Salesforce is one of the most popular and powerful customer relationship management (CRM) solutions on the market. While the developer does its part to prevent data breaches and losses, you must also take steps to protect your Salesforce org and the valuable information it contains with a Salesforce backup solution.
Before you can do that, you’ve got to familiarize yourself with what can cause data loss in Salesforce. Such a data loss can be linked to anything from a malicious attack to a simple user error. Regardless of the cause, any loss of information can have lasting repercussions for your business.
Below, learn more about what causes data loss in Salesforce so you can protect your Salesforce instance and your company’s long-term health.
Common Causes of Data Loss in Salesforce
Here’s a look at some of the most common culprits behind Salesforce data losses:
Human Error
No matter how well you protect your Salesforce environment from external threats, it will still face vulnerabilities from within. Even the most skilled or experienced users can make mistakes that compromise data integrity or accidentally leave the door open for hackers.
Suppose that you ask one of your admin users to clear old files from your customer data. A slip of the finger could lead to the accidental deletion of relevant datasets like transaction history or communication preferences.
Another human cause of lost data involves accidentally overriding existing information. This mishap can occur when users are updating records or importing new data.
Integration Issues
Integration capabilities represent a foundational part of Salesforce’s functionality. While combining your Salesforce platform with other apps helps streamline key workflows, it can also cause you to lose information.
Third-party tools that connect with Salesforce through an API might lead to data conflicts or even overwrite critical information. Another integration problem can emerge during syncs. If your apps aren’t syncing data correctly, incomplete data transfers can happen.
Data Migration Challenges
Any time you perform a major migration, there’s a chance for significant unplanned downtime and data loss. You should always perform a Salesforce backup before a migration in case something goes wrong.
Errors during migration can result in lost records or mismatched data fields. Even simple import/export tasks can lead to a loss of information if you don’t manage the process carefully. For example, if you import data into the wrong field, sorting out the nightmare could take weeks and impact business continuity.
Cybersecurity Threats & Attacks
Cyberattacks are an ever-present concern for any organization that uses cloud-based SaaS solutions. A successful hack could lead to a prolonged outage and a large-scale data loss. Hackers may gain unauthorized access to your data and delete records.
Cybercriminals often target Salesforce users through malware like ransomware and phishing schemes. These tactics allow them to steal login credentials and potentially infiltrate the platform without being detected.
System Malfunctions
Technical issues with Salesforce can cost your business important data. Hardware problems or bugs within the application can lead to an unexpected loss of information, especially if you don’t perform regular backups.
Unexpected outages on the provider’s side of the platform could compromise your data as well. For instance, if the system goes down while you are archiving files, the transfer could be disrupted, and any information may be lost.
Improper Use of Data Management Tools
You’ve got to make sure your team configures all of Salesforce’s tools and integrations correctly. Use the sandbox feature to test configurations, permissions, and other aspects of your tools in real time. Otherwise, you may inadvertently lose a significant amount of data.
For example, misconfiguring data loaders can result in the incorrect transfer or deletion of records. Misuse of APIs can also result in data corruption or permanent loss.
How Does Salesforce Data Loss Affect Your Organization?
Here are a few ways that a major data loss can negatively impact your business:
Operational Disruptions
The most immediate repercussion of a Salesforce data loss is a disruption to your daily operations. You rely on data for everything from processing transactions to running marketing campaigns. Without that information, you’ll be left with incorrect reports and disrupted workflows.
Financial Losses
The monetary implications of a data loss can be significant. You’ll experience immediate losses due to unplanned downtime and the cost of data recovery. A prolonged outage can negatively impact your standing with customers and cost you future opportunities.
Reputation Damage
You’ve worked hard to establish yourself as a trustworthy brand. That strong reputation can be lost in an instant if you experience a data breach that compromises customer information. Customers have entrusted you with their data. If you let them down, many will have a hard time relying on you again.
Legal and Compliance Issues
If your industry falls under the purview of state or federal data protection regulations, you could incur fines and other penalties after a breach. Make sure your business does everything possible to keep protected information out of the wrong hands.
How to Mitigate Data Loss in Salesforce
Once you identify what can cause data loss in Salesforce, it’s time to proactively mitigate these risks. Here are a few tips to jumpstart your efforts:
- Implement security measures like multi-factor authentication and access controls
- Educate your team on threats, both internal and external
- Be diligent about data management
You also need to implement a backup and recovery strategy to help you get back to business as usual following a loss of information.
Admittedly, performing a Salesforce data backup on your own can be tedious and time-consuming. The good news is that you don’t have to. Team up with Own and take advantage of our data protection tools to promote business continuity.
How Can Own Help You Protect Your Salesforce Data?
Own provides clients with data protection solutions for Salesforce. Our data recovery tools can help you bounce back in the aftermath of a security breach, integration gone wrong, or employee error. Explore our backup solutions and protect your mission-critical data.
