Understand The Data You Are Protecting

April 9, 2015

Did you know that 113 phones are lost or stolen every minute? What about the fact that 1 in 10 computers are infected with a virus every month?Thanks to World Backup Day (held recently on March 31), an independent initiative that was started in 2011, awareness is being raised about shocking statistics like this to help people protect themselves accordingly, through backup and data preservation. While it has become second nature for most businesses these days to back up their corporate data, there is still a significant number of organizations that don’t have formal infrastructure for backing up their data. This can be for multiple reasons – insufficient funds, shortage of manpower, or simply a lack of knowledge. Fortunately the World Backup Day initiative is helping people understand the importance of backing up their data and how it can be done both effectively and affordably.Ultimately the more we innovate, the more data we create, and it is important to protect those assets. By raising awareness for both consumers and businesses alike, we will be better equipped to move forward in this digital age. Whether you are simply concerned about disaster recovery or you are protecting against hackers and security breaches, understanding your data is vital to properly protecting it.I like to classify data into three distinct categories:Red DataRed data consists of the files that are extremely sensitive and must stay behind your corporate firewall and cannot pass through the cloud. PHI data, ITAR compliance data, financials, or even employee records are considered extremely sensitive. In addition, there are many industries which have stringent compliance and regulation. You should look to back up these types of files in on-premises storage devices like NetApp, NETGEAR, Synology, etc.Yellow DataYellow data consists of files that have limitations within your organization due to issues such as large file size or Internet connectivity issues. These can be large audio or video files, CAD drawings, and 3D images. For these files there are likely several people working on them simultaneously, requiring the primary access to be local with a copy in the cloud for remote access to share with business partners or cross-site replication. This is a hybrid style of back up that protects your data and provides more agility at the same time, utilizing both cloud and on-premises storage.Green DataGreen data consists of files that can be easily stored in the cloud and accessed by any device and from any location, enabling seamless collaboration among distributed teams. The beauty of green data is that it is much easier to back up and more affordable as cloud storage prices have become a commodity. There are a number of cloud vendors that can serve as great resources for backing up your green data.Understanding what kind of data your organization has and how it is being utilized is the first step for creating the right back up solution. Once you can create an organizational structure for your data like the red, yellow, and green example above, you can then begin to seek out the proper vendors for your individual needs. Remember, not all files are created equally and they should be treated accordingly.Thousands of companies all over the world participated in World Backup Day this year, including my own, and I strongly urge you to join in this positive movement each year to raise awareness for our future protection in the digital age!