World Backup Day: why backup and recovery should be your top priority

Every year on 31 March, businesses and individuals alike are reminded of the critical importance of data protection with World Backup Day. In an era where cyber threats, accidental deletions, software and hardware failures are all too common, having a solid backup and recovery plan is no longer optional, it’s essential. Discover your organisation’s strengths and vulnerabilities with our latest Capability-Based Self-Assessment. By the end of this article, you’ll learn how to take the first step toward safeguarding what matters most – your data.

The Implications of Data Loss

Data is the lifeblood of modern businesses. Whether it’s customer records, financial information, or proprietary intellectual property, losing data can have devastating consequences. Gartner research highlights that organisations with outdated backup strategies are more vulnerable to data loss, especially in hybrid and multi-cloud environments. Also, the IDC highlights that backup failures are the leading cause of global data loss, emphasising the need for more robust disaster recovery solutions. At Trustmarque, we know the cost of downtime, lost revenue, and reputational damage can be irreparable, that’s why we are on a mission to ensure backup and recovery on today of all days.

What Makes a Comprehensive Backup & Recovery Strategy?

In addition, business data now exists across so many platforms, including data centres, cloud environments, edge locations, Microsoft 365, and across multiple SaaS applications, making protection increasingly complex and the risk of data being unprotected greater. To ensure seamless protection, businesses should strive to use as few data protection applications as possible, ideally a single solution that can safeguard all data sources efficiently. However, a robust backup strategy is more than just storing copies of your files, here are the key elements every business should prioritise:

1. Regular Backups – Automate your backups to ensure your data is consistently protected. A good rule of thumb is the 3-2-1-1-0 rule: keep three copies of your data, stored on two different media, with one copy offsite, one copy offline, and ensure zero errors through regular testing
2. Cloud vs. On-Premise Backup – Cloud-based backups offer scalability and remote accessibility, while on-premise backups provide greater control. A hybrid approach often delivers the best of both worlds
3. Security Measures – Encrypt your backups to prevent unauthorised access and ensure compliance with data protection regulations
4. Ransomware Protection – Cybercriminals are increasingly targeting backups. Implement air-gapped and immutable backups that cannot be altered or deleted by ransomware attacks, along with immutable primary storage snapshots to add an extra layer of protection against data tampering
5. Intelligent Backup Validation & Recovery Assurance – Backups must be clean, recoverable, and free from corruption. Use AI-driven analysis to detect risks and automate recovery testing to ensure reliability and compliance
6. Disaster Recovery Planning – A backup is only as good as your ability to restore it. Regularly test your disaster recovery processes to ensure you can recover data quickly in case of an emergency.

Why Choose Trustmarque?

While ‘build your own’ backup solutions may seem sufficient, they often fall short when disaster strikes. As a specialist services and solutions provider, with decades of expertise in backup and recovery, Trustmarque provides:

• Consultative, vendor independent advice
• Tailored backup solutions to fit your business needs
• Rapid recovery options to minimise downtime and disruption
• AI-driven analysis to detect risks and automate recovery testing
• Compliance support to meet industry data security requirements
• As-a-Service and Managed Service options to provide scalable, hassle-free backup and recovery tailored to your business.

Assess Your Backup Maturity Level

Unlock the full potential of your organisation’s data protection, security, and resilience with our Capability-Based Self-Assessment. In just minutes, gain an instant, accurate evaluation of critical areas such as backup strategy, security controls, automation, and compliance. The assessment generates a real-time dashboard and executive report, highlighting strengths, surfacing risks, and qualifying gaps. You’ll receive clear, actionable recommendations to mitigate weaknesses, optimise performance, and enhance business continuity. Ensure your organisation is prepared, compliant, and resilient.

Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late!

That’s why World Backup Day is the perfect time to assess your backup and disaster recovery strategy. Don’t risk losing valuable data, take the assessment today and drive data protection excellence with confidence. Contact us at [email protected] to find out how you can take our Backup Assessment and learn how we can safeguard your business against data loss.

Written by Mark Treweeke, Data Centre Practice Director at Trustmarque.

Sources:
_{Gartner – Top Trends in Enterprise Backup and Recovery for 2024
IDC – World Backup Day: Highlighting the Importance of Data Resilience}