SEON’s President, GTM Matt DeLauro offers commentary on how software buyers should beware; the world of  SaaS is about to get weird. This article originally appeared in Insight Jam, an enterprise IT community that enables human conversation on AI.

Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) is poised for a significant shift driven by market consolidation and heightened buyer vigilance. The post-pandemic surge in digital transformation, fueled in large part by venture capital, is giving way to an era of financial prudence and strategic realignment. This shift is driven by companies intensifying their focus on the efficiency and effectiveness of their tech stacks, a trend highlighted by notable contractions in the average SaaS portfolio. Companies are scrutinizing their tech investments more carefully than ever before.

These changes signify a move away from isolated and disparate point solutions toward integrated platforms that offer interconnected functionalities. This evolution is reflected in the elongation of B2B SaaS sales cycles, which have expanded from 33 days in 2020 to 43 days in 2024 (and 65 for enterprise-grade business), indicative of the more meticulous purchasing process. On the funding front, Crunchbase reports that we’re currently 10 quarters into a startup funding decline, heralding a cooling market that necessitates a more discerning investment approach.

As we depart from the frenetic pace of the past decade that favored rapid expansion over solid financial footings, the SaaS sector, once a playground for endless innovation and venture optimism, is set to enter a new phase. Buyers are adopting a more circumspect approach, aligning their strategies with the evolving dynamics of a more mature marketplace. As the industry braces for a potentially rocky transition, software buyers be advised: things are about to get weird, and navigating this new terrain will require a keen eye and a strong penchant for detailed due diligence.

The New Reality of Vendor Assessment

The SaaS landscape in 2025 is positioned for more mergers and acquisitions. See Visa’s purchase of Featurespace and Experian’s integration of NeuroID[1] as acceleration proof points in the fraud prevention space. This consolidation will further reshape the market and redefine the types of SaaS products that thrive under stringent market conditions. With an increasing focus on risk mitigation, security and compliance, applications are becoming critical components of the tech stack.

For software buyers, this consolidation necessitates a more sophisticated approach to vendor evaluation. Organizations must rigorously vet existing and potential vendors based on factors such as their current position and long-term viability. Standard due diligence must include questions about year-over-year growth, new client acquisition rates and overall financial health. Such scrutiny distinguishes vendors operating on stable revenue models from those primarily subsisting on investor funding.

The Right to Ask Hard Questions: Strategic Imperatives for Software Buyers

To navigate complexities, companies should consider implementing these strategic measures:

• First, establish a systematic approach to software stack auditing. Regular evaluations help identify potential vulnerabilities in your technology infrastructure and assess the impact of market changes on your operations. Pay attention to mission-critical applications.
• Second, prioritize integration capabilities when evaluating new solutions. The trend toward consolidated platforms means that standalone solutions must demonstrate clear value and seamless integration potential with your existing technology stack. This approach helps minimize operational risks and protect against service disruptions.
• Third, develop robust contingency plans for potential vendor transitions. As market consolidation accelerates, having clear procedures for vendor changes or service discontinuations becomes crucial for maintaining business continuity.

Such plans ensure that businesses can maintain continuity, minimizing the impact on operations and preserving customer trust.

 SaaS Grows Up

The evolving SaaS industry presents both challenges and opportunities for software buyers. While the market may experience some turbulence during this transition, organizations that strategically approach vendor selection and management will be better positioned to capitalize on emerging opportunities. Success in this new environment requires balancing innovation with stability, carefully evaluating vendor partnerships and maintaining flexibility in your technology strategy.

For software buyers, the key to navigating this evolution lies in adopting a more measured, strategic approach to SaaS procurement and management. Organizations can build more resilient technology stacks that drive long-term value by establishing robust evaluation frameworks. Maintaining an open dialogue with vendors about their strategic direction and financial health further supports this effort. Buyers who adapt their procurement strategies to the changing  SaaS market will find themselves better equipped to navigate oncoming challenges and opportunities.

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Solutions Review’s Executive Editor Tim King highlights the overarching AI impact on data privacy jobs, to help keep you on-trend during this AI moment.

One of the most consequential ways AI is reshaping the data landscape in 2025 is through its impact on data privacy jobs. While data privacy has always been a high-stakes domain—balancing regulatory compliance, risk mitigation, and ethical stewardship—AI is now forcing a redefinition of what it means to protect sensitive information. From AI-powered data discovery to autonomous policy enforcement and synthetic data generation, the job of safeguarding personal and proprietary data is no longer confined to manual audits and policy checklists. It’s becoming smarter, faster—and in many cases—less human.

To keep pace with these radical shifts, the Solutions Review editors have broken down how AI is altering data privacy job functions, what professionals can do to remain indispensable, and what a future-proof privacy career might look like in an era of algorithmic governance and machine-scale data flows.

Note: These insights were informed through web research using advanced scraping techniques and generative AI tools. Solutions Review editors use a unique multi-prompt approach to extract targeted knowledge and optimize content for relevance and utility.

AI Impact on Data Privacy Jobs: How Has AI Changed the Data Privacy Workforce?

AI is reshaping the data privacy profession on every front—from how data is classified and governed to how violations are detected and prevented. What used to require privacy analysts to manually audit data flows, map personal data across systems, and enforce static policies is now being reimagined through intelligent automation and predictive analytics. But with this transformation comes a double-edged sword: while AI offers unprecedented efficiency and coverage, it also introduces new threats, new skill gaps, and a shifting regulatory landscape that demands faster adaptation.

Automated Data Discovery and Classification

One of the biggest shifts is in how sensitive data is discovered, cataloged, and classified. AI-powered discovery tools can scan vast data estates, identify personal or regulated data (like PII, PHI, or financial information), and tag it with metadata—often in real time. Platforms like OneTrust, BigID, and Immuta now use natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning to automate what used to be a tedious, error-prone task.

This has streamlined privacy compliance dramatically, especially under regulations like GDPR, CCPA, and HIPAA. But it also means that entry-level roles focused on manual classification, mapping, or audit prep are being phased out. Instead, the value is shifting toward roles that can configure, interpret, and validate these AI models—understanding not just where data is, but why it matters in a legal and ethical context.

Real-Time Monitoring, Alerts, and Policy Enforcement

AI is also changing the way policy violations and data misuse are detected. Behavioral analytics models now monitor data access patterns, flag anomalies, and trigger real-time alerts when privacy risks arise—whether it’s an employee accessing sensitive data outside business hours or a system suddenly exfiltrating more information than usual. Tools like Securiti.ai and Privacera use machine learning to enforce access policies dynamically, based on context and usage, rather than static roles or rules.

This is a seismic shift for privacy pros who previously relied on logs and periodic reviews to spot issues. The new paradigm demands fluency in privacy-aware AI configuration, incident triage, and the nuanced interpretation of algorithmic risk scores. It also raises a host of new questions about explainability, model bias, and the potential for false positives to erode trust across teams.

Synthetic Data and Privacy-Preserving AI

To reduce compliance risk while enabling data sharing and model training, organizations are increasingly turning to AI-generated synthetic data. These are artificial datasets designed to mimic real data without exposing real individuals. Privacy teams are now tasked with validating the fidelity, fairness, and regulatory soundness of synthetic data sets used across analytics, product development, and AI training.

