Contact us today!
866-348-2602

Total Tech Care Blog

Total Tech Care has been serving Florida since 2001, providing IT Support such as technical helpdesk support, computer support, and consulting to small and medium-sized businesses.

How NOT to Maintain a Backup

How NOT to Maintain a Backup

A data loss incident is considered a major disaster scenario, especially for small and medium-sized businesses. All it takes is one moment to lose your business’s entire data infrastructure. We’ll walk you through a story that should serve as a cautionary tale, one that hopefully teaches you to adhere to data backup and disaster recovery best practices.

Marco Marsala, a hosting provider, posted on a server forum looking for advice on how to deal with a major issue he encountered while trying to delete a few files. He had utilized what’s called the “rm-rf” command with undefined variables, which wound up destroying all data on the system. Like any good hosting provider, he had backups of the files, but, like a dumb-dumb, he had the backups stored on the system that he accidentally wiped. What a mess.

This is actually a similar blunder to one that Pixar experienced, almost deleting Toy Story 2 prior to its release.

As a result of Marsala’s negligence, all of the data that his company had stored was destroyed. This included the data of 1,535 customers, whom he had built and hosted websites for. Without any backups stored off-site, he had no way to recover the data.

As you might expect, the responses that Marsala received from other users of the online forum were quite negative. Many completely dismissed the possibility that his company could recover from such a devastating failure, and others questioned his abilities as a hosting provider. One poster even went as far as recommending that Marsala seek legal counsel, rather than attempt to restore the data, predicting that Marsala was “going out of business.”

The conclusion: Marsala’s best chance of recovering from this major blow was to recruit help from a third-party data recovery firm. Fortunately for him, the company was able to recover his files, but that doesn’t change the fact that his simple mistake was a huge hit to his company’s finances. The company suffered from fees associated with the disaster recovery process, as well as reduced income from the loss of business suffered as a result of his negligence.

The lesson: neglecting to follow best practices got Marsala in some hot water, and his failure basically invited disaster to his doorstep. Following the accepted best practices of data recovery could have easily prevented the situation from escalating as quickly as it did. In fact, Marsala’s reason for distress (user error) is one of the most common reasons to use a backup and disaster recovery solution, a solution that stores your backups off-site on a separate system.

Storing your data off-site allows your organization to avoid the many causes of data loss, including user error, fires, electrical surges, hardware failure, theft, and so much more. This minimizes the risk of these events threatening your business’s operations.

How do you manage your business’s data backups? Are they stored off-site, and do you have a system in place to rapidly deploy them in the event of a major disaster? If you’re uncertain, reach out to Total Tech Care at 866-348-2602.

 

Comments

No comments made yet. Be the first to submit a comment
Already Registered? Login Here
Guest
Wednesday, 02 April 2025
If you'd like to register, please fill in the username, password and name fields.

Blog Archive

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

  • First Name *
  • Last Name *

      Free Consultation

      Sign up today for a
      FREE Network Consultation

      How secure is your IT infrastructure?
      Let us evaluate it for free!

      Sign up Now!

