Cloud storage systems provide enormous flexibility to modern-day businesses. However, the loss of files is one of the major risks that can affect business operations in the long run. IT managers and business heads must be ready to respond effectively in the face of such unexpected events. This article discusses the underlying causes of cloud storage data loss and provides a comprehensive guideline on the recovery and prevention of such unexpected events.
Understanding the Shared Responsibility Model
Business heads are of the opinion that cloud storage providers are entirely responsible for the safety and security of the data stored in the cloud servers. However, the reality is far from this perception. The shared responsibility model defines the relationship between the cloud storage providers and the business organizations using the cloud servers. The cloud storage providers are liable for the safety and availability of the infrastructure itself. Yet, the data stored in the infrastructure is entirely the responsibility of the business organizations using the cloud servers.
Common Causes of Cloud Data Loss
Human error is the major cause of data loss in the cloud servers. Employees are more likely to delete business documents unintentionally or overwrite the data without knowing the end results of such operations. Sync issues are also one of the major administrative headaches faced by business organizations using cloud servers. When the changes made by the employees are not synchronized properly with the cloud servers, the document versions are lost forever.
Finally, the threat of security breaches also affects business organizations using cloud servers. Employees’ login credentials or ransomware attacks can lock the business teams out of the business files at any moment.
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Immediate Response Steps for IT Teams
Time is of the essence during a file loss incident, and the IT team should immediately isolate the affected user accounts and devices to prevent any further data corruption by possible threat actors. After the environment is isolated, the IT team should establish an accurate account of the extent of the lost files, as well as the precise time frame of the incident.
Communication with the affected departments is also important, as it helps manage their expectations while the IT team concentrates on the recovery process.
Leveraging Enterprise Platform Features
Cloud enterprise environments usually have built-in data recovery options that an administrator can leverage during a file loss incident. The administrator should immediately explore the centralized administrative recycle bin, which stores deleted files for a predetermined retention period.
Version history is another powerful feature that an administrator can utilize during the data recovery process. This feature enables the IT team to easily roll back certain files to their previous state before they were accidentally overwritten or encrypted by a threat actor. Therefore, executing a successful Google Drive data recovery operation starts by maximizing the native admin console feature and then filling the gaps.
Implementing Robust Backup Solutions
While native data recovery options have their limitations, especially with regard to data retention policies, the best disaster recovery solution is robust backup solutions that operate independently of the cloud environment. These independent solutions create immutable, automated backups of the enterprise data, ensuring that even if the cloud environment is severely compromised, the enterprise data is completely safe.
Securing Your Enterprise Data Future
Loss of files in the cloud is an unavoidable operational challenge that organizations face as they continue to grow. By understanding the shared model of responsibility, IT leaders in organizations can mitigate the risks of file loss in the cloud effectively. The first step in this direction would be to thoroughly audit your existing cloud backup strategies today. Evaluate the best third-party data protection solutions that provide complete resilience against data loss incidents in the future!
