Definition
Data backup is the practice of creating a secondary copy of data to retrieve in case of a data loss. It helps individuals and organizations secure and retain data in case of a system failure, theft, or disaster. The practice can be automated or performed manually.
Data Backup Types
- Full backup: A backup where a copy of all the data is created at a second location (e. g., a hard drive or online cloud storage). Full backups are often less common than the other types of backups.
- Incremental backups: It include only the information altered since the last backup. They are performed more often than full backups.
- Differential backups: They are similar to incremental backups in that they copy all the new or modified data since the last backup. However, each time a differential backup is executed, it copies all changed information since the last full backup.
Types of Data Storage
- Cloud storage
- Internal or external hard drives
- Removable media
Benefits of Data Backup
- Minimizing downtime: Data backup helps quickly restore data in cases of loss, ensuring operation continuity.
- Mitigating the effects of ransomware: Data backups are useful in mitigating ransomware attacks by enabling data restoration from a previous clean copy.
- Meeting regulatory and standard requirements: Laws such as HIPAA and guidelines such as ISO/IEC 27040:2024 require data backup to avoid user data violations and protect electronic information.