Top 10 Endpoint Backup Mistakes And how to avoid them

MARCH 2013
Top 10
Endpoint Backup
Mistakes
And how to avoid them
Backing up and protecting sensitive corporate data has
become more challenging because of several trends:
exponential data growth, the rise in endpoints, BYOD, and
SaaS applications. Avoid the following ten endpoint backup
mistakes to ensure that your critical corporate data is
protected and end user productivity is improved.
1. Not backing up laptops and mobile devices
In a recent report on endpoint user data, Gartner reported that 28%
of corporate data resides exclusively on laptops, smartphones, and
tablets1. As the modern workforce becomes increasingly mobile,
companies that rely solely on desktop backup put over a quarter of
their enterprise data at risk. This is a common mistake according to
ESG - only 35% of enterprise laptops are backed up .
2
1. Gartner: Endpoint User Data Backup Report (ID# G00211731)
2. ESG Report
28%
of corporate data resides
exclusively on laptops,
smartphones, and tablets
Top 10 Enterprise Endpoint Backup Mistakes
2. Thinking that legacy server backup solutions are adequate
Solutions originally designed for server backup are only effective in highly
predictive environments where devices are backed up on a schedule and over
a secure high-bandwidth LAN. When repurposed for endpoint backup these solutions
perform very poorly because endpoint backup environments are highly unpredictable. Faster, non-intrusive backups, the ability to work over VPNless networks, and
flexible, opportunistic scheduling are critical features for endpoint backup that are
not available in legacy server backup solutions.
3. Believing all deduplication technologies are created equal
Endpoint data is doubling every 18 months while bandwidth speeds have only grown
10x over the last 10 years3. In order to deal with this large gap between data growth
and bandwidth and computing resource limitations, look for solutions with efficient
deduplication technology. These solutions work on the client side, dedupe objects
within files, and eliminate data duplication across all users within the enterprise.
Up to 80% of an organization’s data is duplicate, so enterprise-wide deduplication
can provide large bandwidth and storage savings.
4. Ignoring the end-user experience
Users frequently disengage backup software when the backup
process interferes with their ability to work. In fact, 51% of end users
found their current backup solution to be intrusive4. An effective backup solution must include bandwidth and CPU throttling capabilities,
efficient deduplication, and WAN optimization to provide end-users with
a non-intrusive user experience, resulting in successful backups and
protected data.
In addition, solutions that allow self-restore not only empower the
51%
of end users found their
current backup solution
to be intrusive
end user but also save IT support time and resources.
5. Underestimating security
Endpoints are prone to theft and loss, and if not secured expensive data breaches are expensive imminent. In a recent study, Intel concluded that the average
3. IDC: Digital Universe report
4. Ponemon Institute: Quantifying the Benefits of Unified Endpoint Data Management
Top 10 Enterprise Endpoint Backup Mistakes
cost of data breach on a lost laptop is over $39,0005. Prevent such
serious financial consequences by looking for solutions that encrypt
data on the device, in-transit, and at-rest on the server, as well as
provide remote wipe and geo-locate capabilities as an additional layer
of security.
$39,000
avg. cost of data breach
for every lost laptop
Enterprises evaluating cloud endpoint backup solutions must
ascertain that the provider satisfies physical data center security requirements and has appropriate 3rd party security certifications. Some
leading endpoint backup solutions use sophisticated two-factor encryption mechanisms that prevent even these solution providers from accessing your data on
the servers.
6. Thinking short-term and limited scalability
Consider both your current and future business needs and don’t limit yourself
to consumer-grade solutions that work adequately in the short term but may not
scale in the long term. Look for an enterprise endpoint backup solution that provides
scalable storage, advanced deduplication to deal with exponential data growth, and
the ability to support a geographically distributed organization.
7. Picking the wrong deployment model
The decision to go with a cloud or on-premise deployment should be based
on business factors such as budget, timeline, corporate policies, and external
compliance regulations among others. Define your deployment requirements first
or you may be pigeon-holed into managing a solution that does not align with your
organization’s IT strategy. Cloud-based solutions offer you on-demand scalability
and allow shifting of capital expenses to operating expenses. On-premise solutions
may provide higher performance along with cost advantages from hosting infrastructure behind your corporate firewall.
8. Not calculating the total cost of ownership (TCO)
Comparing up-front costs alone when evaluating solutions could mean you pay
more in the long term. Consider total cost of ownership: opportunity cost of the
5. Intel: Billion Dollar Lost Laptop Problem
Top 10 Enterprise Endpoint Backup Mistakes
initial setup time, hardware costs, deployment time, and cost of resources to manage
the solution. For instance, a solution that has low upfront costs may require weeks
of initial setup time and effort which not only increases the time-to-value but also
increases TCO from the enormous amount of IT man hours required. Also, solutions
that do not support mass client deployment impact both IT and end user productivity
severely, again increasing TCO. Some other features to consider are centralized
policy management, automatic client upgrades, on-demand scalability, user selfrestore options, and optimized storage and bandwidth utilization.
9. Disregarding BYOD
BYOD allows employees to maximize their productivity and can’t be taken lightly
by IT departments even if it creates numerous challenges to keep corporate data
secure. Look for solutions that provide end users with mobile apps to access their
data but allows IT to set up profiles to limit access on BYOD devices.
10. Not looking beyond backup
The needs of today’s mobile workforce requires IT departments to consider how
to improve productivity while maintaining control over corporate data. For instance,
knowledge workers see immense productivity gains from popular consumer file
sharing solutions, which in turn put the enterprise at serious risk of data breach
because of the lack of security of these applications. Additional integration with data
$8,100
loss prevention tools that enable remote wipe and geo-location for lost or stolen
devices can also assist IT in mitigating risk. IT can further
ensure regulatory compliance by using features such
as e-discovery enablement, legal hold, and federated
search. Solutions that integrate these features into their
endpoint backup provides huge efficiencies for saving
cost, time, and effort involved in endpoint data protection and management. A recent study by the Ponemon
Institute quantified that an enterprise can save up to
$8100 per user each year by employing a solution
thatintegrates endpoint backup, secure file sharing, data
loss prevention, and analytics6.
6. Ponemon Institute: Quantifying the Benefits of Unified Data Management
savings per user each year by
employing a solution that integrates
endpoint backup, secure file
sharing, DLP, and analytics
About Druva
Druva offers a full suite of endpoint data management solutions for enterprise laptops, PCs, smartphones, and tablets. Its flagship product, inSync, empowers an enterprise’s mobile workforce with
award-winning backup, secure file sharing, data loss prevention, and rich analytics. Deployed on the
cloud or on premise, inSync is the only solution built with both IT needs and end-user experiences
in mind. Druva has over 1,500 customers and protects a million endpoints across 46 countries. With
offices in the United States, India and the United Kingdom, Druva is privately held and is backed by
Nexus Venture Partners and Sequoia Capital. Information on Druva is available at www.Druva.com.
Druva, Inc.
Americas: +1 888-248-4976
Europe: +44.(0)20.3150.1722
APJ: +919886120215
[email protected]
www.druva.com