT security. The fear of operational downtime and reputational damage as a result of data loss is prompting companies to rethink and upgrade their IT security strategy.

In order to efficiently and easily secure attack points, it is necessary to rethink data security. In future, it will be important to pursue a data-centric security approach in which the essentials - the data itself - are protected. On the one hand, this includes consistent encryption of all sensitive data before it is transferred to the cloud. On the other hand, it is important to ensure data availability with the help of regular backups so that data can be restored quickly after failures or cyberattacks.

Effectively functioning backup processes are essential for every organization. Only those who have already put effort into a robust data strategy before an emergency will be able to maintain the integrity and availability of data under all conditions. In summary, backups bring enormous benefits for companies and should therefore be an essential part of IT security.

If that's not enough, companies are even obliged under Art. 32 Para. 1c of the GDPR to back up their personal data regularly, completely and in compliance with the GDPR so that they can restore it from the backup at any time.

WHAT MAKES A DATA BACKUP SO INDISPENSABLE?

The need for data protection is not only driven by environmental factors and cybercrime, but also by new business and legal requirements. More and more IT managers and board members are paying more attention to data backup and its benefits.

And rightly so, as a global survey of IT leaders for IDC's Worldwide State of Data Protection and DR Survey 2021 revealed: 95 percent of the companies surveyed were victims of ransomware or malware attacks in 2021, a staggering 80 percent suffered a loss of data in the process, and 43 percent were unable to recover the lost data.

Have you ever suffered a data loss? It's a devastating feeling to lose important company data and even more frustrating to know that you won't be able to recover it. If the realization that data backup needs to be an important part of your IT security strategy only comes after a cyber attack or flood, it's already far too late. IT professionals know that they need to invest in protecting data assets so that they can look forward to a cyber-resilient future.

The purpose of a backup is to create a copy of data in the event that the primary data is no longer available. There are various ways in which unforeseen data loss can occur:

• Cyber attacks (icluding ransomware)
• Theft
• Deliberate destruction
• Human error
• Technical defects
• Natural disasters

However, it is important to note that a single copy of a file is not sufficient as a backup. Instead, a complete backup should at least follow the tried-and-tested 3-2-1 rule. This states that three data sets should be stored in two different locations, one of which must be securely stored externally (e.g. in the cloud).

Adhering to this rule in conjunction with a stable data backup solution offers companies the certainty of being able to restore important data promptly in the event of unexpected failures. In this way, you contribute to business continuity and keep your company afloat in crucial times.

BUT WHY IS BACKUP AT ENDPOINT-LEVEL SO IMPORTANT?

The comprehensive security of end devices such as work computers, notebooks and tablets is at least as important as the security of complex IT infrastructures. This is because user devices are more likely to be damaged by fire, water or other external influences. End devices are also often a popular target for hackers, are stolen in break-ins or destroyed in unintentional accidents. There is probably data on every computer that is so valuable that it must not be lost. With the new remote working models due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many employees are accessing sensitive documents from anywhere and around the clock. Important concepts, presentations in progress, other files and personal data are often stored locally on laptops and other mobile devices. All too often, such documents fall victim to data loss before they find their way to the company server or NAS.

Endpoint backup is precisely about preventing such data loss from end devices. Employees' work results are backed up regularly to prevent them from being lost.

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF BACKING UP DATA WITH EPERI'S SECURE ENDPOINT BACKUP IN ONEDRIVE?

With the eperi Secure Endpoint Backup, you automatically back up your encrypted data on your end devices to OneDrive via real-time synchronization.

By doing so, you protect the confidentiality of your data with the renowned high security of the eperi Gateway and at the same time ensure high availability of the information through Microsoft's own Windows and OneDrive technologies.

The following advantages come with our innovative data backup solution:

☑️ Simple and automated: OS-integrated Endpoint Backup with real-time synchronization
☑️ High data security through encryption with the eperi Gateway before data is stored in OneDrive
☑️ Cost-effective through use of the OneDrive storage space (1 TB) integrated in every M365 Business license
☑️ Flexibly scalable in terms of number of endpoints and size of storage space
☑️ Full control over Data Security: key and encryption process reside with the customer
☑️ High availability: High standard in terms of hardware availability due to the storage at Microsoft
☑️ Versioning of files: Edited files are saved in OneDrive as new versions
☑️ Protection against ransomware: In the event of a cyberattack, previous, unaffected file versions can be restored
☑️ Restoration of deleted files: Despite real-time synchronization, deleted files are not lost but can be restored
☑️ Easy to configure: No additional software required on the end devices
☑️ Work offline: No problem. As soon as you are back online, all your changes are synchronized automatically
☑️ Mobility/location independence: Backup at any time and from anywhere. You don't have to be on site at the company

BACKUP IN ONEDRIVE - IS IT REALLY SAFE?

Many companies are critical of the storage of sensitive data in M365 cloud applications because Microsoft's integrated cloud security measures are not sufficient. According to a recent study, 59 percent of the companies surveyed see a need to strengthen the native security functions with additional solutions. The use of the eperi gateway to encrypt data before it is stored in OneDrive strengthens the security functions in this way.

In this way, you are fully compliant and meet your backup obligation in accordance with Art. 32 para. 1c of the GDPR, which requires a regular, complete and GDPR-compliant backup of all personal data. Thanks to encryption, there is also no security risk due to the storage of personal data in the Microsoft Cloud.