From Reactive to Proactive – How Backup and Disaster Recovery can Elevate an MSPs Cybersecurity Game

In today’s digital age, data is the lifeblood of any organisation; however, it is both an asset and a vulnerability. Every byte represents valuable intellectual property, customer account details and financial records. It underpins all critical business operations and is under constant threat, be it from system failures, human errors, cyberattack, or catastrophic events. To safeguard against such risks, organisations should have two primary mechanisms in place: Backup and Disaster Recovery.

Our security experts here at intY have compiled this insightful guide to unravel how Backup and Disaster Recovery (DR) can elevate an MSPs’ cybersecurity game. Alongside our team, we asked Andy Kerr, Senior Manager of Solutions Marketing at Acronis, about their offering and how the role of Backup and DR is imperative to any IT business. 

The role of Backup and Recovery in Cybersecurity

While both are integral to a comprehensive data protection strategy, they serve distinct roles. Backup primarily focuses on duplicating data to safeguard against events such as data corruption, accidental deletions, internal or external security threats. This data is often stored in diverse mediums, ranging from tapes to cloud storage.

In contrast, Disaster Recovery (DR) has a broader remit beyond data retrieval. DR is intended to resurrect the full spectrum of IT infrastructure—including systems, applications, and network configurations—following significant disruptions, whether natural calamities or large-scale cyberattacks. This requires a secondary environment, be it another data centre or a cloud solution, for continuity during primary site outages. While backup is the bedrock of data protection, disaster recovery is the blueprint for sustained business operations in the face of major disruptions.

Together they play a critical role in ensuring organisations of all sizes have continuity and resilience in the face of unforeseen challenges.

Building resilient defence

While there are different types of backup and DR solutions that have the same objective of protecting data, they each have distinct nuances.

At intY, we have various types of backup and DR solutions that can be tailored to fit different organisational needs, sizes, and budgets. Discover more about each type and which is the best fit for your business here.

Resilience against the unexpected

In today’s digital ecosystem, small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are as vulnerable to data loss, disasters, and downtime as large companies, if not more so. They often lack the extensive resources and infrastructures of larger businesses, making the impacts of disasters more evident. SMBs, like all businesses, are repositories of vital data, from customer databases to financial records. A single data mishap can be disastrous, both financially and reputationally. That is why backup solutions are a vital safety net. But it’s not just about data. Business continuity is paramount because even brief downtimes can lead to revenue dips and weaken customer confidence. Given the often-scaled-down IT resources of SMBs, cloud-based DR solutions are crucial, offering robust data protection without breaking the bank. Andy Kerr explains:

“Backup & DR solutions are pivotal for safeguarding valuable data, minimizing downtime, and ensuring operational resilience against unforeseen data losses or cyber threats, like ransomware.”

SMBs, like all organisations, must adhere to regulatory compliances, such as GDPR, or risk costly fines and reputational damage. Additionally, in an era of rising cyber threats, effective backup and DR frameworks are an SMBs’ greatest armour against malicious actors. Unlike large enterprises with multiple data centres, SMBs, with typically singular operational points, find DR solutions indispensable. Couple this with their increasing IT dependency and the competitive advantage resilience offers, it becomes evident that investing in backup and DR solutions isn’t just advisable for SMBs— it’s a business imperative.

Building a comprehensive cyber security stack

Managed Service Providers (MSPs) stand at the forefront of delivering tailored IT solutions. By providing backup and DR services, MSPs can offer immense value by safeguarding their customers invaluable data and strengthen their own market position. It also provides MSPs a consistent revenue stream through subscription models, as Andy Kerr explains:

“For MSPs, integrating Backup & DR enhances their service portfolio, generating additional revenue and ensuring clients’ business continuity”

Moreover, in an era of escalating cyber threats and stringent industry regulations, MSPs can champion the cause of their customers, ensuring data integrity, compliance, and resilience against ransomware attacks. This undoubtedly cements the partnership, improving customer retention, and strengthens an MSP’s role as an indispensable trusted advisor.

The scalability of cloud-based DR solutions means MSPs can cater to their customers’ evolving needs, providing the flexibility to bundle these services with other offerings and amplifying their revenue channels. This holistic approach not only improves customer uptime, ensuring business continuity, but also enhances an MSP’s brand, positioning them as industry experts.

Supported at every stage

The intY team of in-house security experts are ready to guide MSPs seamlessly through their backup journey. We work closely with our partners to identify the most fitting solutions tailored to your needs, and the needs of your customers. Our solid relationships with top-tier vendors simplify the processes of migration and enable comprehensive upskilling of your employees.

An agile solution to Backup & DR

intY collaborates with best of breed technology vendors that offer an array of options, and our expert team is committed to steering you to the right solution for your needs. A prime example of our offerings is the Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud. This agile solution enables MSPs to seamlessly integrate both backup and DR via their Advanced Packs, ensuring a holistic approach to cyber protection. Andy Kerr states:

“Acronis’ Backup & DR solution provides reliable data protection and swift recovery after disruptions.”

With the Acronis Disaster Recovery Advanced Pack, MSPs can provide customers with unparalleled resilience when disaster strikes, offering instant cloud-based recovery and restoring workloads anywhere. Meanwhile, the Acronis Backup Advanced Pack is more than just a backup solution; it’s an integrated cyber protection approach. In tandem with Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud, it extends the cloud backup competencies your customers require for proactive data safeguarding.

The power of backup & DR in an MSPs’ cybersecurity stack

Providing backup and disaster recovery services is a win-win for MSPs and their customers. While customers get the assurance of data safety and rapid recovery in the event of an incident, MSPs benefit from increased revenue, customer loyalty, and enhanced brand reputation. Are you ready to move beyond traditional cybersecurity defences? Partner with intY and discover the perfect solution for you and your customers.