According to a survey among its data recovery customers, recovery provider Kroll Ontrack says that while 60% of respondents had a backup solution in place at the time of data loss, the backup was not current or operating properly.

These findings provide key insight into the importance of diligently monitoring and verifying that a backup is successfully operating and capturing a current, accurate snapshot.

The survey finding also indicate that external hard drive backup was still the most used and sought after approach to backing up both business and personal data – 60% of respondents said they use an external drive solution, while 15% used the cloud and 15% backed up to tape.

Regardless of backup solution used, there are common scenarios where backups are unsuccessful and therefore not reliable after a data loss:

•External drive only connected on an occasional basis; backup not automated and instead performed on demand
•Computer not on during scheduled backup and not configured to perform at a different time
•Backup software failed
•Backup ran out of destination space
•Backup profile did not cover all of the device requiring backup
•File lost before scheduled backup

“Leveraging a data backup solution is critical for any business or individual protecting against data loss,” said Robert Winter, head of engineering, Kroll Ontrack. “However, as our recent global survey results demonstrate, even a reputable cloud or external media solution does not always provide predictable results. An effective backup solution hinges on the user or IT administrator attentively validating that the solution is functioning as expected and verifying that the backup is complete.”

Kroll Ontrack surveyed 600 recent Ontrack Data Recovery customers from North America (27%), Europe (58%) and Asia Pacific (15%), with one third of respondents experiencing personal data loss, and two thirds having lost business data. After experiencing data loss, 87% of respondents indicated they are extremely likely or somewhat likely to seek a backup solution. Of those, nearly 60% are seeking an external hard drive solution and roughly one fourth are looking to the cloud to protect their data. The remaining 13% of respondents who do not plan to seek a backup solution cited the time and expense associated with research and administration as the overwhelming barrier to consideration.

Kroll Ontrack’s tips for backup success

•Take the time to invest in a backup solution and set up a backup schedule
•Ensure backups are running regularly in accordance with the determined schedule
•Check backup reports for error indications or failure
•Test backups on a regular basis to ensure data has been accurately captured and files are intact

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