Backing up your business emails separately from other data means creating a dedicated copy of all your email messages, attachments, and related information outside of your main system backups. This approach ensures that if your email system fails, is corrupted, or becomes inaccessible due to cyberattacks or accidental deletion, you can quickly restore your emails without affecting other data.
Why this matters for Australian SMBs
Emails often contain critical business information such as contracts, customer communications, invoices, and compliance records. Losing access to these can disrupt daily operations, cause costly downtime, and damage customer trust. For example, if ransomware locks your email system, having a separate email backup means you can restore your communications without paying a ransom or waiting for IT recovery efforts to succeed.
Additionally, Australian privacy regulations and industry standards may require you to retain certain email records securely and for specific timeframes. Separate email backups can help meet these compliance needs more effectively than relying solely on general data backups.
Real-world scenario
Consider a mid-sized accounting firm in Melbourne with about 50 staff. They rely heavily on email for client correspondence and document exchange. One day, a phishing attack compromises their email system, causing data corruption and locking users out. Because their IT provider had set up a dedicated email backup solution, the firm was able to restore all emails from the previous night's backup within a few hours. This quick recovery minimized downtime, kept client communications intact, and avoided potential regulatory issues related to lost financial records.
Checklist: What to do about email backups
- Ask your IT provider: Do you back up emails separately from other data? How often are email backups performed?
- Verify backup scope: Are all mailboxes, including shared and archived folders, included in the backup?
- Check backup storage: Where are email backups stored? Are they kept offsite or in the cloud to protect against physical damage?
- Test restore procedures: Can your IT provider demonstrate restoring emails quickly and completely?
- Review retention policies: How long are email backups kept? Does this meet your compliance or business needs?
- Internal checks: Ensure only authorised staff can access email backups and that password policies are enforced to protect backup data.
Separating email backups from general data backups adds an important layer of protection for your business communications. It reduces risks related to cyber incidents, accidental deletions, and system failures, helping maintain productivity and customer confidence.
If you're unsure whether your current IT setup includes dedicated email backups, or if you want to improve your disaster recovery plans, it's a good idea to discuss this with a trusted managed IT provider or IT advisor. They can assess your specific needs and recommend practical solutions tailored to your business size and industry.