In the first part of our series, we outlined the general cyber risks - especially the threat of ransomware and data loss. The most important countermeasure is a solid backup and disaster recovery concept. This article is aimed at decision-makers and explains why backups are lifesavers in an emergency and how modern solutions (with a focus on Zerto) help to quickly restore business processes even in the event of a disaster.
Why backups and DR are essential:
Imagine your company's servers are encrypted and all data is suddenly inaccessible. Without up-to-date backups, operations would grind to a halt - a nightmare for any decision-maker. Backups are the ultimate safeguard: they make it possible to restore lost or encrypted data and continue business operations. Many cyber insurance policies require regular backups to be available and stored securely. But backup is only half the battle: Disaster recovery (DR) - the ability to get IT back up and running quickly after an incident - is just as important. This is where key figures such as RPO and RTO count: how up-to-date is the backed-up data? And how quickly can systems be restored in an emergency?
Challenges with conventional backups:
Traditional backup solutions often work at night with daily backup runs. In the worst case scenario, this means data loss until the last backup (around 24 hours) and long recovery times from tape archives or slow storage solutions. In addition, backups are tested far too rarely. Studies show that a significant proportion of companies never or hardly ever test their disaster recovery - so problems often go undetected until it is too late. This is critical for decision-makers: a backup that doesn't work is not a backup! Regular testing should therefore be firmly planned in order to avoid unpleasant surprises in an emergency.
Modern solution: Zerto Continuous Data Protection:
A modern backup and DR strategy goes beyond classic tape backup. This is where Zerto comes into play: Zerto offers Continuous Data Protection (CDP), i.e. continuous data backup in near real time. Instead of backing up just once a day, Zerto continuously replicates every change to a remote system. The advantage? The recovery point objective (RPO) - the maximum tolerated data loss - can be reduced to just a few seconds. In the event of a ransomware attack, you can jump back to a state shortly before the incident, with minimal data loss. Equally impressive is the recovery time objective (RTO): Automated failover processes mean that business-critical applications are often available again in minutes. Zerto also makes it possible to carry out recovery tests during operation without disrupting production. This gives companies the certainty that their emergency plan really works. Technically, this works via journal-based replication: all changes are recorded in a journal so that you can "rewind" to an earlier point in time at any time.
Business continuity as a goal:
For decision-makers, the use of such technologies primarily means business continuity. If a failure or cyber incident occurs, downtime is kept to a minimum and data loss is close to zero - an immense advantage, not only for customers and partners, but also for insurers. Some insurers reward demonstrably robust backup and DR precautions with better conditions, as this can limit the amount of damage in the event of an emergency. The bottom line is that backup and disaster recovery with solutions such as Zerto is an investment in the company's ability to survive. No manager wants to have to explain why there was no functioning data backup.
Conclusion:
A reliable backup and disaster recovery concept is a cornerstone of cyber resilience. Modern solutions such as Zerto show that ransomware & co. can now be technically eliminated - when seconds count, continuous backups and automated processes are key. Decision-makers should check whether their current backup systems meet these requirements. In the next part of our series, we will look at the "human shield": protecting clients and the importance of awareness training.
