A rural land or property consultancy should protect its data with encrypted backups that are isolated from your live systems and tested regularly, covering your files, your Microsoft 365 data and your specialist software, alongside a clear recovery plan. Your land, planning and client records are among your most valuable assets, and losing them can stop client work in its tracks.
Data loss comes from a server fault, an accidental deletion or ransomware, and any of them can hit a busy consultancy hard. Here’s how to make sure you can always recover quickly.
1. Back up the things that matter
That means your documents and planning files, your Microsoft 365 email and data, and the databases behind your specialist software such as Gatekeeper. A backup that covers everything important is what lets you recover from any kind of loss.
2. Keep backups isolated and encrypted
Backups need to be encrypted and kept somewhere ransomware can’t reach and encrypt along with your live data. Isolated copies are what let you recover after a serious attack rather than being stuck.
3. Test that they actually restore
The only backup that counts is one you’ve proven you can restore. Regular test restores confirm the backups work and show how long recovery takes, so there are no nasty surprises during a real incident.
4. Have a recovery plan
A simple, written plan covering what gets restored first and how you keep working in the meantime turns a data-loss event from a crisis into a managed task. For a firm with planning and client deadlines, that’s worth a great deal.
A real example: a planning document recovered in minutes
We support a rural, agricultural and property consultancy that has rated our service positively on every ticket for more than five years. When a colleague’s edits to a live planning appeal document were overwritten after switching laptops, we restored the exact earlier version, to the right folder and timestamp, within about half an hour, using managed Acronis backup. No work was lost and no deadline was missed.
For a business like yours, this is part of managed IT and security that usually costs about £45 to £100 per user per month, scaling with your headcount, the software you rely on, and the level of security you need.
Why rural consultancies choose First Stop IT
First Stop IT has supported businesses since 2002, including rural land, agronomy and property consultancies, and we know the software these firms rely on: Gatekeeper, BigHand, Argus Developer, Power BI, Google Earth Pro and Xero, alongside Microsoft 365. Our credentials include:
- Cyber Essentials Certified
- IASME Cyber Assurance (Gold)
- NCSC Assured Service Provider (Cyber Advisor for Cyber Essentials)
- Microsoft Partner
- Crown Commercial Service Supplier (G-Cloud)
- Quality Principles Certified
We look after more than 2,000 endpoints across 50 companies, we’ve been named a Top 50 UK MSP for three years running, and we support organisations with 10 to 100 employees across Essex, Hertfordshire and London, including Harlow and Bishop’s Stortford.
Book a free IT and cyber security review
Not sure your data would survive a serious incident? Book a free IT and cyber security review with First Stop IT and we’ll test your backups and recovery plan.