Introduction

Salesforce is the undisputed market leader when it comes to customer relationship management (CRM) platforms, with a 23.9% market share, as per IDC (figure below).

More than 150,000 companies across the globe trust Salesforce for managing their data ecosystems – doing everything from gathering and converting leads to opportunities, managing information to understand and engage customers, extracting insights from the data, to sharing information across the organization.

It’s clear that Salesforce is very much at the heart of your value chain, but how safe is the most important asset of your organization, your data? Let’s explore this question.

How Effective Is Native Salesforce Backup and Recovery Service?

According to industry analysts (and even a Salesforce best-practices blog), using the native backup and recovery capabilities can have the following drawbacks:

• It takes 6 to 8 weeks for data backup recovery time objective (RTO)
• Salesforce Data Recovery Service is very expensive, costing $10,000 per restore per organization
• Backup does not cover vital Salesforce metadata. You’ll miss out on custom fields, page layouts, reports, dashboards, and custom code backup.
• Salesforce ended its Data Recovery Service in July 2020, citing quality issues, but it was revived in March 2021 after customers demanded a native backup service.
• Salesforce suggests using third-party backups as part of the data backup strategy.

Why Do You Need Third-Party Backup?

In addition to the drawbacks above, there are many reasons why Salesforce data should be backed up with a third-party backup and recovery solution. Let us explore some of the main reasons:

1. Salesforce recommends it:
   
   “There are a number of data backup solutions offered by our partners on our AppExchange. Some of these are more comprehensive in that they allow you to automate backups of both your data AND your metadata and provide a mechanism by which to restore that data easily. You can search for these by visiting the AppExchange directly and searching for keyword backup. We recommend that customers vet multiple offerings and audit the reviews provided by other customers before selecting one of these offerings.”
   
2. Accidental deletion
   
   Consider this statement directly from Salesforce best practices to back up data:
   
   “Even with the best of intentions, users and administrators have been in situations where they have either deleted large amounts of data, or have modified records, only to later realize that a mistake was made. With tools like the Data Loader, it is very easy to mass delete or update records. And a simple mistake in your source file or field mapping could spell disaster for your data. It is recommended that you keep a regular backup of your data and to do a manual point-in-time backup before you proceed with any major data project within your organization.”
   
   Accidental deletion remains the top cause of Salesforce data loss, leading to nearly 70% of the data loss incidents.
   
3. Cybersecurity attacks
   
   Being at the heart of the value chain and hosting huge volumes of sensitive customer data, Salesforce is a prime target for cybersecurity attacks.
   
   Unfortunately, in 2019, a cloud-based e-commerce platform and children’s clothing company, Hanna Andersson, had its data exposed due to a malware that infiltrated Salesforce. The breach compromised a considerable chunk of customer data, including credit card information and personal identifiers. The hackers gathered data from about 10,000 consumers nationwide and sold it to criminals on the dark web.
   
   Bearing the sophistication of cyberattacks in mind, it is important to consider what the impact of a security breach is on your organization, and what your data protection plan is to mitigate these attacks.
   
   A third-party cloud backup is a key component of data protection best practices. With reliable backups and quick recovery in case of a disaster, you will not only have peace of mind that you can recover data (and metadata) when you need it, but also that you maintain data compliance.
   
4. Unpredictable (and high) costs
   
   Professional service costs are high, as high as $10,000 per restore, per organization. A third-party backup provider can offer superior services for a predictable, all-inclusive price per user, per month.
   
5. Limited data backup retention period
   
   Is your customer data part of your long-term strategy? Salesforce backup is limited to a maximum retention period of 90 days. In contrast, a third-party backup provider can provide the flexibility to retain data, from one year and up to 99 years.
   
6. The infrequency of backups and lacking automation
   
   Salesforce Data Export Service allows you to back up every seven days (or 29 days, depending on the Salesforce edition). Additionally, datasets greater than 512 MB are exported into multiple zip files.
   
   When compared to this, a third-party backup provider offers you complete, automated daily backups with data and metadata in a time- and user-friendly fashion. Further, they provide tracking and monitoring of the latest backup and your backup history.
   