      Free Consultation
       

      Tag Cloud

      Security Tip of the Week Technology Best Practices Business Computing Cloud Privacy Hackers Productivity Hosted Solutions Efficiency Software Network Security Business Google Microsoft Internet Email Malware Workplace Tips Backup Innovation Data User Tips Computer Mobile Devices IT Services Hardware Disaster Recovery Android VoIP communications IT Support Communication Business Continuity Smartphones Miscellaneous Smartphone Mobile Device Browser Small Business Network Collaboration Productivity Cybersecurity Quick Tips Business Management Users Upgrade Managed IT Services Windows Phishing Data Backup Outsourced IT Ransomware Windows 10 Server Save Money Data Recovery Cloud Computing Office Windows 10 Passwords Tech Term Gadgets Social Media Chrome Virtualization Saving Money Holiday Managed IT Services Automation Microsoft Office Managed Service Facebook Operating System Artificial Intelligence Cybercrime Computers Networking Internet of Things IT Support Hacking Wi-Fi Health BYOD Mobile Device Management Telephone Systems Managed Service Provider Alert Information Technology Remote Spam Information Covid-19 Office 365 BDR Social Engineering Mobility Recovery Employer-Employee Relationship Router Bandwidth Law Enforcement App History Data Breach Big Data Password Money Human Resources Encryption Mobile Computing Applications Remote Monitoring Application Office Tips Private Cloud Training Managed IT VPN Apps Remote Computing How To Blockchain Mobile Office Paperless Office Government Data Storage Patch Management Vulnerability Infrastructure Windows 7 Voice over Internet Protocol Wireless Word Servers Gmail Bring Your Own Device Settings Data Management Work/Life Balance Data Security Flexibility Two-factor Authentication Marketing WiFi Mouse HaaS IT solutions Entertainment Google Drive Website Budget Avoiding Downtime Risk Management Employee/Employer Relationship Hacker Scam RMM The Internet of Things Lithium-ion battery Save Time Vendor Management Data Protection Cleaning Firewall Virtual Reality End of Support Apple Education Physical Security Social Safety User Error Sports Vendor HIPAA Telephone System Staff Redundancy Software as a Service Managed Services Meetings USB Keyboard Machine Learning Display Remote Work Connectivity Conferencing Identity Theft Humor Hard Drive Biometrics Business Intelligence Virtual Desktop Worker Audit Document Management IT Management Solid State Drive DDoS Wireless Technology Computing Augmented Reality How to Downtime Fraud SharePoint Botnet IT Plan Remote Worker Data storage Automobile Unsupported Software Cryptocurrency Customer Service Digital Signage Environment Charger Computing Infrastructure Going Green Fax Server Virus Compliance Comparison Computer Care Procurement Unified Threat Management OneNote Current Events Workplace Strategy CES SaaS Computer Accessories Net Neutrality Telephony Battery Samsung Shadow IT Help Desk Business Technology Legal Content Management Printing Network Congestion Access Control Value eWaste Internet Exlporer Virtual Assistant Printer Managed Services Provider Spam Blocking Authentication Bluetooth Electronic Medical Records PDF Database Hiring/Firing Wearable Technology Proactive IT Remote Workers Hard Drives Update Retail Best Practice Processor Instant Messaging IT Consultant YouTube Robot Excel Black Market Google Docs Peripheral Tools Administrator Business Owner Devices Enterprise Content Management Television Digital Security Cameras NarrowBand Using Data 5G MSP Search Accountants Copiers iPhone Quick Tip Credit Cards Microchip Thought Leadership Password Management Public Computer Ergonomics Password Manager Consultant Smartwatch Science Analytics OLED Regulations Transportation Development Multi-Factor Security Rootkit Files PCI DSS Virtual Machine Search Engine Computer Fan Twitter NIST 2FA Business Mangement Distributed Denial of Service Best Available Chromecast Fiber Optics Customer Relationship Management Employee Cabling Analyitcs Workers Smart Tech WIndows 7 Benefits Messaging Trending Colocation Policy Amazon Uninterrupted Power Supply Hypervisor Programming FENG Addiction IBM Dark mode Recycling Trend Micro Default App Flash Wiring Practices Smart Technology Monitor SMS Procedure Amazon Web Services Antivirus Saving Time Cache Windows 8 Software Tips Safe Mode Supercomputer dark theme Criminal Shopping Google Search IT service PowerPoint Streaming Media IT Infrastructure Windows Media Player Sync GDPR Emails Hosted Computing User Reputation AI Wireless Internet FinTech Online Shopping Tech Support Bing Content Tablet File Sharing Techology Laptop Social Network Specifications Domains Investment Camera Netflix Inventory Managing Stress Two Factor Authentication Customers Wire Employees Evernote Employee/Employer Relationships Root Cause Analysis Audiobook HBO Knowledge Windows 365 IaaS Music Touchpad Travel Maintenance Cameras ISP Millennials ROI Bloatware Skype Printers Video Conferencing Smart Office Advertising Sales Wireless Charging Bitcoin Shortcuts Data loss Politics Tablets Outlook Leadership Point of Sale Troubleshooting Personal Cryptomining Workforce Notifications Entrepreneur Start Menu Virtual Private Network Supply Chain Management Loyalty Monitoring Cables Batteries Screen Mirroring Frequently Asked Questions Windows 8.1 Books Digitize Shortcut Printer Server Telecommuting Windows Server 2008 R2 Cost Management Mobile Project Management Windows 10s Nanotechnology Relocation Cast Customer relationships Cortana Social Networking Manufacturing Tip of the week webinar Video Games Email Best Practices Digital Signature Emergency IT Assessment Employer Employee Relationship Professional Services Warranty Public Cloud Worker Commute Experience HVAC Assessment Computer Tips Google Apps Running Cable Managed IT Service Security Cameras Biometric Security Memory Windows Server 2008 Scalability Virtual CIO Analysis OneDrive

      Top Blog

      The reasoning for this is simple: you want to make sure that operations are proceeding as intended, even if you’re not there. If you completely check out from the workplace every time you leave, you could return from your vacation to a complete and total disaster that may have been prevented with y...
      QR-Code