As a ServiceNow administrator or platform owner, you juggle many responsibilities, ensuring the platform runs smoothly while responding to user needs and evolving business requirements. Amidst this workload, it can be easy to put off something that “might happen”, like data loss, while focusing on tangible everyday business challenges. However, data protection shouldn’t be ignored. On the contrary, it should be prioritized now more than ever as your reliance on ServiceNow grows.
The Reality of Data Loss in ServiceNow
Data loss within ServiceNow isn't just a remote possibility—it’s a real risk. And it’s not just from malicious sources. Everyday use of the platform can lead to accidental data loss or corruption, especially as the volume and complexity of the data grows. Common scenarios leading to data loss include:
- Migration Errors: Moving large volumes of data or consolidating data can result in inadvertent loss.
- Release and Update Issues: Deploying applications or system updates without proper testing can cause disruptions.
- Integration Failures: Errors in integrations can lead to data corruption.
- Maintenance and Upgrades: Planned maintenance or platform upgrades might sometimes go wrong.
- Malicious Attacks: Cyber threats that manage to delete or corrupt data.
Despite a common misconception, SaaS vendors’ protection typically extends only to their platform, leaving you responsible for recovering from incidents like the ones above.
The Business Impact of Data Loss in ServiceNow
While you might be responsible for cleaning up a messy data loss, the impact of a data incident can be felt across the business in the form of:
- Operational Disruption: ServiceNow’s extensive role means that data loss can halt multiple departments, impacting productivity and revenue. Many companies rely on data in ServiceNow to troubleshoot and resolve IT problems and to understand system dependencies, enabling them to manage problems efficiently.
- Non-compliance: Losing regulated data can result in hefty fines and compliance issues. The Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) is a major piece of legislation that goes into effect in the EU in January 2025. DORA impacts financial institutions in all EU member states and their ICT third-party service providers. In the context of DORA, ServiceNow could be considered a critical ICT provider with associated added importance and value. Read more about DORA and ServiceNow here.
- Trust and Reliability: A data loss can undermine confidence in the platform’s reliability. If users experience data loss, they may question the platform's ability to protect their data accurately and consistently.
How To Protect Platform Data
Understanding your responsibility to protecting data is a good first step, but your data won’t protect itself-you need to take action. While ServiceNow has native backup capabilities, there are two key areas where a third-party ServiceNow backup and recovery solution can help:
- Proactive Data Detection: Early detection of data loss or corruption is crucial. If you’re unaware of a data incident, you may not be able to address the issue before it disrupts business. By monitoring and alerting for data anomalies, the impact of data loss or corruption incidents can be minimized.
- Efficient Data Recovery: The ability to quickly and precisely restore data is paramount. Effective recovery strategies must provide this capability in case detection of a data incident occurs after the 14-day retention period of ServiceNow’s native backups.
Explore Our Full Guide
For a more in-depth look at protecting your ServiceNow data, download “A Guide to Fortifying ServiceNow Data Resilience.” This helpful guide provides strategies and resources for getting started.
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