Technological advances in recent years have provided great advantages by offering diverse tools, software and platforms that generate operational flexibility. It has also led to some complex challenges: keeping track of massive amounts of data in disparate locations, under various user controls and accessed via different types of devices, both personally and company-owned. Shadow IT has also added to this complexity. Data is not always under organizational control and, in some cases, the IT department may not even be aware it exists.

The purpose of this customizable Data Backup Policy, written by Scott Matteson for TechRepublic Premium, is to assist IT and business leaders in determining and implementing the backup environment/operations that are appropriate for the organization. It factors in onsite, remote and cloud operations and considers issues such as storage capacity, network bandwidth and access controls to ensure data security.

• Featured text from the policy:

  Identifying backup team members

  A backup team should be identified as responsible for carrying out the elements of this policy. It may consist of the IT department (or select members), the Office of Security, third-party vendors like cloud providers or some other group. These individuals should have appropriate physical and remote access to systems and backup environments, with the proper administrative authority to set options or make changes as needed.

  Defining data types for backup

  It’s important to note that no data is backed up by default unless it is kept in cloud-based file storage software. Otherwise, the backup of specific data must be implemented by the backup team. The backup team should assess and determine which types of data need to be backed up.

Improve your handling of data backups with our in-depth 10-page policy document and two appendices. This is available for download at just $49. Alternatively, enjoy complimentary access with a Premium annual subscription. Click here to find out more.

TIME SAVED: Crafting this content required 24 hours of dedicated writing, editing and research.