Data protection can never be foolproof; hence, every IT system needs proper backup and recovery strategies to prevent data loss and recover backup data to avoid disrupting the data-driven processes. Salesforce org also follows the same principle about data storage and protection and provides various options for backing up data. Thus the need for data backup becomes clear to all Salesforce users who often keep questioning why backup your Salesforce data? However, some people still keep assuming that Salesforce data is always safe, only a myth.
As you keep reading this article, you will find more detailed reasons for backing up Salesforce data.
Data loss results from Salesforce outages
Some people have so much confidence in Cloud security that they feel that Salesforce data that resides in the cloud is completely safe and protected. However, there is no substance in such belief because cloud security vulnerabilities are something real that we must accept. Outages do happen and pose great risks for any system, even as robust and reliable as Salesforce.
Once such incident named ‘Permageddon’ occurred in May 2019 that affected Salesforce teams that had integrated a marketing automation tool named Pardot into their org. The users discovered that their permission models were corrupted, and it allowed all users to view and modify data of all kinds. Salesforce acted quickly to protect users’ data, and it removed all permissions that were affected. However, it entailed a huge task for the Administrators who had to rebuild the org profiles and permissions one by one and manually.
Later, Salesforce developed a script that allowed restoring permissions from backup, but it threw mixed results. Although it was the right step taken by Salesforce, it could not save the ordeal of many users who had to struggle to recreate the permission models. However, the task was much easier for Salesforce teams with a robust backup solution in place as all permissions were restored effortlessly.
A similar but smaller outage happened in 2016, known as NA14, resulting in data loss for companies in North America that used Salesforce org. All company operations came to a standstill during the outage when the CRM remained non-functional. And during that period, the companies lost all data that were added to their org.
Data loss due to human error
To err is human – everyone makes mistakes, including Salesforce admins and developers. Although the mistakes are mostly unintentional and honest, the extent of damage can be anything from minor to major. Sometimes deliberate deletion of data also happens. Organizations must stay prepared for all scenarios that can lead to data loss due to human errors.
Data might corrupt due to Salesforce integration
Various Salesforce integrations help to move or alter data. The powerful tools can cause disaster if mistakes happen. For example, one developer had inadvertently included a Remove command in the ETL program, and it had the effect of dynamite by causing extensive damage although without any intention. Another instance of a similar error happened in 2017 when Gitlab admin applied the Remove command in the wrong server that wiped out 3000 GB of data. Some of the data was lost forever because of repeated failures of multiple backups.
Here are some possible solutions that can prevent data loss:-
1. Reliable backups are done regularly
To prevent data loss, it is advisable to have an automated backup system in place and the provision for backup on-demand to take care of any risky situation. Find a tool that is easy to use and helps to analyze the data that keeps changing between successive backups. The changed or missing data in org s not always obvious, and before you set out to recover data, first establish that there is a need for the exercise.
2. Smart restore functionality
Backing up data is never an easy task, and you will face much more difficult when trying to restore Salesforce data reliably. Before you can restore Salesforce org data, you must restore the Salesforce Metadata that pertains to the org’s configuration in your system. You cannot restore data in non-existing fields or to objects that have undergone a change. Therefore, it is equally important to backup your org’s Metadata along with the org data. Choose a tool that can restore both types of data and put it back in place as it was earlier.
3. Security and compliance
Besides backing up data, you must ensure its safe storage. Look into every detail about the backup system to understand the safety level of the data storage space, including the type of encryption used. The company you entrust with your data acts as the custodian of all backed up data must have the proper accreditation. Going a step ahead, you must also think of compliance with CCPA and GDPR regulations. The data backup solution must be capable of processing customer requests made under the data protection regulations.
These are only some points that you should consider, and there would be many more specific queries depending on your location and sector.
4. Get a third-party backup solution
The landscape of Salesforce data backup and recovery is fast-changing while complying with the traditional obligations attached to data backup and recovery. Various third-party backup solutions for Salesforce are now available to protect Salesforce org data with high reliability. Availing of any of these native data backup and recovery services will ensure that your Saleforce.org data is in safe hands and always accessible regardless of outages or other events that can cause data loss.
Choosing a native backup and recovery solution of a third party gives you complete peace of mind to devote your time and focus on the core business operations that help faster growth. You will always stay ahead of the curve and get an edge in competition as the third-party data protection services empower you to recover data at lightning speeds by leveraging the inherent strength of Salesforce.
The services of the third part include scheduled or automated backups, full or partial restore options and data comparison, and CDPR and CCPA compliance.