7. Lackluster user experience and poor recovery options
   
   When you need to recover objects, dealing manually with multiple 512 MB zip files is resource intensive. A third-party backup can provide you with these additional features:

• Drill down to specific objects
• A search option to instantly search and recover deleted or modified data
• Granular restore
• Compare and restore metadata
• Restore permanently deleted records
• Navigate snapshots of previous data versions and recover

Ultimately, as an IT Leader, it comes down to data protection and data availability. Can your business afford to lose mission-critical data for 6 to 8 weeks? Can your budget handle unpredictable costs up to $10,000? Can you perform time consuming, manual reconfigurations due to loss of metadata with Salesforce backup?

Instead of worrying about when data loss will happen, by using a third-party backup provider, you can recover data and metadata in minutes – at a predictable price point – regardless of what happens.

Keepit Backup and Recovery for Salesforce

Keepit for Salesforce saves you time, is cost effective, scalable, provides ease-of-use through a simple user interface, and gives you peace of mind that your data is securely backed up, recoverable, and available whenever you need it. With Keepit, we ensure this through:

• Automated daily backups every 12 hours
• Easy user interface which is clutter-free, intuitive, and increases productivity
• Set and forget operation – set up in a few clicks and the backup will be running in the background
• Unlimited storage and archiving at no extra charge
• Technology scalable to millions of users with long backup retention from 12 months to unlimited
• Point-in-time restores
• Blockchain-verified technology for protecting your data
• World-class security with dual data centers and 4 copies of data in private data centers

Keepit for Salesforce saves you time, is cost effective, scalable, easy to use through a simple user interface, and gives you peace of mind that your data is securely backed up, recoverable, and available whenever you need it. With Keepit, we ensure this through:

• Automated daily backups every 12 hours
• Easy user interface which is clutter-free, intuitive, and increases productivity
• Set and forget operation – set up in a few clicks and the backup will be running in the background
• Unlimited storage and archiving at no extra charge
• Technology scalable to millions of users with long backup retention from 12 months to unlimited
• Point-in-time restores
• Blockchain-verified technology for protecting your data
• World-class security with dual data centers and 4 copies of data in private data centers

Certification by BSI Group Ensures that Keepit Meets Stringent, International Information Security Standards
Copenhagen, Denmark – May 17, 2022 – , the market leader in cloud backup and recovery, and the world’s only independent, vendor-neutral cloud dedicated to SaaS data protection with a blockchain-verified solution, today announced that the company has earned International Organization for Standardization/International Electrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC) 27001:2013 certification for information security management systems (ISMS). By achieving the certification, Keepit continues to demonstrate its dedication and ability to deliver best-in-class security technology to its customers.

“We are pleased to announce Keepit’s ISO/IEC 27001 certification. This accomplishment, the work for which has been underway for years, conveys how committed we are to implementing the highest level of internal security and compliance, and to satisfying industry-leading standards for security and privacy,” said Keepit Chief Technology Officer, Jakob Østergaard.

“When it comes to backup and recovery, businesses seeking solutions need to be incredibly thorough in their due diligence processes. The ISO/IEC assessment report for Keepit acknowledged that our company already had a tradition of a high level of based on long-term work within our industry and with our partners, and we are pleased that our ISO/IEC certification will further reassure our customers and streamline their due diligence processes. Additionally, we are extremely proud that we met our distinct and ambitious goal of certifying our entire organization, including our entire software development lifecycle and the physical locations of the primary development offices”

 

A worldwide information security management standard jointly published by the ISO and IEC, the 27001 certification specifies a comprehensive set of best practices and controls — including policies, procedures, and staff training — that structure how businesses should manage risks associated with information security threats. The certification also outlines requirements for developing, operating, maintaining, and continually improving an ISMS. Benefits of Keepit’s 27001 certification include:

• A systematic, verified approach to information security that results in superior customer data protection;
• Ongoing performance evaluations and internal audits that ensure Keepit continues to meet the requirements of the ISO/IEC 27001 standard;
• Continued improvement of business continuity management and disaster recovery plans;
• Risk, vulnerability, and security incident management practices that enhance overall information technology (IT) operations security;
• Compliance with current and future legal and regulatory requirements.

To attain ISO/IEC 27001 certification, Keepit engaged in a rigorous, multi-faceted audit conducted by The British Standards Institution (). Comprising a framework that includes 150 controls, the audit evaluated Keepit’s ISMS information security, cybersecurity, and privacy protection processes, and encompassed the entire company, including services and technology, business continuity and operations, disaster recovery, and sales and legal operations. For more information on ISO/IEC 27001, please visit.

