Half of UK IT leaders rely on backups amid data recovery issues

A recent survey by Apricorn has revealed that half of IT decision makers in the UK have had to rely on backups to recover data, with a notable portion unable to make fully successful recoveries. Apricorn, a manufacturer of hardware-encrypted USB drives, disclosed these findings in their annual survey on the state of data backup and recovery capabilities within organisations.

The survey highlights that while 50% of respondents who turned to backups managed to recover their data successfully, 25% were only able to achieve partial recoveries. Moreover, 8% encountered complete failure in their recovery efforts due to inadequate backup processes. These statistics underscore the importance of effective data backup strategies to ensure swift and complete recovery in the event of a cyber attack.

According to the survey, 9% of IT decision makers admitted their current backup systems are not sufficiently robust to enable rapid recovery from an attack. This indicates a critical need for improvement in backup processes, yet also reflects a growing awareness of best practices in data backup. The ability to fall back on backups, to various extents, signals progress in recovery strategies.

Jon Fielding, Managing Director at Apricorn, remarked, "While it is encouraging to see more organisations automating backup and adopting multiple backup locations, the fact that a percentage of organisations still struggle with complete data recovery is a stark reminder of the work that remains. Robust backup systems are not just advisable; they are a necessity in today’s threat landscape."

The survey pointed out a positive trend in the adoption of comprehensive backup strategies. It reported a significant increase in automated backups to both central and personal repositories. The implementation of such practices reflects the industry’s understanding of the importance of multiple backup locations and the benefits of automated systems. Specifically, automated backup to central repositories has surged to 27%, up from 14% the previous year, while automated backup to personal repositories has risen to 16%.

"It’s encouraging to see that businesses are recognising the need for secure backup strategies and automating backups will mitigate the risk of employees forgetting or executing the process incorrectly," Fielding added. "However, it’s imperative that every business should have a comprehensive backup and recovery strategy that follows the ‘3-2-1 rule’. This means having at least three copies of data, stored on at least two different media, one of which should be offsite. One copy of the data should be offline, for example, on an encrypted removable hard drive that can be disconnected from the network."

The enhancements in backup practices have evidently yielded tangible benefits, demonstrated by the generally successful recovery efforts following data breaches. Additionally, there has been a growing prioritisation of backup policies as an essential element of cybersecurity strategies.

The survey reveals that 46% of respondents now view robust backup policies as the most crucial factor for meeting cyber insurance compliance. This is a notable increase from 28% in the previous year, indicating heightened awareness of the high stakes involved and the role comprehensive backup solutions play in mitigating risks and securing insurance coverage.

Conducted by Censuswide, the survey encompassed 604 IT security decision makers across the UK and the US. Censuswide is a member of the Market Research Society and adheres to ESOMAR principles.