This adds a whole new layer to the privacy role. Professionals must understand how generative AI works, how to assess reidentification risk, and how to audit synthetic datasets for compliance with global privacy laws. In some cases, data privacy experts are becoming the arbiters of whether AI models are trained responsibly—especially as regulators begin scrutinizing AI supply chains more closely.

Regulatory Intelligence and AI-Driven Compliance

The global privacy regulatory landscape is expanding rapidly—and AI is being deployed to keep up. Tools now track and interpret changes to regulations across jurisdictions using natural language processing, surfacing relevant updates and mapping them to internal policies. This helps privacy teams maintain continuous compliance without manually tracking hundreds of regulatory updates each year.

But again, automation doesn’t mean elimination. It means evolution. Professionals need to move beyond memorizing legal clauses to interpreting AI-curated guidance, tailoring it to organizational risk profiles, and translating it into practical workflows and controls. The focus is shifting from rote compliance to strategic governance and risk modeling.

A 2024 report by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) found that 59% of organizations using AI in their privacy programs reduced time spent on manual audits by over 50%. However, 68% reported increased demand for staff with expertise in AI governance, data ethics, and cross-border compliance risk—a clear sign that new jobs are emerging even as old ones shrink.

The Rise of AI-Native Privacy Roles

As with data engineering, AI isn’t just replacing old workflows—it’s giving rise to new job titles and functions. We’re seeing the emergence of roles like “AI Privacy Engineer,” “Synthetic Data Analyst,” and “Algorithmic Risk Advisor.” These are professionals who can bridge the gap between data science and regulatory compliance, embedding privacy into the AI development lifecycle rather than bolting it on after the fact.

In the coming years, privacy experts who understand AI tooling—how models are trained, how drift occurs, how privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs) work—will become critical to organizational resilience. But it’s important not to get complacent: as AI matures, these roles too may become less technical and more strategic. Long-term relevance will hinge on the ability to think holistically about data ethics, stakeholder trust, and adaptive governance in a fast-changing world.

Upskilling for the AI-Privacy Future

If privacy is your domain, AI fluency is no longer optional—it’s essential. The new skill set requires a hybrid mindset: technical enough to grasp the mechanics of AI, but regulatory-savvy enough to steer its use responsibly. That means investing in:

AI governance and ethics: Learn how AI systems make decisions, where bias can creep in, and how to audit them for compliance with evolving standards.

Data anonymization and PETs: Become proficient in tools and techniques that balance data utility and privacy—like differential privacy, secure enclaves, and federated learning.

Synthetic data tools and validation: Understand how synthetic data is generated, when it’s appropriate to use, and how to validate it against legal standards.

Cross-functional communication: Privacy teams will increasingly work alongside data scientists, security pros, and business leaders. Clear communication and risk translation are key.

Global regulatory fluency: Stay current with the expanding patchwork of privacy laws—and learn how to leverage AI tools to maintain compliance dynamically.

For organizations, the best privacy teams of the future won’t just enforce rules—they’ll architect systems where privacy is a design principle. That means embracing AI not just as a compliance accelerant, but as a co-pilot in delivering trustworthy innovation.

AI Will Elevate Privacy Jobs—But Only for the Adaptive

If there’s one constant in the AI-privacy conversation, it’s this: the field is being elevated, but the bar is rising fast. AI will take over repetitive risk management tasks—but it will never fully automate judgment, context, or accountability. The privacy pros who thrive in this new era will be the ones who evolve from policy enforcers to strategic advisors and system architects.

The next three to five years will bring more change to data privacy than the previous two decades combined. But for those who lean in—who develop AI intuition, embrace complexity, and champion ethics in the machine age—the future is full of opportunity.

Bottom line: AI will automate the checklists, but it won’t automate your judgment. To future-proof your career in data privacy, become the voice of reason, foresight, and integrity in an increasingly automated world.

The post What the AI Impact on Data Privacy Jobs Looks Like Right Now appeared first on Best Backup and Disaster Recovery Tools, Software, Solutions & Vendors.

Daniel Pearson, the CEO at KnownHost, explains why the 3-2-1 backup rule is just as important to cybersecurity today as it was when it was first created. This article originally appeared in Insight Jam, an enterprise IT community that enables human conversation on AI.

Cyber incidents are expected to cost the US $639 billion in 2025. According to the latest estimates, this dynamic will continue to rise, reaching approximately $1.82 trillion in cyber-crime costs by 2028. These figures highlight the crucial importance of strong cybersecurity strategies, which businesses must build to reduce the likelihood of risks. 

As technology evolves at a dramatic pace, businesses are increasingly dependent on utilizing digital infrastructure, exposing themselves to threats such as ransomware, accidental data loss, and corruption. Despite the 3-2-1 backup rule being invented in 2009, this strategy has stayed relevant for businesses over the years, ensuring that the loss of data is minimized under threat, and it will be a crucial method in the upcoming years to prevent major data loss.   

What Is the 3-2-1 Backup Rule? 

The 3-2-1 backup rule is a simple yet highly effective data protection strategy that consists of the following setup: 

• Keep three copies of your data, including the original and two backups. 
• Storing the data in two different locations. For example, the cloud, on a disk, or a local drive. 
• Storing a copy of the data off-site. 

This layered approach has long been considered a gold standard in IT security because it diversifies risk, minimizes points of failure, and increases the likelihood of successful data recovery in the event of a cyber-attack or system malfunction. 

Why is This Rule Still Relevant in Today’s Cyber Threat Landscape? 

In today’s environment, many businesses assume that storing data in the cloud is enough. However, it’s not a failsafe. Due to the rapid growth of cloud infrastructure, cyber-criminals are now actively targeting these using advanced ransomware techniques, leaving businesses with no clean recovery option. Statistics show that 80 percent of companies have encountered an increase in the frequency of cloud attacks. 

Because of this, more than ever, businesses need to invest in immutable backup solutions that ensure backup data cannot be modified, deleted, or accessed by unauthorized parties. 

Common Backup Mistakes Businesses Make 

Despite widespread awareness of data protection principles, organizations still make critical errors in how they approach backups. One of the most common mistakes is storing all backups on the same physical network. This means that once malware infiltrates the network, it can easily encrypt both primary and backup data. 

Organizations also often neglect offline or air-gapped backups. As they rely solely on always-connected cloud or on-premise storage solutions, recovery options may be easily wiped out during an attack. 

Finally, one of the most important steps businesses need to take yet fail to do so is to test backup restoration. Backups are only as good as their ability to be restored. Far too many organizations neglect regular testing, leading to the devastating realization that backup data is inaccessible or corrupted only after a breach has occurred. 

How to Implement the 3-2-1 Rule 

To effectively integrate the 3-2-1 backup rule into your cybersecurity practices, organizations should begin with diversifying their storage solutions. For the most secure option, businesses may wish to use a combination of local disks, cloud storage, and physical media such as external drives. 

Next, leverage technologies that ensure backup data is write-once, read-many (WORM), meaning it cannot be altered or deleted, even by administrative accounts. Organizations may then wish to utilize appropriate automation and AI-driven tools. These help with automated monitoring, anomaly detection, and predictive analytics to verify backup integrity and alert businesses to suspicious changes or failures in the backup process.  