Keepit’s continued focus on delivering premium SaaS data protection services results in top ratings from customers

Copenhagen, Denmark  – May 11, 2022 –  Keepit, the market leader in cloud backup and recovery, and the world’s only independent, vendor-neutral cloud dedicated to SaaS data protection with a blockchain-verified solution, today announced that the company has received a Top Rated award from research and review platform TrustRadius.  

The award is based on the rating scores Keepit’s customers give the Keepit product and services. In addition to the scores, customers are able to elaborate on their ratings in detailed comments. The most praised characteristics of Keepit’s services on TrustRadius are: ease of use; the speed and granularity of recovery times; the return on investment and value for money; customer support; and the retention policies.  

‘Buyers have many options when it comes to selecting SaaS Backup Software,’ said Megan Headley, VP of Research at TrustRadius. ‘Keepit earned a Top Rated award based directly on feedback from its customers. Reviewers on TrustRadius highlight Keepit’s easy implementation, worry-free operation, and breadth of functionality.” 

Keeping it simple pays off 

For Keepit, the award is a testament to the value of keeping a dedicated focus on the user experience – not just from a product interface perspective but also from all the services surrounding the product. Particularly, technical support and customer success management have been key areas of continuous improvement and refinement for the company, as well as transparency in the initial sales and onboarding processes. 

With a business strategy dedicated to the customer experience, the award is received with gratitude and pride:  

“For Keepit, this is one of the most valuable categories of awards we can receive,” says Keepit CEO Frederik Schouboe. “Our philosophy has always been to ‘keep it simple’ based on the understanding that a security solution will only work if it is properly implemented and incorporated in the day-to-day operations of an organization.  And that only happens if the solution is intuitive and efficient. An award based on customer praise which keeps repeating simplicity, ease of use, and ease of implementation as valued features is the ultimate stamp of approval for a company like Keepit.” 

Nearly 90 percent of respondents admit that not all mission-critical data is protected from cyberattacks.

Copenhagen, Denmark – April 19, 2022 – Granular and air-gapped backup are critical to data recovery, when, not if, a business falls victim to ransomware. Those are among the key takeaways from a new Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG) study, titled “The Long Road Ahead to Ransomware Preparedness”, which surveyed information technology (IT) and cybersecurity professionals working within organizations across North America and Western Europe.

According to the report’s findings, while ransomware attacks aren’t always made public, they are a common occurrence and represent both a significant and recurring source of business disruption. Among the more than 600 respondents, 79 percent experienced a ransomware attack within the last year, with 17 percent experiencing attacks weekly and 13 percent experiencing attacks daily. 

More than three-quarters (79 percent) of the survey’s respondents said they categorize ransomware preparedness as being within the top five on their list of overall business priorities,

“Organizations are building their own individual strategies and processes in response to a lack of industry reference architecture or a blueprint for ransomware protection,” Christophe Bertrand, Practice Director at ESG. “The results of this report serve as a critical step in understanding the most important components of data recovery after a ransomware attack, and it is our hope that organizations can use this as guidance as they work towards preparedness.”

“The Long Road Ahead to Ransomware Preparedness” includes responses from 620 IT and cybersecurity professionals tasked with protecting against ransomware attacks at midmarket and enterprise organizations in North America (the United States and Canada) and Western Europe (UK, France, and Germany).

The study, sponsored by Keepit, the world’s only vendor-neutral and independent cloud dedicated to Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) data protection based on a blockchain-verified solution, sought to identify proactive and reactive strategies employed by organizations to guard against the ransomware threat, analyze ransomware mitigation best practices and identify how organizations are prioritizing and planning to mitigate the ransomware threat in the coming 12 to 18 months.

Other Key Findings Include: 

• 56 percent of respondents admitted to having paid a ransom to regain access to their data, applications, or systems but only 14 percent got all their data back following payment. 
• Only 1 in 7 organizations report protecting more than 90 percent of their mission-critical applications from cyberattacks.  
• 39 percent of successful ransomware attacks impact cloud data, and 40 percent impact storage systems.   

