Backup & Disaster Recovery by Flux Labs
If a hurricane, a hacker or a dead hard drive took out your office tomorrow, could you get your files back? With us, the answer is yes, usually within hours.
The short answer
What is backup and disaster recovery?
Backup means keeping extra copies of your files, email and servers. Disaster recovery is the plan and tools to get your business working again from those copies, fast, after a hurricane, ransomware, theft or a dead drive. One without the other isn't enough: a backup nobody has ever restored is a hope, not a plan.
In the Panhandle, disasters aren't hypothetical. Hurricane Michael closed businesses in Bay County for weeks in 2018, and ransomware hits small offices every day. This page explains how good backups are built, how long recovery really takes, and how to get ready before the next storm.
What's included
Every copy, every plan, every test
Storms, ransomware, a spilled coffee or a click on the wrong email can wipe out years of work in a moment. We copy your files and systems automatically, keep the copies somewhere safe, and test that they actually restore. When something goes wrong, we get you running again fast, so a bad day doesn't become the end of your business.
- Automatic cloud backups Your data is copied on a schedule, locked with encryption and stored in more than one location.
- A plan for the worst day A written plan for your business that covers everything from hurricanes to ransomware.
- Back to work in minutes If your server fails, we can run a copy of it from the backup while we fix the original.
- One file or everything Get back a single deleted file or a whole computer, whichever you need.
- Tested regularly We practice restoring your backups so we know they'll work when it counts.
- Records kept as long as required Storage that meets HIPAA, FINRA and other record-keeping rules.
Client results
Daffin Insurance · Insurance Industry Continuity
An agency stops a ransomware attack in real time.
A ransomware attack blocked in real time — after a layered security stack replaced outdated tooling and unverified backups.
Read the case study →“They protected our data before we even realized we were at risk. They’re our secret weapon.”
“Hurricane Michael knocked out power for days, but Flux Labs had us running again in hours thanks to their off-site backup system.”
How we start
From first call to fully covered
- Talk to us A 15-minute call about your business, your setup and what isn't working.
- Get a free assessment We look at your systems and show you what we find, in plain English.
- We take it from there We close the biggest gaps first, then monitor, support and report every month.
Why Panhandle businesses trust us with their backups
- Quick, local help from a Florida-based team
- Recovery times set around how your business works
- Clear reports showing your backups are healthy
- Copies kept both at your office and in the cloud
- Strong encryption, whether stored or on the move
- Sized to fit businesses of any size
Who needs this
Protection that fits your industry
- Medical offices Backups that meet HIPAA rules
- Law and finance Records kept as long as the rules require
- Retail and checkout Quick recovery from outages and damaged data
- Construction and field work Laptops and tablets in the field, protected too
- Schools and non-profits Strong protection on a tight budget
Local to Bay County
Backups planned for hurricane country
Every business in Bay County has a hurricane story. After Hurricane Michael, the companies that recovered fastest were the ones whose data was already somewhere else, tested and ready to restore. That's what we set up for you.
We keep one copy of your data at your office for quick restores and another far away from the storm's path, then test the restores on a schedule. If your office is closed, your team can keep working from wherever they are.
- Copies kept far from the storm Your data is copied outside the Panhandle, so one storm can't take out both copies.
- Restores tested, not assumed We practice restoring and keep the results, so you know it works before you need it.
- A written recovery order A plan that says what comes back first and who does what.
The 3-2-1 rule
How a backup that survives anything is built
The industry rule of thumb is 3-2-1: three copies of your data, on two different kinds of storage, with one kept somewhere else. We add a fourth piece: checking that it works.
- 3 copies The live data your team uses, plus two backups. If one backup fails, there's still another.
- 2 kinds of storage One backup on a device at your location for quick restores, one in a secure data center.
- 1 copy off site A hurricane, fire or break-in at your location can't take the off-site copy with it.
- Kept apart from your network Ransomware tries to delete backups first. Copies that can't be changed or deleted from your computers are safe from it.
- Checked every morning Every backup reports in. A missed or failed one is a problem we fix that day.
- Test-restored on a schedule We restore real files and whole servers to prove the backups work, and write down how long it took.