Finally, businesses also need to ensure that they align with regulatory standards. GDPR in the UK, or CCPA in the United States, emphasizes data protection and backup integrity. Ensuring your backup strategy adheres to these standards reduces legal risk and strengthens overall security. 

By combining this proven strategy with modern innovations such as immutable storage and AI-driven backup monitoring, organizations can fortify their defenses and dramatically improve their resilience to cyber threats.

The post Why the 3-2-1 Backup Rule Remains a Cornerstone of Cybersecurity in 2025 appeared first on Best Backup and Disaster Recovery Tools, Software, Solutions & Vendors.

Most organizations believe they’re prepared for ransomware attacks with a simple strategy: maintain good backups and use them to restore systems if cybercriminals encrypt their data. However, there’s a dangerous flaw in this approach that many overlook – attackers are increasingly targeting backup systems themselves, leaving organizations with no path to recovery.

This trend is becoming alarmingly common. Recent research from IDC reveals that in 2023, more than half of all ransomware attacks included attempts to compromise backup systems. Even more concerning, these attempts succeeded 60% of the time.

Understanding the Evolution of Ransomware Attacks

Traditional ransomware attacks focused on encrypting active production data – the information businesses use daily in their operations or, “live data”, such as customer databases, financial records, and email systems. When this data becomes encrypted, operations grind to a halt, pressuring organizations to pay the ransom to regain access.

However, companies began to make their backup strategies even more robust and have long served as an effective countermeasure. With recent, accessible backups, organizations could restore their systems without paying the ransom. However, this led cybercriminals to adapt their tactics. They began orchestrating long-term infiltrations specifically designed to compromise both production systems and backup infrastructure simultaneously. Their new objective became clear: render an organization’s entire safety net useless, leaving them with no choice but to pay the ransom or face catastrophic data loss.

Common Attack Methods on Backup Systems

Before launching their attacks, malicious actors are certainly smart about it. They often employ a “low and slow” approach, choosing to remain undetected within a company’s networks for weeks or even months. This gives them time to map out the entire backup infrastructure, including scheduled backup times, retention policies, storage locations, and access patterns. They can potentially see which administrators have access to which systems, monitor backup software configurations, and identify potential vulnerabilities in the backup chain.

This patient approach allows attackers to develop highly targeted strategies that can simultaneously compromise both production data and backup systems when they finally strike, maximizing the impact of their attack and the likelihood of ransom payment.

Cybercriminals employ various sophisticated techniques to initially compromise systems:

1. Administrative Credential Theft: Using stolen login information from IT staff to access and delete backups

2. Deceptive Social Engineering: Manipulating employees through sophisticated phishing schemes to compromise backup systems

3. Backup Software Vulnerabilities: Exploiting security weaknesses in backup tools

4. Storage System Breaches: Targeting the infrastructure where backups reside

Keep in mind, attackers don’t need to destroy all backup data to succeed. Even partial corruption can force organizations to pay the ransom, especially when facing pressure to restore operations quickly.

Assessing Your Backup Vulnerability

Several key factors influence how susceptible your backups are to attack:

• The physical and logical separation between your production and backup environments.
• How easy it is to identify your backup storage locations.
• The effectiveness of your employee training against social engineering.
• How often patch updates are implemented and security holes are scanned.
• The implementation of advanced authentication methods like Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and the Principle of Least Privilege (POLP) on backup systems.

And perhaps most importantly…

• How robust your backup and disaster recovery strategy is and whether your Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and Recovery Point Objective (RPO) are optimized to minimize downtime and data loss.

Why Traditional Security Isn’t Enough

There is no doubt IT teams are working tirelessly – without a coffee break and even over the weekend to update their systems and run threat detection software. But modern cybercriminals have demonstrated their ability to bypass even the most advanced security measures. The question isn’t just about preventing attacks – it’s about maintaining operational continuity when they occur. This requires a shift in thinking: from prevention-only to prevention-plus-recovery.

Seven Critical Components of a Resilient Backup Strategy

Attackers have realized that compromising both production and backup data creates maximum leverage. When organizations lose access to both their current data and their backups, they face an impossible choice: pay the ransom or lose everything.

To maintain a business continuity plan, which goes beyond layered threat detection, here are seven strategies your IT team can implement immediately to ensure you have a healthy, immediate failover once a malicious infiltration has occurred.

1. Automated Recovery Testing

Gone are the days of manual backup testing. All businesses must have automated recovery drills integrated into their regular operations. These tests should verify not just data integrity, but the complete restoration of network configurations and system settings. Each test generates detailed audit trails, providing both compliance documentation and security validation. This automated approach not only ensures consistent testing procedures, it reduces the risk of human error and saves an enormous amount of time for backup IT admins.

2. Strategic Air-Gapping

Air-gapping has evolved beyond simple offline storage solutions. Businesses on the cloud need modern air-gapping solutions enable rapid restoration capabilities while maintaining critical data isolation. That means if you are only one cloud provider, implementing systems that can fail over immediately from any region or account. If you run a Multicloud environment, companies are beginning to ensure backup data remains completely segregated from production environments using cross-cloud air-gapping. Which brings us to…

3. Multi-Cloud Architecture

A distributed backup ecosystem provides essential protection against both targeted attacks and systemic failures. Businesses should spread their backup infrastructure across multiple cloud providers, using distinct authentication systems and separate environmental controls. This approach ensures that a compromise in one environment doesn’t cascade into others, while maintaining rapid recovery capabilities from any location.

4. Advanced Encryption Protocols

Modern backup encryption must protect data at multiple levels. This means securing not just the backup content itself, but also implementing sophisticated key management systems kept entirely separate from the backup infrastructure. Advanced encryption protocols prevent unauthorized users from even identifying backup locations, adding an essential layer of security through obscurity while maintaining full recoverability for authorized users.

5. Immutable Storage Implementation

Creating truly unchangeable backups requires more than just write protection. Modern immutable storage systems combine write-once-read-many technologies with sophisticated retention policies and integrity guarantees. This ensures that backup data remains pristine regardless of potential security breaches or accidental modifications. The system must maintain backup integrity while still enabling rapid recovery when needed.

6. Enhanced Access Controls

Access management for backup systems requires sophisticated role-based controls integrated with multi-factor authentication. Businesses must implement separate credential systems for backup access, maintaining detailed audit trails of all interactions with backup systems. This creates a secure environment where backup integrity is maintained without compromising recovery capabilities.

7. Cost-Effective Data Lifecycle Strategies

Rather than simply creating multiple copies of data, businesses need to implement intelligent redundancy strategies. This means developing sophisticated tiering systems that automatically store data based on age, importance, and recovery requirements. However, many companies shy away from this due to storage cost concerns.

Backup costs can be greatly optimized while maintaining security through intelligent data management. Modern solutions automatically transition incremental backups to lower-cost storage tiers while keeping them readily accessible. By only keeping the change in your last backup and utilizing a smart archiving approach, companies can significantly reduce storage costs without compromising security or recovery capabilities.

(Tip. most cloud providers store full backups and lack optimal tiering leading to unnecessarily high expenses).

