Imagine the impact on your website if all your data were lost – not just the content, but your software, configuration files and user data. Unfortunately, this nightmare scenario happens to website owners every day, usually the result of a cyberattack, human error, software corruption or hardware failure. For some, the outcome is cataclysmic, their businesses are unable to recover quickly and go bust. Others, meanwhile, recover in no time and pick up where they left off. The difference between them is that the latter group have backups of their data and can restore their websites swiftly. It goes without saying, therefore, that making backups is a no-brainer. However, with manual backups being laborious and risky, the safest and most effective solution comes via the automated backups offered by web hosts. In this post, we examine the role of web hosting providers in backup solutions.
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Automated backup solutions
Essentially, an automated backup solution is a system designed to make copies of your website’s data at specified times, thus reducing the risk of server failures, hacking or accidental deletions causing data loss. For website owners, one of its primary features is that, once you’ve set up a backup schedule, there is nothing else you need to do – you can sit back and let the automation do the rest. As a result, without any manual input, the latest versions of your site will be stored safely should the worst ever happen, enabling you to restore your site quickly.
Other benefits of automation:10 Ways Online Companies Benefit From Marketing Automation
Frequency and retention policies
While automation offers convenience, the effectiveness of your backup strategy is largely determined by the frequency at which you make backups and your retention policy, i.e., how long you keep them. A good web hosting provider will let you customise these options to suit your needs. Some websites, especially those where new data is inputted frequently, might need multiple backups every day, others may only need a daily or weekly backup. Remember that it’s not only changes to your content or web design that signal the need for a backup, everything from new sales and new user registrations to plugin and security updates also need to be backed up too.
Equally important is how long you keep backups. While the most recent backup is always vital, if there have been hidden issues with your site that go back further in time, for example, a dormant virus, you may need an older backup to restore a fully functioning or clean version of your site. Keeping multiple versions gives you the flexibility to roll back to a specific point in time, should you need to. When choosing a solution, therefore, make sure there are options to take backups as often as needed and retain them for as long as you need.
Are your customer payments secure? Find out Why SSL Certificates are Vital for e-Commerce Security.
Data restoration and recovery process
The primary reason for making backups is so that if a data loss does happen, you can take quick and effective action to restore your website. A reliable host will ensure this can take place with minimal hassle and downtime. If you have the in-house expertise to carry out the process yourself, the backup will be available for you to access from your web hosting account’s user area. However, should you require help, the hosting provider’s technical support team can give assistance throughout the process or even do it for you. They will help you identify the most appropriate backup based on the incident and your needs and guide you through each step of the recovery.
Speed and efficiency are crucial during recovery to ensure your website is not offline for long. A web host should understand the urgency and respond swiftly.
Security measures in backup storage
As backups are of critical importance to business continuity, it’s vital that they are protected. Firstly, they should be restored remotely. This way, if the hardware or even the data centre where your website is hosted fails, the backup will still be available at another site. Access to your backups will also be restricted so that only those authorised can get to them. Additionally, to ensure that the data in the backups has not been corrupted and can be effectively used for restoration, each backup will be checked for integrity. If a backup fails this check, website owners should be notified immediately so they can resolve any issues.
To enhance security even further, your backups can also be encrypted in transit and at rest, preferably using military-grade AES-256 encryption. This means that even if someone were to gain unauthorised access to the backups, the information would remain unreadable without the proper decryption keys.
Additionally, the data centre where backups are stored will also be protected by both digital and physical security. From surveillance and biometric access controls to firewalls and intrusion protection, every threat will be covered.
Looking to enhance overall security? Read 10 Security Tips For eCommerce Websites
Customer support for backup concerns
Responsive and knowledgeable technical support is a must-have feature of any web hosting service and is especially needed during critical situations like data loss and recovery. Having a highly trained and experienced team dedicated to assisting you through restoration ensures the process can go ahead effectively, timely and with much less stress. Today, web hosts will also offer multiple channels through which you can access support, including live chat, email and phone, so that whatever your situation or location, help is at hand all day, every day.
Conclusion
When it comes to implementing an effective backup strategy for your website, a web hosting provider can play a vital role. Through the use of automation, they can eradicate the need to make manual backups, ensuring that copies are made at the right frequency and retained for the period you need them. They will then ringfence those backups, storing them remotely, limiting access, checking them for integrity and encrypting them, while also providing stringent security for the data centre in which they are physically housed. Importantly, should you require those backups to deal with a disaster, their expert support teams can be quickly accessed to assist you through the restoration process. Today, when businesses rely heavily on their data, remote backup solutions such as these can be the difference between survival and going under.
Ready to safeguard your website against the consequences of data loss? Choose eukhost Remote Backups and benefit from the convenience, automation, security and expert technical support mentioned above.
