Top Considerations for Cloud Backup and Disaster Recovery

Top Considerations for Cloud Backup and Disaster Recovery- Gone are the days when accessing an important file that was saved earlier was a daunting task. Cloud backup solutions have literally made life easy. Today, the corporate data centres are no longer filled with piles of expensive discs filled with information. Universal accessibility, improved flexibility and easy recovery of files and folders are now at an organisation's fingertips. Thanks to the cloud-based services. With the rise in the popularity of these solutions, educational institutions too are beginning to move on to the cloud. However, before you go for cloud backup for schools, you need to know about the top considerations to find a reliable service provider and make the most of the available cloud solutions.

The Service Level Agreement

The Service Level Agreement or the SLA lies at the core of any outsourcing agreement be it for cloud backup or any other service. Now, considering the SLA implies looking into each of the service-oriented conditions in details. When it comes to the cloud solutions, there are other things to take into account apart from the service-oriented aspects. For instance, you need to find out how quickly the service provider responds or the way they handle trouble tickets and so on. It is imperative to go through the fine print in the SLA to check if the offerings address your business specific requirements. For that, you need to put down your expectations right before subscribing for the service. There is a little secret you should be aware of. If there is anything that is not written in the SLA, never take it for granted that it is covered without being mentioned.

Data Centre Facilities

No matter how important and effective cloud solutions are for your school, there is no denying that it entails a considerable investment. So, it is advisable that you visit the service provider's physical data centres to get some valuable information about the company's standard practices when it comes to protecting client's data. Simple things like whether the servers are behind the data centregates help you discover a lot of things. Furthermore, if your wireless network is to be backed up, make sure you have protocols in place to allow a bare-metal restoration of a device on the network.

Cloud Backup Compliance

The data that you are storing on the cloud is subject to Government or industry data security regulations. Consequently, the data centres too are required to meet certain appropriate requirements. Remember in this regard that Personally Identifiable Information (PII) related to employees' or customer's health is stored in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) complaint clouds. Credit card data is stored in the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCO DSS)complaint clouds.

Cloud Security

Security is the most important reason why people store data on the cloud. For robust security standards to be implemented and maintained, your data should be encrypted at no less than 256-bit AES Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) before it moves from your network. This is the best possible way to protect the data when it is in transit. The encryption keys should be kept by the client. The BaaS or DraaS providers should not have the ability to decrypt any data stored on the servers. It is for this very reason that strong passwords are also created.

Just as data backup in the cloud keeps you anxiety-free about the loss or recovery of data, the above considerations take you a step ahead. With the right professional guidance in the process, you are able to make strategic investments on the cloud technology and direct the IT resources to other necessary areas.