Looking Ahead: The Role of Automation

As cyber threats continue to evolve, companies in every sector must maintain backup strategies that are both robust and adaptable. The focus should be on creating systems that not only protect data but ensure business continuity under any circumstances. Because the ability to recover quickly and completely isn’t just about security – it’s about maintaining the trust that forms the foundation of your customer relationships.

Automation has transformed backup management from a manual process into a sophisticated, self-managing system. Modern tools handle everything from routine backups to complex multi-cloud management, reducing human error and empowering backup IT admins. Companies and IT teams that embrace these advanced approaches and tools will be best positioned to maintain operations regardless of the challenges they face.

The post Why Cybercriminals Are Targeting Your Backups and How to Be Prepared appeared first on Best Backup and Disaster Recovery Tools, Software, Solutions & Vendors.

Solutions Review’s Executive Editor Tim King compiled this roundup of World Backup Day quotes from experts for 2025, part of our ongoing coverage of the enterprise storage and data protection market.

In the age of AI, ransomware, and relentless cyber threats, data protection is no longer just an IT issue — it’s a boardroom imperative. As part of Solutions Review’s ongoing coverage of the enterprise storage, data protection, and backup and disaster recovery markets, our editors bring you an exclusive curation of World Backup Day 2025 insights from our expert community.

These curated quotes have been carefully vetted for business value — offering real-world insights, actionable advice, and forward-thinking reflections on the evolving role of backup in today’s enterprise environments. Whether you’re safeguarding cloud workloads or securing petabytes of mission-critical data, the wisdom shared here is designed to inform, inspire, and elevate your data resilience strategy.

Note: World Backup Day quotes are listed in the order we received them.

World Backup Day Quotes: Expert Insights for 2025

Steve Petryschuk – Director, Product Market & Strategy at Auvik

“You back up the data you know about, but what about the data you don’t see?

Shadow IT and shadow AI remain a major source of headaches for IT teams. Without proper oversight, sanctioned and unsanctioned SaaS applications can leave sensitive business information exposed. Companies are more likely to experience a cybersecurity incident if they can’t see where their data resides. When backups of sanctioned SaaS applications do exist, overlooked SaaS data often goes unprotected. To build a robust SaaS backup strategy, start by giving IT teams full visibility into the apps being used, so they can proactively secure, manage, and back up critical data.

Network data presents another crucial piece of the puzzle. According to the Auvik IT Trends 2025 Report, 61 percent of IT professionals update network configurations weekly, yet nearly half only document those changes monthly or less often. This creates a four-week window where documentation lags behind. This gap exposes businesses to unnecessary risk, especially when a simple, automated network backup solution can close it. Rather than building your own system, rely on established network management tools to automate configuration backups, track and highlight changes in real time, and alert you when unauthorized modifications occur.

By centralizing both SaaS and network management, IT teams will expand their data visibility and safeguard this often overlooked but critical data.”

Stephen Kowski – Field CTO at SlashNext

“Backing up data is crucial, but it’s only half the battle – you also need to protect your data from threats like phishing, BEC, and smishing that can compromise backups in the first place. Modern security requires real-time protection across all communication channels including email, mobile, and messaging apps to stop zero-hour threats before they reach users. The best defense combines advanced AI technology that can detect sophisticated attacks with a multi-layered approach that works across your entire digital ecosystem. With World Backup Day approaching, it’s the perfect time to remind everyone that comprehensive security and regular backups go hand-in-hand for true data protection.”

Kelvin Lim – Senior Director, Head of Security Engineering (APAC) at Black Duck

“Data is the ultimate digital asset for organizations. Losing or corrupting data can severely disrupt workflows, obstruct decision-making, and even threaten the very survival of a business. As such, establishing a reliable data backup and recovery system is crucial as the ultimate safeguard against risks such as cyberattacks, human errors, hardware malfunctions, power failures, and natural disasters.

Additionally, in a time of increasing cyber threats, data backup plays a pivotal role in enhancing cyber resilience by facilitating quicker recovery. This minimizes downtime and operational disruptions caused by incidents like ransomware attacks. This not only saves financial resources but also ensures that critical data can be recovered promptly, minimizing operational downtime and disruption. Backups provide an effective strategy for combating ransomware, enabling businesses to restore their data without succumbing to ransom demands. This approach not only reduces financial losses but also strengthens organizational adaptability and responsiveness in challenging circumstances.

To maximize the effectiveness of data backup efforts, it is essential to follow established industry best practices:

• Align backups with business and regulatory requirements: Ensure that your existing backup and restoration solutions meet the Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and Recovery Point Objective (RPO).

• Secure backup copies: Store backups safely in a secured, climate-controlled environment and comply with retention period guidelines.

• Encrypt backup data: Protect sensitive information by encrypting all backup data with strong encryption.

• Verify recoverability: Regularly test backup data to confirm that the recovery process is error-free.

• Differentiate between data backup and retention: Understand that these are distinct processes requiring tailored solutions.

• Maintain detailed documentation: Keep comprehensive records of backup policies and storage media.

• Account for proprietary formats: If backups are stored in a proprietary format, ensure you retain the tools needed to restore the data in the future.

• Adopt the 3-2-1 backup rule:

  • Retain three copies of data: the original and at least two backups.

  • Use two different storage types, such as internal drives, external drives, tapes, or cloud storage.

  • Store at least one backup in a separate physical location from the primary data.

By adhering to these practices, organizations can enhance their data backup strategies and ensure resilience against potential risks.”

Tim Roddy – VP of Product Advocacy at Zimperium

“As organizations and individuals recognize World Backup Day, it’s critical to acknowledge that traditional backup strategies alone are not enough. Cybercriminals now take on a mobile-first attack strategy, targeting mobile devices with sophisticated threats, including mobile malware, phishing attacks, and zero-day exploits—putting sensitive data at risk before it can even be backed up.

To ensure data integrity, businesses must implement a proactive mobile security strategy that protects data at the source—on the devices and applications where it resides. AI-driven mobile threat defense, like Zimperium’s, helps detect and mitigate threats in real time, preventing attackers from accessing or corrupting critical business and personal data. On this World Backup Day, organizations should go beyond backups and reinforce their security posture with comprehensive mobile protection, ensuring that backups remain uncompromised and data stays secure.”

Corey Nachreiner – CISO at WatchGuard Technologies

“In a digital environment where 80 percent of organizations are vulnerable to ransomware attacks, implementing regular data backups across your organization’s critical components is key to your cybersecurity strategy. Backups significantly reduce downtime and accelerate recovery following an attack on your data or any other data-damaging disaster that a business might face. This practice prevents organizations from the severe financial losses and reputational damage that often come with experiencing data loss.

Consistent backups support data protection and business security. They can also ensure companies comply with regulatory requirements, which require backups. Good backups guarantee a business can survive a data loss event, like ransomware, and continue making business decisions based on its data. As an aside, you should also encrypt your data too. Backups can prevent data loss or destruction by offering a recovery option in the event of ransomware or some natural disaster that ruins data, but it does nothing to hide your data from unauthorized thieves. Encrypting your data should also prevent outsiders from using it in the case of a data breach.

