Data Backup Awareness Month

June was backup awareness month, and the cybersecurity industry urged internet users around the world to heed its call for heightened vigilance. The warning comes at a time when ransomware and other online attacks continue to threaten privacy and data security.

What’s the true state of cybersecurity implementation at companies around the world – and are managers being proactive enough in protecting their data? Let’s take a look at the latest numbers to gain insight into the situation from a global perspective.

cyberthreats persist, but some managers are slow to act

The harsh reality of an online space that is becoming increasingly risky for businesses and individuals who value their sensitive information often makes headlines. Unfortunately, the magnitude of online data threats seems to contrast strongly with managers’ willingness to secure the very same data that’s under threat.

Arcserve, a prominent online security provider, carried out a comprehensive data loss survey recently across several countries. South Africa wasn’t part of the research as such, but many of the insights gained from over 1 200 IT professionals responsible for data security implementation may be applicable to the local market.

The survey’s biggest takeaway probably won’t surprise many cybersecurity professionals: most companies can and will be hit by some form of data loss eventually.

For business owners, this means making peace with the inevitability of a cybersecurity breach and shifting their focus to mitigation and recovery. This strategy is justified by some of the survey’s highlights:

• 76% of medium sized companies have experienced data loss in the period 2018-2023
• 45% of respondents said that their lost data was unrecoverable
• Only 24% of respondents have a comprehensive cyberattack response plan in place
• 77% of medium size companies haven’t developed a data resilience plan

secure cloud storage puts the 1 into 3-2-1-1

Data security experts recommend implementing a 3-2-1-1 strategy to prevent irretrievable data loss:

• Three copies of company data should exist,
• Two of them should be on different physical media,
• One should be off-site,
• The final copy should be in the cloud in immutable storage so that it can’t be altered by hackers.

Since the final copy is the one that could restore your company’s data in the event of a major cyberattack, we’d like to help you store it securely in the cloud in case you need it.

Soteria Cloud offers secure backup and offsite data storage with the latest encryption technology, including immutable storage. To secure your data and gain an edge over 77% of businesses globally, browse our range of cloud storage packages today.