More Than One Third Of Enterprises Don’t Backup Business Data

CloudBerry Lab, Inc., in cloud-based backup and file management services to SMBs, announced the results of an independent survey*, highlighting enterprises’ current approaches and attitudes towards backup.

Overall, while many organizations are successfully modernizing their backup strategies through using cloud backup and features like automation, outdated backup approaches remain prevalent. In addition, one third of respondents reported a complacent, lax attitude toward backup – meaning they may not have the level of backup and protection they actually need.

“Threats to an organization’s data used to be more straightforward – a HDD would fail, or a server would get destroyed in a natural disaster. Although these threats are still here, we now deal with a whole new range of man-made threats. The recent rise in ransomware attacks, which hold data hostage from the enterprise, is one example,” says Alexander Negrash, director of marketing, CloudBerry Lab. “This new world places a premium on reliable cloud backup, which must be frequent, easy and secure, while getting data ‘out of the building’ to a remote, off-site location.”

Key findings from the survey include:

• Almost half of respondents (49%) have only one copy of their business data, which could cause a complete operational disruption in the event that data becomes inaccessible.
• Approximately 36% of enterprises backup their business data completely. While this finding is encouraging, it is offset by the fact that an equal amount (36%) do no backups at all.
• Approximately 27% of respondents reported they have lost business data “several times,” up to “many times.”
• Nearly 42% of respondents rely on automation for backup, showing they are advancing their strategies to require minimal human intervention. However, this good news is tempered by the fact that an equal number of respondents backup only “from time to time,” sometimes as infrequently as once a week.
• Approximately 44% of enterprises continue to rely on external drives (such as tape) for backup, far more than the cloud (26%). This is in spite of the inherent shortcomings of tape-based methods, including security risks resulting from theft, loss and other human error.
• Ironically, an overwhelming majority of respondents (approximately 62%) cited security concerns as their biggest concern regarding cloud-based backup. Other concerns with using the cloud for backup include the work/cost associated with the initial data seed; fear of vendor lock-in; lack of interoperability with existing storage solutions and possible productivity drains.
• While 55% of respondents reported being “very satisfied” or “almost satisfied” with their backup processes, 36% reported simply, “it works.” These organizations are likely not examining and evaluating their backup needs periodically, and making appropriate changes.

“In spite of a few bright spots, we have to give enterprises an overall grade of C in the area of backup. In our view, the increasing threat landscape will cause that grade to drop, unless organizations begin reconsidering their strategies,” continues Negrash. “There are newer, more modern options available, making the best backup processes available to even the most resource-constrained companies. As an industry, we must encourage consideration of these options as well as dispel misperceptions that lead companies to accept the status quo.“

*Using a SurveyMonkey audience of more than 400 full-time employees from around the world, surveyed over a one-week period from March 26 – April 1, 2016.