What Is Backup as a Service (BaaS)?

Backup plans are key to protecting critical business data and information. Businesses that don’t have a backup plan are vulnerable to data loss, cyber-attacks and human error. Even if you have a strategy in place, managing the process often becomes a low priority for internal IT teams. Today, businesses need a backup plan with easily accessible recovery points and efficient restore times. Learn how Backup as a Service (BaaS) helps protect information and keep businesses running, even when unexpected events occur.

Cloud backup is a service that stores data in a virtual environment, protecting important business files, folders and applications. Data is saved almost instantly and made available for users to securely access from virtually anywhere via an Internet connection. It’s stored in a secure location provided by a third-party public or private cloud provider.

BaaS automatically backs up data to a public, private or hybrid cloud. Instead of having your in-house IT department manage backups onsite, a third-party provider handles maintenance and management. BaaS offers efficient backups, keeping your information safe and available virtually anytime, anywhere.

BaaS saves copies of data to a remote location in real-time. Data is typically hosted in a secure, tier 3 data center equipped with advanced security features to help protect your information from viruses and hackers. All users can easily access data from any device, anywhere and at any time with the exception of encrypted data.

The biggest difference between BaaS and a local backup is where your data is stored. BaaS utilizes the cloud to save data in an off-site location managed by a third-party provider. Local backups are stored within on-site hardware and managed by an internal IT department. Businesses are responsible for local backup systems setup, maintenance and configuration. In comparison, BaaS takes the entire process off your hands, automatically backing up data into the cloud almost instantly to help prevent major loss.

The 3-2-1 rule is a backup strategy recommended by the US government, stating that every business should have three copies of their data on two different media types and one copy offsite for disaster recovery. This rule used to mean backing up data on separate disks or tapes and delivering data to an offsite location. Today, companies can apply the 3-2-1 rule using the cloud. Many BaaS providers offer a combination of local and cloud-based protection for your data to support business continuity, even if your local backup is compromised or unavailable.

When it comes to backups, how frequently your data is saved and how quickly you can recover it are critical components of any strategy. RTO is the amount of downtime a business can handle. When it comes to backup, businesses must ask how long it will take their system to recover data to get productivity going again. Since BaaS allows users to access data virtually anytime, anywhere and from any compatible device, businesses are able to stay up and running even when an unexpected event occurs.   
 
RPO is the maximum tolerable period before data is restored to a business. When choosing a backup strategy, a business should consider how much data loss they’re willing to risk. For instance, if there is a power outage between backups – can you afford to lose a few hours’ worth of data or even an entire day? With BaaS, your data is backed up almost instantly for minimal data loss and added peace of mind.

There are several types of cloud backups to choose from, including:

A private cloud provider offers services to individual organizations. The cloud server is located on a private internal network and is protected by a firewall to ensure only authorized users have access.

Public cloud backups are managed by third-party providers. Services are offered via the Internet and are available to anyone wanting to purchase storage.

This solution combines local and cloud backup. Cloud storage is merged with local backup to ensure critical data is saved and protected in the case of an emergency. A hybrid backup helps support a company’s disaster recovery plan and ensures minimal data loss.

This backup saves only the parts of the file that have been changed versus copying the entire hard drive to the cloud, saving time and storage.

There are many ways companies benefit from leveraging BaaS, including:

Local backups require businesses to invest in hardware and software, as well as the IT labor needed to manage your system. Since BaaS is owned by service providers, you aren’t required to maintain servers, helping reduce the cost of ownership.

BaaS helps ensure your data is automatically backed up whenever a change is made, so you don’t have to worry about scheduling backups or managing a hard drive.

BaaS providers typically offer advanced security measures, such as data encryption and network firewalls. Moreover, you can expect your data to be stored in top-tier data centers, that help protect it from cyber-attacks and malicious hackers.

BaaS can help deploy your disaster recovery and business continuity plan. Data stored in the cloud is easily retrieved from virtually anywhere and on almost any device, which means if a natural disaster were to compromise your company’s physical location, critical data stored in the cloud would still be protected and available.