When organizations first started shifting core applications to Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), they took a cavalier approach to data backups. SaaS and backup admins believe programs need robust backups to protect data from cyber threats and accidental deletions. In this article, Dave Russell, Vice President of Enterprise Strategy at Veeam, talks about the end of the set-it-and-forget-it era and what the future of SaaS and backups looks like.
When organizations first started shifting core applications to Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), they took a cavalier approach to data backups. Most simply relied on their SaaS provider’s recycle bins to keep their data safe. Today, views are evolving. Surveys show that SaaS and backup admins believe Microsoft 365 and Salesforce programs need more robust backups to protect data from cyber threats and accidental deletions.Â
Still, many continue to follow a “set it and forget it†model. A large percentage of users rely on more functional tools that SaaS providers have started to embed in their platforms to back data up. Many in that group haven’t necessarily ruled out more robust back-ups; they are just proceeding with the assumption that they do not need more protection.
That group is taking a chance. They have not experienced a situation where they urgently need to back up data. Whether it is a data loss event, user administration failure or automation failure, companies are playing a game of Russian roulette. They are taking a gamble where they do not know the odds. The event may not be catastrophic, but they could be surprised by the ramifications.
SaaS offers many benefits from an efficiency standpoint. The barrier of entry to getting started is low. Organizations can take advantage of OpEx models, allowing them to pay as they go. SaaS applications can also seamlessly integrate to existing mechanisms in place – such as multi-factor authentication for identity management – and SaaS providers often offer expertise in designing, configuring, optimizing, and managing a solution that the data center may not have.
Over-relying on these back-ups can have consequences. For one, organizations do not have as much control over the service delivery or the infrastructure it runs upon. While that can be seen as a benefit, it is a drawback if an incident arises. This speaks to the ability to influence the specifics of a service delivered in this manner.Â
See More: How To Empower Your IT team To Yield SaaS’s Strategic Superpowers
Common Misconceptions
The biggest security/data protection misconception that companies have when moving to the cloud is that SaaS providers do not do everything you want them to do. The best analogy is the shift to Microsoft 365 since many organizations moved from on-premises Exchange to SharePoint. Users of Microsoft 365 rightly assume that any outages involving applications, network controls, operating systems and physical networks will be managed by the SaaS provider.
But the largest number of outages are not caused by SaaS providers themselves. Other humans are causing the problems – either bad actors intent on doing harm or humans just making errors. The biggest issue by far is accidental deletion. If you do not have a robust backup, your data could be lost. It is like renting a car: SaaS providers make sure the car is gassed up and ready to go, but you are responsible for what happens once you drive off.Â
History has proven that people make wrong assumptions about how certain issues will play out whenever a new model becomes popular. That is happening now when it comes to data backup. While IT decision-makers understand the benefits of shifting responsibility for deployment, upgrades and shifts in capacity, many do not realize the actual responsibility of the data usually remains with the tenant. SaaS providers’ shared responsibility models spell it out clearly: The data will remain the customer’s responsibility. It is the only thing that is consistent across the cloud.Â
See More: 6 Best Practices for Building a Successful SaaS Model
Formulating Backup Strategies
Here are five key considerations organizations should keep in mind as they formulate backup strategies for SaaS:
- Focus on preparation: It is hard to prepare for a problem you don’t know you’re going to have. But if you have the data, you’ll be well suited to handle that type of incident. If you prepare your SaaS application for an incident you don’t know will occur, you will have control of your data.Â
- Assume the worst: Bad things can happen, whether on-premise or off. It likely won’t involve equipment failure; the cloud is good at being resilient from an infrastructure perspective. But with data, mistakes happen.Â
- Keep compliance in mind: While regulatory agencies often require organizations to keep data for several years, SaaS backups often are set up for a maximum of 120 days. If you do not consider that upfront, you tend to find out after the fact. And it is hard to restore what you haven’t backed up.
- Check your responsibilities: Organizations should be very familiar with their SaaS providers’ shared responsibility models. Know where your data is and be able to facilitate e-discovery situations.
- Plan an exit strategy: The best time to negotiate exit strategy costs and methodologies is before you integrate a SaaS backup solution. It could be possible for the provider to hold your data hostage at a price point that they determine at that time.
See More: Is Your Backup Strategy Putting Data at Risk? 13 Essential Questions to Ask
Conclusion
As organizations turn to SaaS to run mission-critical business functions, they’re paying more attention to the importance of data backups. But many are still underplaying the risks their data faces. Data is the lifeblood, and relying exclusively on SaaS backups could lead to a rude awakening.
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