A growing number of businesses are turning to Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions due to the significant advantages cloud applications have over an on-premise setup. Companies are relocating everything from customer relationship management systems and payroll, to accounting and collaboration tools, to the cloud.
Cloud applications mean a reduced need for on-site infrastructure, improved economies of scale and lower costs overall. Cloud-based apps tend to be more secure too. Despite all these merits, a survey by Aberdeen.com found that 1 in 3 SaaS customers reported losing their data. Clearly, the cloud isn’t impregnable.
How SaaS Providers Can Lose Your Data
The risk of data loss is one of the main reasons organizations shouldn’t blindly rely on their cloud service provider for data backup. Actually, the majority of SaaS providers make it clear in the terms and conditions that the client is ultimately responsible for their safety and integrity of their data.
So how is data lost in the cloud? Accidental deletion, malicious cyber attacks, actions of rogue employees, data corruption, app errors (such as accidental overwriting), system migration problems and prolonged SaaS outage, are some of the more common causes of cloud data loss.
Why Recovery Is Difficult
First, SaaS providers do not possess infinite resources. They can only provide as much hardware and software infrastructure as they can afford to keep their own business profitable. This subsequently means that deleted records can only be stored for a short time after which they are lost for good.
Second, even when data can be recovered, it may take weeks and cost a lot of money. For instance, Salesforce charges at least $10,000 for the recovery of lost data. Third, users cannot pick and choose the data to be retrieved. It’s often all or nothing. Fourth, once the data is found, it may no longer be possible to auto-upload it back to the live system. Rather, you may have to manually key it in.
Fifth, SaaS providers have no way of knowing whether a data deletion was accidental or not. The client bears complete responsibility for any such deletion and can therefore not fault the service provider for not backing it up.
These difficulties with the recovery of cloud application data are why you should have a separate arrangement for your server and SaaS backup. The entire premise of backups is to eliminate a single point of failure. If you are relying on your SaaS provider to keep your data safe, you are certainly leaving the fate of your most valuable data to chance.
Cloud-to-Cloud Backup
For best protection, consider signing up for a cloud-to-cloud backup service with a third party. Cloud backup providers usually offer a simple and automated way to backup critical data. They have fairly advanced search features and granular capabilities that give your business greater control over the integrity and security of its data.
System and data restoration is easier and faster because you can choose what data to restore as part of disaster recovery and business continuity.
Use Same SaaS Provider for Backup
The next best alternative is to talk to your existing cloud application provider about the possibility of providing a backup of your application data. Several SaaS providers offer this service and you may be able to negotiate a discounted rate since you are already signed up for their primary service.
One thing you have to confirm though is that the cloud provider does store the backups in a location sufficiently removed from their primary premises. That should ensure that your data remains safe and accessible in the event of a disaster affecting their main data center.
Manual Export
Your third, and least desirable option, is to manually and periodically export the data from the SaaS platform so you can store it either on-site, locally but remotely, or with a third party cloud provider. Most SaaS providers have data export tools that would come in handy in this regard.
The absence of scheduling or automation in this process, however, leaves your backups susceptible to the accidental skipping of information. It also makes selective or granular restoration virtually impossible.
The loss of critical data can cripple your organization. Today’s customers expect your services, whether in the cloud or on-site, to be available whenever they need them. Hardly any of them will be willing to wait for days or weeks for lost or corrupted data to be recovered. Ergo, a robust and reliable data backup mechanism is about more than just being better safe than sorry. The very survival of your business depends on it.