 However, you already know all that. The industry has talked about the importance of data backups for decades. So, while World Backup Day is an important reminder about backups, I suggest we change it to World Backup Testing Day. While many organizations implement regular systematic backups, many do not go back in time to test their work and make sure their backups actually recover properly when needed. A corrupted backup that isn’t discovered until you need it is as bad as no backup at all. I recommend you spend this World Backup Day making sure your backups restore and then continue backing up regularly.”

Bob Fine – Senior Analyst Relations Manager at Quantum

“Businesses rely so heavily on data now that it’s simply impossible to operate without it. And if you need data, you need to be able to store it securely. In a crisis – such as a cyberattack or a natural disaster – a backup of these data stores must be secure, safe, and recoverable to ensure that the IT teams can get the business back up and running as quickly as possible. The longer it takes to restore the backup, the greater the consequences, including both financial and reputational losses. 
“The best protection that businesses can give their backups is to keep at least two copies, one offline and the other offsite. By keeping one offline, an airgap is created between the backup and the rest of the IT environment. Should a business be the victim of a cyberattack, the threat physically cannot spread into the backup as there’s no connection to enable this daisy-chain effect. By keeping another copy offsite, businesses can prevent the backup suffering due to the same disaster (such as flooding or wildfires) as the main office.

“Linear Tape Open (LTO) tape storage is a tried and tested example of a reliable airgapped storage system. As it celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, LTO tape storage is as popular as ever, as businesses are increasingly reliant on their backups. With research finding that a company falls victim to a ransomware attack every 14 seconds, and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change reporting that the number of disasters has increased by a factor of five over a 50-year period, ensuring that your company has the right backup measures in place is a fundamental requirement of a successful business in 2025.”

Carl D’Halluin – CTO at Datadobi

“This World Backup Day serves as a crucial reminder for organizations to prioritize data preservation and intelligent management. First, ensure you maintain a ‘golden copy’ of your data—an immutable, secure backup that protects against loss, corruption, or threats. Second, focus on understanding your data. In today’s digital landscape, every part of a business generates data, often managed in silos. You can’t protect what you don’t know exists. By implementing robust data management solutions, organizations can reduce risk and strengthen their operational resilience.”

Martin Kunze – Co-Founder and CMO at Cerabyte

“In a world where every digital moment carries weight, World Backup Day is more than a reminder to protect our files – it’s a call to safeguard the digital legacy that shapes our era and our society. True data preservation isn’t just about storage; it’s about ensuring that today’s knowledge, culture, and discoveries remain accessible for generations to come.
 Information is the spine of our society, and it is threatened more than ever. Preserving this legacy demands more than traditional backup methods. It requires a future-proof strategy that resists degradation, overcomes obsolescence, and guarantees permanent access. This isn’t just about saving data. It’s about securing digital immortality.”

Lance Ohara – Vice President of Endpoint Marketing at Seagate Technology

“Your devices hold irreplaceable photos and videos, creative work and passion projects, business information, and important financial and medical documents. Without a backup, you risk losing this crucial data.

World Backup Day is the perfect time to examine your data storage and make sure the information that matters to you is backed up. In preparation, I recommend the following strategies to help secure what matters most.

You’re storing so much more than just data. Your data includes precious photos and memories of your family vacations. For creative professionals and hobbyists, like photographers and musicians, their data includes years of creative work. For gamers, it’s hours of gameplay and entertainment. Imagine that data lost forever. To put the data volume into perspective, one Seagate LaCie Rugged solid-state drive (SSD) Pro5 4TB can store:

• 400,000 of photos – that’s precious memories of families and friends you can’t get back once they’re gone or a significant portion of professional photographer’s portfolio
• 800,000 of songs – that’s hours of creativity and inspiration from musicians, singers and songwriters
• Over 83,000 30-second videos and over 13,000 3-minute videos – that’s hours and hours of recordings of your children’s ballet recitals and soccer games or the hard work influencers put into the content that connects them with their audiences
• 400 saved video games – so gamers can play their favorite titles and save their progress

Follow the 3-2-1 rule for data storage: This means keeping three versions of your data in a few different places – the original and two copies on two different media, with one offsite. For consumers, this means the original data on your laptop, a backup to a storage device, and a cloud backup.

Backup your devices to safeguard your data: A lost or stolen device is a stressful ordeal, but a recent data backup gives you peace of mind that your most precious data isn’t lost forever. Backups also make it easier to transfer your data, streamlining the process of setting up a new device with the information and settings you need. External data storage also gives users the option to free up space on devices to improve performance and speed.

Backups protect and speed your game play: Video games take up a lot of storage – an SSD backup is great for gamers who want to access their full gaming library quickly. And backups mean gamers don’t lose their hard-earned progress and achievements.

Data backups also protect against cybersecurity threats: Bad actors can take over a recent backup and encrypt your files, demanding ransom. If a backup system is not properly secured, they can gain access to it, essentially rendering your recovery option useless and forcing you to pay to decrypt your data. This is a tactic used to maximize pressure on victims to pay the ransom. If you have an immutable backup of your important information in your cloud service (like Seagate’s Lyve Cloud), you can still access your critical information without paying the bad actors.”

Jimmy Tam – CEO at Peer Software

“World Backup Day serves as a crucial reminder that data resilience isn’t just about having a copy of your data, it’s about ensuring business continuity with minimal disruption. Many organizations still rely on centralized storage models, but these systems pose risks. A single point of failure, slow recovery from outages, and the increasing complexity of modern data environments demand a re-evaluation of storage strategies. The rise of distributed storage models, which keep data where it is created and used most, provides an opportunity to enhance resilience. However, simply decentralizing data isn’t enough. Businesses must also adopt robust data orchestration strategies to ensure efficient access, security, and performance. As data volumes grow and compliance demands become more stringent, companies must rethink how they store, manage, and protect their critical assets to minimize downtime and financial loss.

By understanding data flows, leveraging AI-driven storage optimization, and ensuring strong security measures, organizations can build a storage infrastructure that withstands disruptions and safeguards business operations. This World Backup Day, organizations need to take the time to evaluate their storage strategy because the cost of downtime is too high to ignore.”

Molly Presley – SVP of Global Marketing at Hammerspace

“World Backup Day emphasizes the critical role of data in various aspects of our lives and underscores the importance of protecting and maintaining our valuable digital assets and information, a topic of significant relevance today. It reinforces the importance of automation in protecting and backing up data across a company’s global infrastructure is increasing with the rise of cyber-attack threats, data breaches, and unrelenting data growth, underscoring automation’s crucial role in data management and cybersecurity.

Managing vast unstructured data across diverse storage systems, multiple global locations, and cloud platforms requires considerable effort and resources. Relying on manual processes is increasingly time-consuming and risky, exposing critical data to human error and missed backups.

By implementing global-level data protection services, organizations will defend global datasets and maximize their value through automated policies. As organizations become increasingly driven by artificial intelligence, where data is essential to accurate analysis and drive informed decisions and innovative breakthroughs, automation is becoming indispensable.

Automated data protection policies bolster enforcement across distributed geographies, strengthening an organization’s data resiliency and business continuity. They also enable organizations to manage their global data environments and maintain the efficacy of their AI systems and data pipelines.

A streamlined, policy-driven data management approach can transform how organizations manage and protect data by distinguishing newly created data, ensuring global data protection across distributed locations, automating data copy creation controls and services, and enforcing compliance with corporate governance standards.”

