CLOUD BACKUP
Changing times With increasing amounts of work being undertaken in the cloud, and this trend expected to continue, cloud backup is essential. But with the nature of threats changing, so is the backup required.
Since the pandemic, the amount of work that is deployed on cloud-native platforms has grown quickly alongside the rise in hybrid working, and this is expected to continue – which means that effective cloud backup is essential. Joseph Noonan, GM, Datto and Unitrends, notes research from Gartner, which found that more than 95% of all new digital workloads will be deployed on cloud-native platforms by 2025, up from 30% in 2021. “In addition, a recent survey conducted by Google indicates that businesses are increasingly relying on cloud-based products and services (41.4%), with many planning to switch from outdated enterprise software to cloud-based tools (33.4%) and migrate their on-premises workloads to the cloud (32.8%),” he says. With such numbers going to the cloud, getting it protected is imperative. “Data is the lifeblood of every business, and it’s critical to protect it no matter where it lives,” says Joseph. “Workloads may change from living in the data center to living in the cloud, but the need for a strong data protection strategy doesn’t change.” But as Joseph notes, the widespread adoption of cloud brings with it an increased vulnerability to cyberthreats. “This makes strong backup strategies for cloud workloads more crucial than ever,” he says. “As businesses integrate critical functions into the cloud, the responsibility falls on technology resellers and managed service providers to guide their clients through the complexities of protecting cloud data. “The cloud is not immune to cyberattacks, and if your cloud backups are stored in the same cloud as your production data, you are putting yourself at significant risk – think about it like putting a deadbolt on a screen door. It’s critical your cloud backups are stored elsewhere, ideally in a cloud built to be invisible to attackers.” Stephen Croke, AWS integration and cybersecurity expert at Cirrus HQ, adds that
businesses are also facing increasing threats of ransomware, accidental deletion and hardware failures. “As 11% of organisations state they have even faced a data breach incident once a week,” he says. “Without backups, recovering from data losses can be costly, time-consuming and even impossible.” The repercussions from not having adequate cloud backup can be huge, he adds. “Data loss can cause downtime that will halt operations, impacting revenue and reputational damage,” he warns. “UK organisations have lost £244 billion in the past year due to data loss, risking thousands of jobs and causing damage to the business’s reputation. “Losing data can also hinder regular business processes affecting productivity, customer service as well as morale among employees. Digital disruptions caused by data loss can lead customers to look elsewhere for an organisation that is better, easier and faster to use.” It can also be a compliance breach, as GDPR legally mandates organisations to protect data within the business and its customers. “Data loss without backups can lead to fines of up to 20 million euros and legal repercussions,” he says. SaaS backup Graham Russell, director of market intelligence at Own Company, adds that cloud backup is essential. “Organisations today rely heavily on cloud-based SaaS applications like Salesforce, Microsoft 365, ServiceNow and Workday, which are at the heart of project management and other critical functions,” he says. “But many organisations may not be aware that most SaaS applications operate under a shared responsibility model. This implies that these organisations are responsible for protecting and backing up the data they store in these applications, which are critical for their business. With no backup, organisations are susceptible to the damaging and costly consequences of data loss and corruption. And with data loss increasingly commonplace
The widespread adoption of cloud brings with it an increased vulnerability to cyberthreats. “
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Joseph Noonan
datto.com
Stephen Croke
cirrushq.com
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