Google’s G Suite is part of the way thousands of businesses operate.
Millions of people around the world collaborate through Google Docs or communicate through Gmail. That’s not to mention the half-dozen other apps which the G Suite includes.
But there’s one area where G Suite’s productivity and collaboration-boosting tools fall down:
Providing a way to back up your data. That’s why getting third-party backup for your G Suite isn’t just a good idea. It’s absolutely necessary.
What is G Suite?
G Suite used to be called Google Apps. Before that, it went by the slightly less catchy Google Apps for Your Domain.
It includes the communication tools Gmail, Google Hangouts, Google Calendar and Currents. For working, productivity and collaboration, it includes Google Docs, Google Sheets, Slides, Keeps, Forms and Sites.
In short, it’s Google’s collection of cloud computing and collaboration tools.
Why you need G Suite backup
For all the ease of use which G Suite provides – and the amazing way it allows you to help your team communicate and collaborate even when they’re working at home, in the office or partway between the two – Google accepts no responsibility for preventing data loss when you’re using it.
When around 1 in 3 G Suite users report they have lost data, that’s something which definitely needs to be born in mind.
There are several ways it’s easy to lose data when using G Suite apps:
1) Accidental deletion
The accidental click or lack of foresight when deleting data is perhaps the most common way data is lost using SaaS (Software as a Service) apps like those in the G Suite.
One of your team members starts thinking they don’t need a file anymore. They delete it. A little while later, they realise that when working for this important client they really, really do.
Unfortunately, SaaS providers don’t tend to provide much in the way of data protection. You certainly can’t recover contacts or individual emails from Gmail after you delete them. Google Drive files don’t have a backup either.
2) Problems with retention policies
Google’s retention policy (which covers how long they store some types of deleted data) states that emails sent to the trash folder and Google Drive files which are deleted are lost after 30 days.
They cannot be recovered or restored after this. Having a backup is the only way to access data lost after this period.
3) Ransomware
Ransomware is a type of malware which encrypts your files and then demands money for you to be able to access them again.
Even if your files are stored on the cloud, ransomware infection is still possible. This is when having a backup of the infected files pays dividends.
4) Disgruntled employees
It’s never a nice thing to think about, but a certain degree of data lost through SaaS apps happens because of former employees acting maliciously.
The average time it takes a company to discover that its data has been compromised in this way is around 4 months or more.
When the cut-off for recovering lost data is usually 30 days, that’s a huge overlap of time when your files are not being covered.
What to look for in a third-party G Suite backup
When you’re searching for a third-party backup solution for your G Suite, there are a few key things to look out for. Ideally, you will want coverage which is:
- Comprehensive – you will need your third-party backup to cover all of the data which could be lost from the G Suite apps you use. This could include Gmail and Google Calendar, for example.
- Granular – you will usually want to be able to restore data from a very specific point in time. For instance, if you experience a malware attack, you want to be able to recover files from the moment just before it occurred. This means you need granular restores.
- Supportive – you want to know that you will be able to talk to your backup provider if you ever need to.
Searching for the ideal stress-free G Suite backup for your business?
Have a chat with us today. Dial A Geek already helps more than nine hundred businesses in Bristol and beyond with their online security. You can call us on 0117 369 4335 or use this form.
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