Sterling Wilson – Field CTO at Object First

“Here we are, one of my favorite days, World Backup Day. For me, World Backup Day is not about remembering to back up your data. It’s a call to be proactive, to review your data resilience strategy and ensure your ability to protect your data against the ‘ever-evolving’ threats.

Where to start? The basics, of course. True data resilience begins with data you can trust. That starts with immutable storage. Immutable storage protects your data from ransomware’s encryption or deletion, among other things.

But that isn’t all. Certifying account separation between the backup application and the backup storage protects you from account compromise attacks. And of course, copies of your data in different resiliency zones/locations give you options should one path fail.

Ok, so data protection basics are covered, and your data is safe. What about bringing it back swiftly when the unthinkable happens? Exporting large amounts of critical business data and applications out of the cloud can take days, if not weeks, possibly bringing extra fees with it. Providing secure, on-prem storage as one of your resiliency zones lets you recover your data at the fastest speed possible no matter the status of your external connections. This is often overlooked as cloud adoption as grown but remains a key pillar in a successful resiliency plan.

So, on World Backup Day, let this be your reminder to be proactive. Make sure your data is truly protected and resilient by today’s standards. Starting with the basics, of course.”

Eric Schott – Chief Product Officer at Object First

“Each year, World Backup Day serves as a crucial reminder of the growing importance of data protection in an era where cyber threats like ransomware are increasingly sophisticated. With data breaches, cyberattacks and human error contributing to increased business outages, it’s essential to adopt a comprehensive backup strategy built on zero trust principles. By implementing zero trust, organizations ensure that no device, user, or system is trusted by default, minimizing the risk of ransomware and other threats from gaining access to critical data, while continuous, immutable backups serve as the last line of defense.

Today, organizations should prioritize modern backup solutions that go beyond traditional approaches, incorporating encrypted backups, version control, and real-time synchronization across cloud and on-premises environments. These strategies, combined with zero trust, prevent unauthorized access and data manipulation, ensuring that even if ransomware breaches a system, the most recent, uncorrupted backup remains secure and recoverable. By embracing zero trust and immutable backup technologies, organizations can quickly restore operations and ensure business continuity.”

​Frank DeBenedetto – GTM General Manager of Backup at Kaseya

“Cloud and virtual tech bring flexibility and efficiency gains for companies, but they also introduce security gaps that hackers exploit. Attackers have shifted focus to target backup systems first, leaving businesses more vulnerable in the digital era. The rush to adopt these technologies has outpaced security planning, often leaving organizations defenseless.

World Backup Day highlights an urgent truth: traditional backup methods fail in these modern environments. Businesses doing things right deploy specialized strategies that protect their assets independently from their main systems. Businesses who don’t follow this framework risk permanent data loss.”

Emilio Sepulveda – Information Security Manager at Deepwatch

“World Backup Day, observed on March 31st, acts as a crucial reminder that data loss is inevitable, encouraging us to take proactive steps to protect our information. In today’s digital landscape, businesses rely heavily on data, yet many organizations neglect backup strategies until disaster strikes. Whether due to a ransomware attack, accidental deletion, or hardware failure, waiting until an incident occurs can be expensive.

Ensuring an efficient backup strategy is not just a checkbox on the compliance checklist; it is a critical business necessity. The ability to recover data swiftly can mean the difference between a minor setback and significant operational downtime. Adhering to the 3-2-1 rule (three copies of data, two different storage types, one offsite) provides a strong foundation, but it is not enough. Businesses must also account for modern threats such as misconfigured backups, cloud storage failures, and insider threats, which can render backups useless when needed.

Beyond simply having a backup strategy, organizations must regularly test their business continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR) plans to ensure they function as intended. A backup that fails to restore is no better than having no backup at all. BCDR testing should be conducted at least annually, with more frequent assessments for critical data, to validate recovery timelines, verify data integrity, and identify overlooked vulnerabilities. This World Backup Day, take the time to review your backup and disaster recovery strategies.”

Heath Renfrow – Co-Founder at Fenix24

“World Backup Day serves as a timely reminder that backups are more than a best practice—they are a business imperative.

We’ve rebuilt hundreds of environments after ransomware attacks, and time and again, the difference between recovery and ruin comes down to one thing: backup resilience. Ransomware attacks are faster, smarter, and more destructive than ever. Traditional detection-and-response strategies alone aren’t enough.

To truly withstand today’s threat landscape, we advocate for our 5-4-3-2-1 backup methodology.

This strategy ensures data is not just duplicated, but hardened, diversified, and distributed in a way that aligns with today’s adversarial tactics. We’ve seen firsthand that even organizations with “immutable” backups are often vulnerable due to misconfigurations, exposed credentials, or lack of network segmentation. Backups must be redundant, isolated, and access-controlled. If threat actors can reach them, they will destroy them.

If your backups aren’t resilient, your business isn’t either. This World Backup Day, take a hard look at your strategy. It’s not just about checking a box, it’s about surviving the worst day your organization might face.”

Loren Johnson – Senior Director of Product Marketing at Aravo Solutions

“In the world of third-party risks, businesses that are deeply interconnected and interdependent will often share information that’s critical to optimizing their performance. It can mean they access the same systems, records, and processes, including customer records and other private data around which organizations often employ governance, policies, and access restrictions. That data can include information that is sensitive, proprietary, or otherwise ‘secret.’

As so many organizations face cybersecurity challenges that include attacks on data systems, defenses, integrity, and more than 35% of successful breaches are accomplished through third parties, it makes sense for businesses to collaborate with their third parties to protect, audit defenses, and back up their data on World Backup Day. Depending on the degree of interdependencies and data sensitivity, an organization may insist that their third-parties complete additional backups, conduct random system audits and stress testing to ensure that their data is protected.

Further, especially as some market analysts today suggest that “data is the new oil,” there are external pressures to ensure hypervigilance on data protection across the extended enterprise. Not only do regulators and enforcement agencies expect more data protection diligence and compliance, but the marketplace is consistently seeking additional transparency and accountability from the companies they do business with, especially when it comes to personally identifiable information. Companies that fail to back up their data and ensure its integrity risk losing data and suffering long-term damage to their reputations.”

Roger Williams – Community Manager at Kinsta

“The biggest mistake businesses make with website backups is assuming they’re covered without verifying. A backup is only as good as its restore process—if you can’t recover your site quickly, it’s not useful.

Website maintenance is often overlooked because it’s ‘out of sight, out of mind’—until something goes wrong. Many businesses see it as an IT task rather than a critical part of performance, security, and customer experience. The shift comes from recognizing that a well-maintained website means fewer disruptions, better SEO, and a stronger brand reputation.

Businesses should prioritize these key maintenance tasks:

• Backups – Ensure you have recent, restorable backups in case of an emergency.
• Security & Malware Scans – Check for vulnerabilities and take advantage of free malware cleanup if needed.
• Performance Optimization – Use tools like Kinsta’s Application Performance Monitoring (APM) to identify slow-loading pages.
• Update & Test – Keep WordPress, themes, and plugins updated, using a staging environment to test changes safely.
• Fix Broken Links & Redirects – Use a search and replace tool for typos or rebrands and a redirect manager to fix 404 errors and improve SEO.”

