The importance of data backup has been evident since the days of floppy disks. Data loss, whether due to viruses, hardware failure, or other mishaps, is a common experience for technology users. Statistics show that approximately 140,000 hard drives fail every week in the U.S., and over five years, 20% of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) encounter significant data loss due to major disasters. This reality has fueled the growth of the cloud backup industry, which continues to thrive.

However, in recent years, the focus has shifted from simple data backup to a more robust approach: data protection.

Why Backup Alone Isn’t Enough

Modern threats have highlighted the need for cybersecurity measures integrated with data backup systems. Backups must now defend against evolving risks such as sleeper ransomware, supply chain attacks, and more. Cloud-based solutions offer convenience and accessibility, but they also require heightened security considerations to address potential vulnerabilities.

When developing a backup and recovery strategy, businesses must prioritize tools that safeguard data from the ever-growing array of threats.

Key Modern Threats to Data Backups

Data Center Downtime
Cloud storage relies on servers that are internet-connected. These servers or the data centers housing them, can experience outages or crashes, jeopardizing data availability.

Sleeper Ransomware
This type of ransomware remains dormant after infiltrating a system, aiming to contaminate all backup versions. Once activated, it leaves victims without a clean, unaffected backup for recovery.

Supply Chain Attacks
Attacks targeting cloud vendors are on the rise. If a cloud provider experiences a cyberattack, it can cascade through its customer base, compromising client systems.

Misconfigured Security Settings
Incorrectly configured cloud storage security can expose data to attackers. This can lead to unauthorized access, theft, or deletion of critical files.

What to Look for in a Data Protection Solution

To ensure comprehensive security, backup solutions must go beyond simple storage and retrieval. Consider the following features when choosing a data protection system

Ransomware Defense
Backup systems should include features that detect and block unauthorized file changes. With ransomware targeting 95% of backup systems, such protection is essential to safeguard data.

Continuous Data Backup
Unlike scheduled backups, continuous data protection captures changes in real-time. This reduces potential data loss by preserving the most recent updates, ensuring business continuity even after a system crash.

Threat Detection and Mitigation
Proactive threat identification tools can scan for malware within backup files. This prevents dormant threats like sleeper ransomware from infecting all backups.

Zero-Trust Security
Adopting zero-trust principles—such as multifactor authentication and application safelisting—strengthens access controls and minimizes the risk of unauthorized intrusion.

Protecting Data in a Dynamic Threat Landscape
In today’s environment, simply having backups is insufficient. Data protection strategies must address both the security of stored information and the threats that target those backups. By implementing advanced backup systems with integrated cybersecurity measures, businesses can ensure resilience against data loss and evolving cyber threats.