In today’s rapidly evolving IT landscape, businesses are facing new challenges when it comes to securing their data. With the shift to hybrid work environments and increased cloud adoption, the complexity of data protection has grown, leaving organizations vulnerable to cyberthreats. The State of Backup and Recovery Report 2025, based on insights from over 3,000 IT professionals worldwide, sheds light on how businesses are grappling with these challenges and the gaps that exist in their data protection strategies.
According to the report, organizations are facing a backup paradox where essential data backup and recovery systems are becoming increasingly unreliable. Data loss is now a matter of “when” rather than “if,” with 9 in 10 organizations experiencing operational downtime in the past year. Confidence in backup systems is on the decline, as only 40% of IT teams feel confident in their backup solutions. Additionally, managing backups has become a time-consuming burden, with IT teams spending more than 10 hours per week on backup-related tasks.
Security gaps in backup systems are also a significant concern, with about 25% of workloads lacking policies to limit unauthorized access. This leaves organizations vulnerable to cyberattacks that could compromise their backup data. Despite the critical role backup systems play in protecting against cyberthreats, many businesses are still using insecure methods for credential management, further exposing their data to risks.
When it comes to data recovery, organizations are facing challenges in ensuring quick and reliable recovery processes. Only 15% of businesses conduct daily backup tests, leaving them at risk of failure in a crisis. Lack of regular testing means that businesses may overestimate their recovery readiness, with close to 60% believing they can recover in a day when in reality, only 35% actually do.
Cloud adoption continues to surge, with more than 50% of workloads now hosted in the cloud. Businesses are embracing cloud solutions for flexibility and scalability, but gaps in data protection strategies persist. Small and midsize businesses prefer Google Workspace, while enterprises favor Microsoft 365, with both platforms dominating the market for collaboration and productivity.
To address these challenges, IT leaders must prioritize a more resilient approach to backup and disaster recovery. A modern BCDR strategy should incorporate multilayered security, automation, and hybrid cloud solutions to ensure business continuity against cyberthreats. Regular testing of backup and disaster recovery processes is essential to validate recovery readiness and minimize downtime in case of a crisis.
Overall, as businesses continue to navigate the evolving IT landscape, it is crucial for them to reassess their data protection strategies and strengthen their defenses against emerging threats. The insights from the State of Backup and Recovery Report 2025 provide a roadmap for organizations to benchmark their strategies, identify critical gaps, and build stronger, more reliable backup and disaster recovery plans for the future. Downloading the full report can help businesses stay prepared and resilient in the face of growing cybersecurity challenges.