Jim Liddle, Chief Innovation Officer Data and AI Strategy at Nasuni​

“The inclination to delete historical data as a means of cutting costs or managing storage has been growing, particularly as data volumes surge with the rise of artificial intelligence. However, removing data can lead to unintended consequences, such as generating inaccurate results due to missing context, or introducing new compliance challenges. In fact, failing to follow proper data disposal procedures or timelines can result in fines, especially in industries like manufacturing and Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC). 

Instead of treating data management as a binary decision between deletion and retention, organizations should explore intelligent strategies that preserve valuable data while controlling costs and minimizing unnecessary clutter. For instance, more refined methods like smart archiving or privacy-preserving techniques offer effective alternatives. Smart archiving moves data to more affordable storage tiers, allowing companies to retain high-value unstructured data while discarding redundant or low-importance information. Meanwhile, privacy-preserving methods—such as anonymization and pseudonymization—help maintain data usefulness while easing regulatory concerns. 

A successful strategy boils down to having a flexible infrastructure that supports dynamic data management. This enables organizations to preserve their data safely and efficiently, without resorting to deletion.“

Simon Jelley – General Manager & Vice President, Data Protection at Arctera

“Amid the rapid acceleration of artificial intelligence (AI) use and development, the technology has emerged as a tool for enhanced data security, monitoring and productivity. Along with these incredible developments, though, comes new risks as the technology has dramatically increased an organization’s data loss risk and accelerated cybercriminals’ ability to disrupt networks.. Additionally, the ability to identify and exploit vulnerabilities using automated scanning and sophisticated phishing attacks introduces new challenges into an already complex and evolving cybersecurity landscape.

It’s more complicated—and more important—for organizations to be on top of today’s threat landscape, which changes constantly. While traditional threats like ransomware, data breaches, natural disasters and human error remain constant, the use of AI by bad actors has amplified not only the frequency of these attacks but their intensity, sophistication and potential damage as well.

World Backup Day 2025 provides a timely reminder that organizations cannot be complacent when it comes to security. Data protection is too complex today and data protection solutions are only built to empower data protection specialists. Instead, data protection should be accessible to all IT professionals – inclusive of those in new players in the IT field such as cloud and cyber security specialists.

Here are three key considerations when reviewing your data protection strategy on World Backup Day and every day:

• Cloud data is not immune to loss. In the cloud, security is a shared responsibility. Gaps between the cloud service provider, an organization’s IT and end users can lead to network breaches if one of the parties assumes the others are handling certain responsibilities. Because the cloud allows multiple devices to access many different applications, each of which could serve as a back door into the network, it’s crucial to maintain a resilient security posture using an integrated ecosystem of data security, protection and governance to ensure comprehensive coverage.
• Data is the lifeblood of every organization. Data fuels operational success and innovation. Protecting this asset from AI-enhanced threats is essential. Organizations must implement advanced data security measures to safeguard their intellectual property, customer information and overall business integrity. This is doubly important in highly regulated industries such as financial services, government and healthcare. Implementing advanced data protection and resilience strategies is table stakes to ensure data remains secure and resilient against evolving cyber threats.
• Ransomware continues to be relevant, particularly to SMBs. Small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) can be easy marks for AI-powered attacks due to limited IT resources and the growing complexity of today’s networks. SMBs need resilience solutions that balance ease of use and cost-effectiveness with state-of-the-art backup and recovery capabilities that include proactive detection of threats and round-the-clock monitoring. Adopting these comprehensive measures, SMBs can reduce their vulnerability to ransomware and other cyber threats.”

Kyle Edsall – Technical Product Marketing Manager at CTERA

“Unlike other annual events that allow us to indulge in a pumpkin spice latte or receive chocolates from an admirer, World Backup Day is a reminder for organizations and the technology professionals who work for them to reflect on the efficacy of their backup and recovery strategies.

There’s never a bad time for some self-evaluation. Sure, it may sound less exciting than searching for the hazelnut butter toffee in a box of mixed chocolates, but for nerds like me, the opportunity to reflect on my backup strategy is just as sweet.

5 Backup Must-Haves

Let’s make this easy!  Here are the 5 checkboxes that every backup solution should tick:

Immutable: This is just a fancy tech term for saying your snapshot data is locked down. There’s no chance of accidental or deliberate modifications to your snapshot backups. Your content stays safe and accessible, even if the worst happens and someone gains access to your system with stolen credentials.

Immediate: When you need your files back, don’t get caught waiting for a retrieval. Restoration should be instantaneous, full stop. The faster you get back to work, the better.

User Accessible: Users should be able to retrieve their own file versions without leaving Windows Explorer or having to install or learn a new tool. Plus, getting staff back to work faster by eliminating the wait for help-desk ticket response is an empowering win/win!

Continuous Automatic Backups: Forget complex data-backup schedules. Instead, just focus on retention. How long does your business need to keep snapshots and deleted data? Once you make that decision, go ahead and put your feet up because every time a user saves a file, boom, that’s another version secured. Job well done, IT!

Space-Saving: You might have 100+ versions of a file, but you shouldn’t need to store it 100 times. Block-level changes ensure only the modified part is saved or updated since the last snapshotted version. Adding deduplication and compression and you’ve got yourself some ridiculously efficient snapshot retention!

What do all the above elements have in common?

Cost Savings

Needing less storage space for backups means fewer storage requirements, which translates into lower costs.   Plus, when backup is integrated into the file system itself, there’s no separate systems to maintain and pay for. And don’t forget that the previously mentioned user-accessible snapshots have reduced help desk overhead.  So, tuck a few of those bills back into your wallet.

Lastly, continuous backups provide you with more recent versions to restore, which means less lost work, and since the restore is immediate, you’re back to work faster than you can say “oops!

The Bottom Line of Backups

Just like the (now half-eaten) box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get when a data threat strikes. Backups are the foundation of your data protection strategy. Why not make them as effortless as they are resilient?  Nothing is more valuable than peace of mind, and from experience, nothing is more satisfying that executing a well-built plan.”

Ilia Sotnikov – VP of User Experience at Netwrix Corporation

“For me, World Backup Day is an opportunity to remember that backups are not just a goal in and of themselves—they are a cornerstone of business continuity. Yet, they don’t stand alone. Integrating other security measures ensures your organization’s backups are both robust and effective. Here are just a couple examples:

• Data Discovery and Classification: Aligning backups with recovery objectives is crucial. By identifying and classifying your organization’s most valuable data, you can distinguish critical system components from less important ones, crafting tailored backup and recovery strategies. This approach not only saves time and money but ensures that restoring crucial systems is prioritized over less urgent data, minimizing downtime.
• Change Auditing and Activity Monitoring: Prioritizing recovery efforts post-incident can make a huge difference. While restoring extensive data can span from hours to weeks, a focused strategy accelerates the getting the essential operations up and running. Understanding which data has been affected allows security teams to react swiftly. Utilizing change tracking and system auditing solutions helps identify undesirable changes, enabling recovery tools to efficiently roll them back.

In today’s SaaS-driven world, segments of your systems are backed up by cloud service providers. When you are working on the recovery or business continuity strategy, it’s essential to outline responsibilities within the incident response plan. Ensure clarity on which tasks fall to internal teams, and which are handled by providers. While most cloud services guarantee platform and data availability, they might not offer granular rollback or restore options.