Additionally, some trends identified in the study include:  

• Cloud and storage systems are the most common ransomware targets across the board. 
• Granular data restores are widely preferred as a best practice over full rollback restores. 
• Granular and air-gapped backup have emerged as best practices among industry leaders, with hybrid methodologies favored. 
• Backup is the clear leader for cyber recovery strategy and can empower organizations to refuse to negotiate with ransomers. 

“Public cloud infrastructure has become a destination of choice for data backup, which means that cloud data is increasingly becoming a target for cybercriminals who really want to render businesses inoperable. Organizations are concerned that their backup copies could be corrupted by ransomware attacks and protecting backup copies is a key prevention tactic,” said Jakob Østergaard, CTO at Keepit.  “Our strategy is to build in security from the ground up with immutable, blockchain-verified technology, encryption, and air-gapping, and the ESG study clearly documents how.” 

As an alternative to ransom paying, the ESG study revealed that air-gapped backup and the ability to granularly restore data have emerged as best practices among industry leaders, with hybrid methodologies favored. In the context of backing up cloud data, this means allowing the backup or recovery copies to be physically and logically separated from the rest of the network.

Air-gapping is a time-tested solution that allows backup or recovery data copies to be housed separately from the rest of the network. It is becoming a “must-have” technology when it comes to keeping cloud data out of reach of cybercriminals.  The ESG report demonstrates that IT leaders will be looking for these capabilities in their current and future backup solutions, which must be hybrid to support on-premises, cloud-only, or a combination of deployment topologies.

Access the Report

Company Strengthens its Canadian Presence with Local Data Centers Offering First and Only No-Transmission Guarantee

Copenhagen, Denmark – March 30, 2022 – Keepit, the market leader in cloud backup and recovery, and the world’s only independent, vendor-neutral cloud dedicated to SaaS data protection with a blockchain-verified solution, today announced the opening of its first two data centers in Canada. Keepit is partnering with Equinix – one of the world’s leading, green-by-design digital infrastructure companies to run the data centers, enabling Keepit to provide a data storage solution that follows Canadian laws and regulations for businesses operating inside and outside of Canada.  

“Our superior data center strategy is what allows Keepit’s customers to instantly recover and restore lost or compromised data,” said Keepit CTO Jakob Østergaard. “Equinix data centers are recognized globally for exceptional levels of security. And since each location has full copies of user data, with two mirrored physical locations, our clients can rest assured that their data will always be available to them, regardless of their Software-as-A Service (SaaS) vendor’s status. Keepit can confidently guarantee that our infrastructure ensures all customers’ data will remain in situ, with no middleware transmissions outside regions. We are proud to be the first and only vendor that can make that claim.” 

Keepit’s new data center investment aligns with the proliferation of the data Backup-as-a-Service (BaaS) and recovery sector, which has largely been fueled by the exponential uptick in data volumes that resulted from the increased adoption of connected technologies and digital transformation drives. 

The opening of the data centers highlights Keepit’s commitment to providing the fastest, most secure, and most efficient service to its expanding Canadian customer base, while also demonstrating the significant growth of its global network. Additionally, it will greatly increase the company’s ability to offer seamless, low-latency data backup and recovery services across leading platforms such as Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and Salesforce.  

Keepit’s unique infrastructure is architected around multiple separate, mirrored data centers in each region, with each center operating in active-active mode; thereby, data is continually replicated between the centers. In the event of a single system failure, or even the unlikely event of the loss of a full data center, the platform’s operations will remain unaffected and Keepit’s clients’ data will remain reachable and available to be restored. 

Keepit’s existing Canadian partners, such as XenTegra, understand the importance of providing Canadian businesses with data sovereignty via local data centers, and of data being stored separately from the primary environment and independent from the SaaS vendor’s storage locations.  

As a global information technology solutions advisor and reseller company focused on digital workspace technologies and cloud computing, XenTegra is enjoying good momentum in Canada:  

We are seeing an immense need for Keepit’s solution amongst our customers. Every customer we speak to about backup immediately asks whether their data will reside within the country; this is a huge concern for Canadian entities. Keepit’s decision to invest in local, dual, mirrored, and load-balanced data centers is a welcome move to ensure continuity of data availability, along with its independent and local dedicated private cloud infrastructure. For those reasons, XenTegra is pleased to be a Keepit partner

Moin Khan, CTO at Xentegra