How fast is fast
How long recovery takes, by what went wrong
Two numbers matter: how much work you could lose (how old the last backup is) and how long until you're working again. Here's what our clients can expect.
| What happened | What we restore from | Typical time back to work |
|---|---|---|
| Someone deleted a file or folder | The on-site backup or version history | Minutes |
| A laptop is lost, stolen or dies | A new laptop, with files from the cloud and settings from our tools | Same day to next day |
| A server fails | The on-site backup, started as a temporary server | A few hours |
| Ransomware hits the office | Clean, untouched backups after the infection is removed | 1 to 3 days, depending on size |
| The building is closed by a storm | The off-site copy, run in the cloud or at another location | 1 to 2 days, people work from home |
| Someone deleted email in Microsoft 365 or Google | A separate backup of email, calendars and shared files | Minutes to hours |
Times are typical for clients on our backup plan and depend on how much data you have. Want to know what a day offline costs you? Try the downtime cost calculator.
A common surprise
Isn't Microsoft 365 or Google already backed up?
Not the way most people think. Microsoft and Google keep their systems running, but they're not responsible for your data. If someone deletes a mailbox, a file is overwritten, or ransomware syncs into your shared drive, their recycle bins only go back so far.
That's why we back up email, calendars, OneDrive, SharePoint and Google Drive separately, with history going back far enough to recover from a problem nobody noticed for weeks.
Not sure what you have?
Our free backup check asks 10 quick questions and tells you where the gaps are.
Hurricane season
How to get your IT ready before a storm
Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30. When a storm is three days out, work through these steps. Our 72-hour storm checklist has them on one page.
- Confirm the last good backup Check that last night's backup, on site and off site, finished. Clients: we do this for you and confirm by email.
- Send laptops home Staff take laptops and chargers home, so work can continue wherever they evacuate to.
- Shut down and raise Power down servers and network gear cleanly, unplug them and lift them off the floor, away from windows.
- Know how to reach each other Share a contact list outside of company email, and how to reach your IT team if phones are down.
- Plan the restart After the storm, power and internet first, then servers, then computers. We bring everything back in that order and check each step.
Keep reading
Storm and backup guides
Every month
What you get, every month
- Around-the-clock monitoring
- Encrypted storage
- Monthly practice restores
One flat monthly bill
Sized to your team, not to how often things break
No hourly invoices and no surprise charges. On a 15-minute call we look at your users, devices and goals, and put together the coverage that fits.
Book a 15-minute callFrequently asked questions
What's included in backup and disaster recovery?
We automatically copy your servers, computers and cloud data, lock the copies with encryption and keep them both at your office and in the cloud. We also test restores regularly and write down a recovery plan, so ransomware, a broken server or a hurricane doesn't shut down your Panama City business. You get backups we've proven work, not just hope.
How is backup and disaster recovery priced?
You pay a flat monthly fee based on how much data we protect and how quickly you need it back. That's a small fraction of what days of downtime or lost files would cost a Bay County business. We'll set how long copies are kept and how fast recovery needs to be to fit your business and budget.
How do you make sure our data is actually recoverable?
We keep three copies of your data, in two different places, with one off-site. Every copy is encrypted, and we test restores regularly so we know they work, which also matters for HIPAA, PCI and cyber insurance. If your main server fails, we can often have it running from the backup in minutes instead of days.
How does local support help during a Panhandle disaster?
We're based in the Panama City area and plan for the storms this region gets. Your data is copied to the cloud, so it survives even if your office doesn't, and most systems can be restored the same day. In an emergency you get a technician nearby, not a call center far away.
How often are backups taken?
Most clients back up their most important systems several times a day and everything else daily. We set the schedule around how much work you could afford to redo.
Do you back up Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace?
Yes. Microsoft and Google keep their services running, but they don't protect you from a deleted mailbox, ransomware or a departing employee wiping files. We back up your email, OneDrive, SharePoint and Google Drive separately.
What do we do when a storm is coming?
We follow your plan: confirm the latest backups, shut down equipment safely if needed, and make sure your team knows how to work from home until the office reopens.
What's the difference between backup and file sync like OneDrive or Dropbox?
Sync copies changes everywhere, including mistakes and ransomware. A backup keeps older versions you can go back to. You want both: sync for working together, backup for getting things back.
How much data could we lose?
With nightly backups, at most a day's work. Servers and busy shared drives can be backed up every hour or more often, so the loss is measured in minutes.
Should we pay if ransomware hits?
We help you avoid ever having to decide. With clean backups kept apart from your network, we restore instead of paying. Paying doesn't guarantee your files come back.
Let's talk about being ready