Cloud Hosting Data backup is a consistent practice of copying your web hosting data to a secondary offsite location. That helps with quick restoration of your cloud hosting data in case of security breaches, system failure or an outage.
Therefore, in this article, we shall explore some of the best data backup practices for your cloud web hosting. Further, we shall also look into some of the most needed cloud server backup features that will help you with your cloud web hosting purchase.
What Are Must-Have Cloud Server Backup Features
A cloud server has distinct characteristics that make it better than local backup and other methods of storage. Let us see some of the must-haves in your cloud server backup features.
- Offsite backup with a simple selection of folders for backup on a cloud server
- Period scheduling
- Data Encryption
- Period-wise data of all backup task
- Particular file and folder restoration within a specific date
- Scalable click-based cloud storage
- Incremental backups that could save changes made in file
Cloud Data Backup Best Practices
1. Implementation of 3-2-1 Rule
Most cloud hosting providers do not offer data backup as a hosting feature. They offer data synchronisation, which mirrors your website, to fall back on in case something happens to your primary data.
For website owners who constantly suffer from ransomware attacks and whose data goes through continuous synchronisation, chances are both sets of data are likely being encrypted. That is because synchronisation happens in real-time, leaving you without a usable backup.
Therefore, smart hosting users follow the 3-2-1 rule as a backup strategy for their website. This rule specifies the minimum number of backup copies one should create and techniques to reduce the risk of loss.
So what do 3-2-1 rules mean
- First, it means that you should always have at least 3 copies of your website data.
- Second, you need to store your data with the help of two different media types.
- The last is that one of the copies should always be offsite.
2. Follow the Principle of Least Privilege
The principle of least privileges is the best cloud data backup practice. According to this principle, each user has privileges to their own system to perform their assigned task. So, how will that be enforced?
● Identity And Access Management
Please make use of the IAM role to control who can access certain resources and what actions they are allowed to perform. Then, review it regularly, removing any unnecessary permission. You also need to follow rotational access keys for IAM users.
● Role-Based Access Control
Role-based access control works similarly to IAM, where each user focuses on the task assigned to them. In case of recovery and backup, role-based access control allows access to those keys they need. Due to this, restoring data was possible without making changes in admin settings or backup policies.
● Multifactor Authentication
Multifactor authentication adds an extra layer, ensuring verification of users over and above their regular login. That can be done through a one-time password or biometric authentication, ensuring better security for backup.
3. Ensuring Data Integrity through Immutable Backup
An immutable backup refers to data that cannot be changed. The hacker is not allowed to encrypt the immutable file, which makes it extremely reliable. Immutable solutions are based on the write-once-read-many principle, also known as WORM, due to which the data gets locked.
Cloud hosting allows you to set a retention period for your website data. That means after a certain specific period, the data gets unlocked and can be deleted if needed. You can choose to follow the retention rule or manage the storage cost. Alternatively, putting a legal hold can be another option, which protects data from getting deleted until an authorised user unlocks it.
4. Encryption
Though cybercriminals cannot encrypt your immutable backup, they can still steal it and hold it for ransom. Therefore, using cloud tools like AWS Key Management Service along with Microsft Azure Vault helps with data encryption. These tools are easy to use with a default key, although it’s always best to use a self-managed key as they help better with control.
5. Backup Strategy Matches Service Level Agreements
Traditionally, businesses prioritised data backup and recovery based on how important a particular data point was. That made backup and recovery manageable as there were few. But now, even the smallest organisation has a number of critical file applications and data. Therefore, it becomes extremely difficult to sort and prioritise which one needs backup.
In most cases, the users go for the fastest recovery time, although that makes it hard to prioritise realistic expectations. Therefore, modern-day backup solutions like rapid recovery and block-level incremental (BLI) backups can help with prioritisation. Using them, you can back up all your data within a very short window, which can be thirty minutes to an hour, based on demand.
Further, having a default recovery window is better than conducting a detailed audit for each, as it makes backup affordable and practical. So if your SLA states a 15-minute recovery window, then backup must be done at least every 15 minutes, and with BLI, frequency won’t be an issue.
Conclusion
These cloud hosting best practices for data backup work for all kinds of businesses, no matter how big or small. They are extremely simple and easy to implement, and they include the 3-2-1 rule, encryption, the principle of least privileges and following SLA.
So stay aggressive about your data backup best practices for your cloud server, as it is a safety net to fall on in case of emergency.