Having more than one backup location means storing copies of your critical business data in multiple, separate places rather than relying on a single backup site. This approach is essential for protecting your data against a wide range of risks, including hardware failure, natural disasters, cyberattacks, or even accidental deletion. Simply put, if one backup location becomes unavailable or compromised, you still have access to your data from another, reducing the chances of costly downtime or permanent loss.
Why multiple backup locations matter for Canadian SMBs
For small and mid-sized businesses in Canada, downtime or data loss can quickly translate into lost revenue, damaged customer relationships, and regulatory headaches. For example, a ransomware attack might encrypt your primary data and your single backup if both are stored in the same place or network. Having an additional backup stored offsite or in the cloud can prevent this scenario, allowing you to restore operations more quickly. Moreover, certain industries have privacy and data residency requirements that make it important to know exactly where your backups are stored.
A practical example
Imagine a 50-person accounting firm in Toronto that keeps all its data on local servers with a single backup drive stored onsite. One day, a flood damages the office and the servers, including the backup drive. Without a secondary backup location, the firm faces days or weeks of downtime while trying to recover data, risking missed tax deadlines and client dissatisfaction. A managed IT provider would recommend adding a cloud backup solution or an offsite physical backup to ensure data remains safe even if the office is inaccessible.
Checklist: What to do about backup locations
- Ask your IT provider where your backups are stored and if there are multiple, geographically separate locations.
- Confirm whether backups are protected against ransomware and unauthorized access (e.g., encryption, password policies).
- Check how often backups occur and if they include all critical data and systems.
- Verify that your backup locations comply with any industry-specific data residency or privacy requirements.
- Test your ability to restore data from each backup location periodically to ensure backups are usable.
- Review your disaster recovery plan to understand how multiple backups fit into your overall business continuity strategy.
Having multiple backup locations is not just a technical detail—it's a practical safeguard that can keep your business running smoothly when unexpected events occur. If you're unsure about your current backup setup or want to improve it, consider discussing your needs with a trusted managed IT provider or IT advisor who understands the specific risks and regulations affecting Canadian businesses.