Evaluating the Best Backup Services

Think for a minute about how much your business works with and relies on data all day, every day. From CRMs to work management and productivity platforms, there is critical information flowing through all of these systems. Now imagine some or all of it was corrupted, hacked or altogether lost with no way to recover. In certain situations that could be the end of your business – and these occurrences are not uncommon. 

You read and hear about the most sophisticated companies in the world experiencing data breaches regularly. And even if you’re company is not a major target like Disney or AT&T, you’re data is still at risk. Whether it’s hardware or software failure, human error or malicious intent, natural disaster or cyberattack – there are a lot of ways your business can lose critical data. 

And that’s why finding the best backup services for your business should be your next investment if you aren’t confident in your current system. 

Having helped protect thousands of businesses and being recognized by Global InfoSec Awards as a leader in data security, we wanted to share our expertise and experience when it comes to deciding what the best backup services might be for your business. 

We’ll discuss key features including security, storage and retention policies, automation, integrations, scalability, support, cost, and more. Ideally, you put together your own requirements checklist that outlines what you know your organization needs, what you uncover in this article as well as any other research and advice you receive. 

Backup Services Security Measures

Make sure any backup service you select offers advanced security measures to protect critical business data. They should use data encryption, applied both in transit and at rest using strong encryption e.g. AES-256-bit encryption. This method is widely recognized for its strength and reliability, ensuring that data remains secure during transfer and stored in backup systems.

Look for a service that has OAuth 2.0 authentication so only authorized users can access your accounts. OAuth 2.0 is a modern and secure protocol used by many organizations to ensure secure access and control.

Make sure any backup service you’re evaluating adheres to regulations like GDPR and HIPAA, which are critical for businesses handling confidential personal and health-related data. 

Check that they offer granular access controls so administrators can set specific permissions for users making sure sensitive data is only accessible to those who need it. Lastly, check that they leverage audit logs to keep detailed records of all backup and restore activities, letting you monitor and review actions taken within the system. 

Overall, the best backup services should meet stringent data protection requirements, privacy, and security.

Evaluating Backup and Recovery Features 

For starters, you should look for a backup service that, at minimum, backs up data daily and automatically. An automated backup process reduces IT staff workloads and minimizes human error. Automated daily backups guarantee that all recent changes and additions to the data are protected so the most current information is always ready for recovery.

It should also have incremental backups which capture only changes made since the last backup. This will save time and storage space compared to traditional full backups that duplicate all data regardless of what’s changed. Incremental backups reduce the time of backup windows and lower storage costs by minimizing the amount of data transferred and stored daily.

Check for granular restoration capabilities as well, to easily restore individual files, emails, or entire accounts, providing flexibility and precision in data recovery. It should save multiple versions of files, allowing users to restore data from different points in time. Versioning is essential for recovering from various data loss situations, including accidental deletions, corrupt files, and ransomware attacks. Historical versions of your data let businesses choose the restoration point from any given point in time, ensuring minimal business disruption or loss of information.

How The Best Backup Services Handle Data Storage and Retention

When evaluating the storage method of your backup services, it all depends on the specific needs of the business. Consider data volume needs, regulatory requirements, your budget, and the need for remote access. Here are the 3 most common storage solutions:

Cloud-based storage is one of the most popular options, offering flexibility, scalability, and ease of access. Services like SpinBackup allow businesses to store vast amounts of data securely, with the ability to scale up as their storage needs grow. Cloud storage solutions typically include encryption, both at rest and in transit, which enhances data security like we mentioned previously. Moreover, they offer the convenience of remote access, allowing users to retrieve their files from anywhere with an internet connection. This makes cloud storage an excellent option for businesses with distributed teams or those needing to collaborate on projects in real-time.

On-prem storage is another viable option, particularly for organizations that require total control over their data. By keeping data storage within the physical confines of the company’s infrastructure, businesses can ensure that sensitive information is handled according to their internal policies and industry regulations. On-premises storage can also be more cost-effective in the long run for companies with extensive data storage needs. However, it requires a significant upfront investment in hardware and ongoing maintenance, making it less appealing to smaller businesses or those without dedicated IT staff.

Hybrid storage combines the aspects of cloud and on-premises storage, offering a balanced approach to data management. By leveraging both local and cloud-based storage, businesses can benefit from the speed and control of on-premises solutions while taking advantage of the scalability and flexibility of the cloud. Hybrid solutions are particularly beneficial for organizations with varying data sensitivity levels, where some data needs to be kept on-premises for security or compliance reasons, while less sensitive data can be stored in the cloud.

Integrated Backup Services

Another key consideration when finding the best backup service for your organization is its compatibility with the cloud platforms you use whether it’s Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Salesforce or others. Strong integration with these tools is essential for businesses that rely heavily on these applications for their daily operations. A backup service that integrates smoothly with your existing cloud environment ensures that your data is consistently protected without disrupting your workflow and simplifies the backup management.

Along with direct integration, look for API support and extensibility. Robust APIs allow businesses to customize their backup workflows to meet more technical and specific needs. Whether you need to automate certain processes, integrate with other enterprise applications, or build services on top of your backup solution, APIs give you that flexibility. It’s particularly valuable for organizations with complex data environments so you don’t have to solely on the backup service provider’s default settings.

Cross-platform data synchronization is also crucial for ensuring data consistency across different environments. In today’s multi-cloud and hybrid work environments, data often resides in various platforms and applications. A reliable backup service should synchronize this data across all your platforms, ensuring that changes made in one environment are reflected in others. This synchronization minimizes the risk of data discrepancies, which can lead to errors and inefficiencies. By maintaining consistent data across your entire ecosystem, cross-platform synchronization enhances the reliability and integrity of your backups. 

How Does the Service Scale?

Scalability is also a major factor that businesses need to account for as they grow and data needs expand. A backup solution must be able to easily adapt to the increasing volume of data generated by your growing organization. Make sure that as your data storage needs increase, including adding new users/employees, your backup services infrastructure can scale with you, providing continuous protection without requiring re-engineering or worse, a full migration to a more robust solution.

Flexible pricing models are also essential for businesses looking to manage costs effectively (who doesn’t want to manage costs these days). Backup services generally offer different pricing structures, such as pay-as-you-go or subscription models. 

• A pay-as-you-go model can be advantageous for businesses with fluctuating data storage needs, as it allows them to pay only for the storage they use, making it a cost-effective choice during periods of lower data generation. 
• A subscription model may offer predictable costs and additional features that could benefit businesses with consistent and growing data demands. 

Cost Evaluation

Make sure the backup service you evaluated has plans specifically tailored for the unique needs of your organization, e.g. based on user counts and/or specific storage volume requirements. Plans should be designed to scale, allowing for easy changes in user count and storage capacity. In addition to flexible plans, the best backup services offer volume discounts for larger organizations and those making long-term commitments. Trustworthy services maintain clear and straightforward pricing structures without hidden fees.

The Best Backup Services 

We can’t leave you without a few recommendations. Of course, we invite you to get a demo of our own solution, SpinBackup. We’ve also done quite a bit of research on the best backup services on the market.

Here are some additional resources:

• Leading Enterprise Backup Solutions of 2024
• Best Backup Services for Salesforce
• Top Microsoft 365 Backup Services
• Best Google Workspace Backup Services

Again, feel free to speak with one of our security experts in a 1-on-1 customized demo. We look forward to answering all of your questions.