Why Zero Data Loss Recovery Is Becoming Essential
Recent cyber incidents in countries around the world and closer to home are highlighting the devastating impact of data loss with South Africa seen as a soft target.
Well-known local brands targeted by cyberattacks have faced major service outages, financial disruption, and reputational damage after critical systems failed – and the trend shows no signs of letting up.
These cases show that traditional data backup models can be insufficient in the face of sophisticated cyberattacks, and why organisations are now rethinking their approach to data recovery.
The new protocol sweeping the industry is “zero data loss”. Here’s what it is and how to implement it.
Unpacking Zero Data Loss
The concept of zero data loss goes much further than simply having regular backups.
- Zero data loss means being able to restore systems to the exact state they were in before a disruption, with no downtime and no gaps in data.
- Traditional daily or even hourly backups leave businesses exposed, because any transactions or updates between cycles are lost.
- In a world where ransomware, outages, and human error are constant risks, this margin of loss is no longer acceptable.
To close all possible gaps, zero data loss requires continuous protection.
This can take the form of real-time replication, journaling, or advanced recovery appliances that capture every change as it happens.
It also demands immutability, so that backups cannot be altered, and auditability, so that businesses can prove their data integrity to regulators and customers alike. We have featured immutable storage as part of our service offering for several years with excellent results.
The benefits of Zero Data Loss: hard to overestimate
It’s no secret: the risk of losing crucial data in the current cybersecurity climate has never been greater.
- In regulated industries like finance or healthcare, even the smallest data gap can have legal consequences.
- This is especially problematic in light of the POPIA regulations which provide for multi-million Rand fines and even criminal prosecution in extreme cases.
In sectors where customer trust is critical, a brief period of missing or corrupted records can lead to long-term damage.
In the UK, retail giant Marks & Spencer learned this lesson recently when a massive cybersecurity failure left their business processes frozen for days. The reputational damage arising from the attack is estimated at over £40 million and may linger for months following the incident itself.
The reputational cost of data loss often outweighs the immediate financial hit, making resilience a board-level priority.
Creating a Zero Data Loss Environment
Building systems that achieve zero data loss is not simple. The infrastructure costs can be significant, and real-time replication introduces technical challenges for companies of every size.
Ensuring consistency across multiple interdependent systems is equally complex. For this reason, achieving zero data loss must be seen as a strategic investment rather than just a technical project.
Fortunately, the multiple layers of cybersecurity technology required to minimise data loss no longer have to be built independently and separately. Comprehensive backup and cybersecurity solutions that allow users to erect a steel dome of data security around their files exist today – and we’re proud to offer a range of them.
Powered by Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud, our platform delivers for SMBs on backup and rapid restore, disaster recovery-as-a-service, compliance and governance and full cybersecurity integrated with backup.
To learn more about our Total Data Protection package and other solutions that cover all aspects of data security across multiple platforms, click the button below.