The Elephant in the Room: Endpoint Data Backup

If your company has employees that use a laptop, smartphone, or tablet, then you’ve got endpoint data. Traditionally, the responsibility of backing up the endpoint data rested with the individual. It was a situation that many IT departments gave little thought to or flat-out ignored… until the device was lost or stolen. Recent news stories about data breaches experienced by Cedars-Sinai and Coca-Cola, due to stolen laptops, blatantly illustrate the need for formal endpoint backup procedures.

Endpoint data backups concern companies of all sizes. Many companies may allow their employees to BYOD (bring-your-own-device). These devices are set to number upwards of 196 million within the United States alone by 2016.1 Typically, BYOD devices have both business and personal uses for employees which may further complicate the situation. Users possessing these endpoint devices want access to their data from anywhere and at any time, which has ushered in various file sync and sharing solutions, such as Dropbox.

However, endpoint data backup should not be confused with file sync or file sharing. One of the key differences is that endpoint data backup must include a point-in-time backup. With file sync, the files are updated to the most recent version. What if the most recent version is infected or corrupted? If that happens, then the file is -at a minimum- lost. The worst-case scenario in this situation would be corrupted or infected data propagating across all devices in the file sync system.

File Sync and Share services are rapidly increasing in popularity because they allow users the ability to access key files from a variety of devices. The information can be accessed without going through a corporate VPN or firewall. Files can be shared with other users for collaboration within the organization or outside. For this reason, the data cannot be considered truly backed up unless other steps are taken to secure the information. Some users do not appreciate this key distinction and must be made aware of the potential risks. We will explore this issue further in upcoming blog posts and white papers—so stay tuned!