Are you prepared for a situation when your website might is compromised? What if you delete a picture or an article by mistake? What if a platform update fails? For all these situations the answer is: make a backup.
Your web hosting provider should typically have a backup of your data. In this article, we will focus on the actions you can take, as a web hosting client, to be covered in various situations in which you don’t have access to that backup. History shows us that it’s good to have your data recovery plan in addition to the one provided by the web hosting provider.
5 Reasons why you should have a separate backup:
1. Your website can be compromised
Never go with the idea that your website cannot be compromised (“hacked” or “broken”). Examples of famous websites and institutions that were broken by hackers show us that any system has its vulnerabilities and can be compromised. Yahoo, for example, a titan of the internet is among the hacker’s “famous customers.” Other famous examples:
Home Depot, September 2014
JP Morgan, June 2014
US Department of Justice, February 2016
Verizon Enterprise Solutions, March 2016
Sony (PlayStation Network), April 2011
2. Hardware issues
The problems that include the use of storage devices can never be ignored. Although devices are created and optimized to be as reliable as possible, external or internal factors that affect the storage device may occur, and data may be lost. For example, there may be problems with storage devices due to power outages, and we know that because of repeated and uncontrolled interruptions, a hard disk can become unusable and data stored on it can easily be lost.
3. A failed upgrade
If your website is built on a CMS, short for Content Management System such as WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, or Typo3, it has specific components, such as themes and plugins that need regular updates.
It’s not often that upgrades cause problems, but if problems arise, a backup can save you. Downgrading is often not possible.
4. Human errors
Human errors are also an essential factor to take into consideration because after all, there will always be people in charge of configuring servers/backups, and they can make mistakes.
An incorrect configuration or a command with irreversible consequences, from an operator to a server, may lead to the total loss of the data existing on the server.
5. It’s always good to have a “Plan B.”
It is similar to Hollywood movies, where the famous “Plan B” always solves every situation. In this case, “Plan B” consists of having your backup created separately which will be independent of the web hosting company. Most web host companies offer within the web hosting package, backup solutions. As we have said above, it may be affected or even lost, and so we find ourselves in the unpleasant situation, where a website in which we have invested many resources, no longer exists. Restoring your local backup can be your best solution, and even if it has been affected, your website will be quickly restored into operation.
How often do you have to backup your data?
It depends on how often you modify your website. If it is just a presentation website that you do not modify very often, a once a month backup should be fine. If it is a personal blog you use to write with some regularity, it is best for you to do it more often, about once a week. And if you write a lot, more than once a day, it is best to backup the database at least once a day.