World Backup Day: Tech leaders universally agree that backing up data is critical, but it's not enough

Tahawul Tech

01-04-2025

World Backup Day: March 31st is World Backup Day, and cybersecurity practitioners and technology leaders are universal in their agreement, that whilst the importance of data protection cannot be underestimated, backups are not enough, and businesses need to do more to become data resilient as the attacks surface continues to change.
Edwin Weijdema, Field CTO EMEA, Strategy, Cybersecurity Lead at Veeam Software:
Fourteen years ago when World Backup Day was started, the aim was awareness, right? But these days, the focus should instead be on preparedness. By now, the majority of organizations (hopefully) have backup solutions in place – if any organization isn't aware of the importance of backups then they must be operating under a rock!
But having backups in place and being well prepared to use them during a crisis are different things. Going forward, today should stand as a reminder to stress-test your backups and their accompanying data recovery plans.
Michael Cade, Global Field CTO at Veeam Software:
It's no surprise things have changed since World Backup Day was established over a decade ago. Backups used to be seen as an afterthought, a measure you put in place and picked up when needed. But today, they need a core element of wider data resilience planning.
Often targets of attacks themselves, backups need to level up to match these threats. Immutable backups need to be the standard, to keep backups tamper-proof, even when under attack. Following an attack, you need to be comfortable recovering from a backup you know is secure, with a tried-and-tested plan to get your systems operational again. While backups are vital, organizations can't just rely on backups alone, a business-wide cybersecurity plan needs to be in place as a first line of defence for ransomware attacks.
Like backups themselves, World Backup Day needs to level up and evolve. It sparks great conversation, but it needs to go beyond talking just backups in isolation and cover the full data resilience picture.
Rick Vanover, VP of Product Strategy at Veeam Software:
World Backup Day is a very important reminder that data backup is needed as part of an overall data resilience strategy. When working alongside Veeam customers, everyday I hear stories from customers about the threats of potentially bad things happening to good data. Here's my practice advice for everyone today on World Backup Day and every day: Always have a plan A, plan B and a Plan C. We don't know what could go wrong, we can only plan ahead to prevent and be prepared. To keep data resilient to the expectations of today and tomorrow, we need to have versatile options to avoid the next disaster. Whether it is – a user deleting a file, or a 'fire, flood and blood scenario,' or more likely a cyber security incident – staying resilient is ALWAYS in style.
Fred Lherault, Field CTO, EMEA / Emerging Markets, Pure Storage
Backing up data remains critical for data protection, but it's not enough. Implementing advanced data protection capabilities helps companies better plan for — and recover quickly from — ransomware and cyberattacks. This essentially requires a two-pronged approach: taking regular, immutable and indelible copies of data, and having the necessary infrastructure to rapidly restore from backups at speed and scale.
In the event of a cyber attack, or any other event that compromises data or disrupts operations, companies can recover critical data from their immutable copies so that they can restore operations quickly — without having to succumb to the demands of cyber criminals. Proper immutability and indelibility means these copies cannot be changed in any way (such as encrypted), or as importantly, deleted by anyone, even if they manage to obtain the administrator's credentials. This makes them far more resilient and reliable in the event of a cyber attack.
Next comes the ability to restore data as fast as possible, as reliable backups are limited in their effectiveness if operations cannot be restored quickly. Some of the most advanced flash-based storage solutions dramatically increase the speed of data restoration. The leading solutions boast a recovery performance of up to many hundreds of TBs per hour at scale, enabling organisations to restore systems in hours — rather than weeks, so they can get up and running again with minimal impact.
Ziad Nasr, General Manager – Acronis Middle East
World Backup Day is an important reminder that protecting data is not a one-time task — it's a continuous responsibility.
In an age where cyber threats, hardware failures, and accidental deletions are all too common, regular and tested backups are essential to ensure your data is safe and recoverable. At Acronis, we emphasize not only the importance of creating backups but also verifying them and keeping them secure.
Backups are a cornerstone of any solid cybersecurity strategy — because when data loss happens, your backup is your best defense.
Rich Murr, Chief Customer Officer & Chief Information Officer at Epicor
What we're seeing is that moving to the cloud is a game-changer for businesses when it comes to compliance and data security. For businesses using cloud-based ERP software, having all their data in one place simplifies compliance with regulations like GDPR and CCPA. Regular risk assessments and proactive measures are easier to manage in the cloud. Compliance frameworks such as ISO 27001, SOC 2, and PCI DSS are often built into cloud solutions, helping businesses stay ahead of potential vulnerabilities. Most of our new business is now in the cloud, and it's clear why: it helps businesses avoid penalties and build a reputation for trust and integrity.