DISASTER RECOVERY FOR SMBS
CONTINUED
Trends Durgan notes that a major trend is the shift towards hybrid DR solutions that leverage on-site and cloud infrastructure. “This hybrid approach offers the best of both worlds: the speed and control of local backups, combined with the scalability and redundancy of cloud- based solutions,” he says. “Additionally, there’s a growing emphasis on automation and orchestration in disaster recovery. Businesses are increasingly adopting solutions that automate failover processes, making it easier and faster to switch to backup systems during an outage. This not only reduces downtime but also minimises the risk of human error during critical recovery operations.” But Dave notes that while there's a shift towards cloud-based solutions in DR, especially among SMBs, cloud isn't always the best choice. “This is due to potential reliability issues, costs and challenges in achieving fast RTOs when recovering entire systems,” he says. “Many businesses are reinforcing traditional server backup methods, aligning with the time-tested 3-2-1 backup strategy: three copies of data, on two different media, with one copy off-site. We're seeing a shift from cybersecurity to cyber resilience, with businesses focusing on quick recovery alongside threat prevention. There's also a trend towards on-premises and air-gapped environments, with organisations taking a more mature approach by evaluating protection needs device-by-device.” DRaaS Chris Shaw, UKI&SA country channel manager at AvePoint, says that customer demands are changing. “Customers demand faster recovery times, more reliable backup solutions, and comprehensive protection against a wide range of threats, including natural disasters, cyberattacks and human errors,” he says. “Solutions such as Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) are gaining popularity, offering businesses a scalable and cost- effective way to ensure business continuity.” Stephen Young, director at AssureStor, agrees that DRaaS and Backup as a Service with protection of a business’s data outsourced to a specialist service provider are growing in popularity. “With many organisations reporting a lack of internal skills, resources and senior level buy-in, the outsourced option overcomes many of these limitations to delivering one element of a
secure DR strategy,” he says. Markus Rex, general manager at SYNAXON Services, agrees that one of the best and most affordable ways of countering disasters is to have a managed backup service in place. “So that it’s easy to restore data in the event that access is lost, or the data is damaged as a result of unforeseen events,” he says. “Of course, having good malware protection in place is also essential and that way you can at least prevent the most obvious and immediate threat from cyberattacks. “As well as backup and antivirus protection, other elements of an effective DR plan will include good policy management and ensuring you have an alternative way of getting online. That could be as simple as having a 4G or 5G router ready to switch to if the main connection is lost.” Anton Shelepchuk, VP of worldwide sales at NAKIVO, adds that with a trend towards creating IT systems capable of withstanding disruptions, large or small, there is a shift towards DRaaS. “This is as it enables quick recovery of IT systems without huge upfront costs,” he says. “Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are being used to predict potential vulnerabilities and respond to incidents. Given the rise in ransomware and other cyber threats, immutability, encryption, and zero-trust security models are becoming the standard.”
Neil Langridge marketing and alliances director
e92plus.com
Durgan Cooper chariman
cesat.com
Chris Shaw UKI&SA country channel manager
avepoint.com
48
Powered by FlippingBook