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Evolving cyber threats, intense market competition, and the need for rapid scalability — managed service providers (MSPs) have got a lot on their plates. Moreover, managing complex, hybrid environments requires proactive and strategic service delivery.

Before you feel overwhelmed, know that there are ways to prepare for data loss and to implement it successfully. Let’s take a closer look at the common reasons organizations lose data and how you can ensure recovery:

Reasons Organizations Lose Data

Human error is the leading cause of data loss in organizations, with some estimates attributing up to 95% of breaches to a human element. In addition, there are numerous other reasons, including:

Cybersecurity attacks

Cybercriminals are more skilled than ever. They can steal sensitive data in a number of ways, including phishing emails, ransomware, malware, and viruses. For instance, a cybercriminal would send fraudulent emails or messages to employees, tricking them into sharing company passwords or financial data. 

Hardware failures

Your client could also lose important data due to hardware failures. A hard drive could crash due to age or wear and tear. Unexpected power outages can also cause hardware failures. 

Application incompatibility 

Many organizations use older software that cannot properly read or handle modern data formats. This can give cybercriminals access to their servers and databases, leading to data loss. 

Inadequate backup procedures

Backup is your client’s first line of defense against a security threat. A lack of backup procedures can lead to data loss. 

Ways to Protect Sensitive Data

As a managed service provider (MSP), you can take the following measures to ensure data recovery and prevent significant loss:

Conduct Business Impact Analysis (BIA)

First things first, conduct a Business Impact Analysis (BIA) of your client. It is a structured, systematic process that helps identify the potential consequences of disruptions to critical business operations. 

The aim is to understand which processes are most critical and how long they can be unavailable. Determine the following:

• Maximum Tolerable Downtime (MTD)
• Recovery Time Objective (RTO)
• Recovery Point Objective (RPO)

This information will then help with resource allocation and recovery planning.

Backup, Backup, and Backup

This can’t be emphasized enough. Robust backup is one of the most effective ways to prevent data loss for your client’s organization. Most MSPs follow the 3-2-1 rule, which involves making three copies of data on two different media, with one copy offsite.

Leverage BCDR Solutions

Another thing you can do is leverage backup and disaster recovery software. These integrated systems and tools are designed to ensure an organization can maintain essential operations and quickly recover data during and after operational disruptions, whether due to a cyberattack or hardware failure.

ConnectWise’s secure backup and disaster recovery (BDR) solution is one of the most comprehensive on the market.

Do Security Audits

Continuous monitoring is super important. You can use Remote Monitoring and Management tools to monitor backups 24/7 for failures or anomalies. The result? Immediate, proactive intervention.

Similarly, security audits are necessary to ensure continuous protection against data threats. 

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