Lastly, in the realm of security, securing backups is as critical as protecting the original data. There is no shortage of instances of threat actors ‘poisoning’ backups—either to prolong recovery times or to maintain a foothold in the environment.”

James Van Patten – Director, Memory and Storage Product Line Management at Micron Technology

“Data loss can strike at any moment, catching both consumers and businesses off guard. It’s crucial to take proactive steps to back up your data and avoid the chaos that comes with losing important information. World Backup Day is a perfect reminder to protect our digital memories and prioritize data safety. Invest in reliable backup solutions like cloud storage, internal drives, or external drives to keep your data secure and easily accessible.”

Rekha Shenoy – CEO at BackBox

“Happy to be here as a new member, especially on World Backup Day! It’s interesting to reflect on how much the IT security landscape has changed since World Backup Day started in 2011. What initially focused on protecting against hardware failures and basic data loss has become a much more complex fight against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.

The Escalating Threat Landscape

Think back to 2011 – the threats we faced then seem almost rudimentary compared to today’s reality. We’ve moved from relatively simple attacks to intricate, multi-stage campaigns. Ransomware, which used to be primarily about encryption, now commonly involves “double extortion” tactics, where attackers threaten to leak data publicly in addition to encrypting it. And let’s not forget the rise of state-sponsored attacks and cyber warfare, which are now targeting critical infrastructure.

Expanding Attack Surfaces

The explosion of mobile devices and widespread cloud adoption has significantly widened our attack surface. Securing remote workforces and data residing in the cloud presents a whole new set of challenges. The sheer volume of data we’re dealing with only amplifies these concerns, requiring more robust data protection and backup strategies, especially when you factor in stringent regulations like GDPR.

The Double-Edged Sword of Technology

While advancements like AI and automation offer us enhanced security capabilities through anomaly detection and automated responses, they also empower attackers. We’re seeing more sophisticated malware and phishing techniques leveraging these same technologies. The sheer volume of security alerts we face necessitates automation, but this also introduces the risk of automated attacks slipping through the cracks. Similarly, the growing Internet of Things (IoT) and increased interconnectedness of our systems create new vulnerabilities and make lateral movement within networks easier for attackers.

The Evolving Role of Backup and Beyond

World Backup Day’s initial emphasis on protecting against hardware-related data loss has fundamentally shifted. Backup is now a crucial line of defense against ransomware, and that demands immutable backups to prevent attackers from encrypting or deleting them. This shift reflects a broader evolution from a primarily perimeter-focused security model to a more holistic approach that prioritizes data protection, threat intelligence, and overall resilience.

Cyber Resilience in 2025 and Beyond

Today, achieving true cyber resilience goes way beyond just having backups. Our network security teams need to be proactive in assessing risk. This includes things like sensitive data scanning and categorization, risk recommendations, and implementing remediation strategies. We need tools that can detect cyber deception tactics, provide early warnings of potential breaches, and facilitate comprehensive incident response planning, including recovery point validation and regular cyber recovery testing. When an incident does occur, the recovery process must include thorough forensic analysis, the ability to restore from known clean points and verify their integrity, and scalable recovery options.

The modern IT security landscape demands a multi-layered and proactive approach. While robust backup remains a critical component, it’s now just one piece of a larger cyber resilience strategy. What are your thoughts on the biggest challenges and best practices for building cyber resilience in today’s environment? “

The post World Backup Day Quotes from Experts for 2025 appeared first on Best Backup and Disaster Recovery Tools, Software, Solutions & Vendors.

n2ws’s Sebastian Straub offers insights on why cybercriminals  are targeting backups and how to be prepared. This article originally appeared on Solutions Review’s Insight Jam, an enterprise IT community enabling the human conversation on AI.

Most organizations believe they’re prepared for ransomware attacks with a simple strategy: maintain good backups and use them to restore systems if cybercriminals encrypt their data. However, there’s a dangerous flaw in this approach that many overlook – attackers are increasingly targeting backup systems themselves, leaving organizations with no path to recovery.

This trend is becoming alarmingly common. Recent research from IDC reveals that in 2023, more than half of all ransomware attacks included attempts to compromise backup systems. Even more concerning, these attempts succeeded 60 percent of the time.

Understanding the Evolution of Ransomware Attacks

Traditional ransomware attacks focused on encrypting active production data – the information businesses use daily in their operations or, “live data”, such as customer databases, financial records, and email systems. When this data becomes encrypted, operations grind to a halt, pressuring organizations to pay the ransom to regain access.

However, companies began to make their backup strategies even more robust and have long served as an effective countermeasure. With recent, accessible backups, organizations could restore their systems without paying the ransom. However, this led cybercriminals to adapt their tactics. They began orchestrating long-term infiltrations specifically designed to compromise both production systems and backup infrastructure simultaneously. Their new objective became clear: render an organization’s entire safety net useless, leaving them with no choice but to pay the ransom or face catastrophic data loss.

Common Attack Methods on Backup Systems

Before launching their attacks, malicious actors are certainly smart about it. They often employ a “low and slow” approach, choosing to remain undetected within a company’s networks for weeks or even months. This gives them time to map out the entire backup infrastructure, including scheduled backup times, retention policies, storage locations, and access patterns. They can potentially see which administrators have access to which systems, monitor backup software configurations, and identify potential vulnerabilities in the backup chain.

This patient approach allows attackers to develop highly targeted strategies that can simultaneously compromise both production data and backup systems when they finally strike, maximizing the impact of their attack and the likelihood of ransom payment.

Cybercriminals employ various sophisticated techniques to initially compromise systems:

1. Administrative Credential Theft: Using stolen login information from IT staff to access and delete backups
2. Deceptive Social Engineering: Manipulating employees through sophisticated phishing schemes to compromise backup systems
3. Backup Software Vulnerabilities: Exploiting security weaknesses in backup tools
4. Storage System Breaches: Targeting the infrastructure where backups reside

Keep in mind that attackers don’t need to destroy all backup data to succeed. Even partial corruption can force organizations to pay the ransom, especially when facing pressure to restore operations quickly.

Assessing Your Backup Vulnerability

Several key factors influence how susceptible your backups are to attack:

• The physical and logical separation between your production and backup environments.
• How easy it is to identify your backup storage locations.
• The effectiveness of your employee training against social engineering.
• How often patch updates are implemented and security holes are scanned.
• The implementation of advanced authentication methods like Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and the Principle of Least Privilege (POLP) on backup systems.

And perhaps most importantly…

• How robust your backup and disaster recovery strategy is and whether your Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and Recovery Point Objective (RPO) are optimized to minimize downtime and data loss.

Why Traditional Security Isn’t Enough

There is no doubt IT teams are working tirelessly – without a coffee break and even over the weekend to update their systems and run threat detection software. But modern cybercriminals have demonstrated their ability to bypass even the most advanced security measures. The question isn’t just about preventing attacks – it’s about maintaining operational continuity when they occur. This requires a shift in thinking: from prevention-only to prevention-plus-recovery.

7 Critical Components of a Resilient Backup Strategy

Attackers have realized that compromising both production and backup data creates maximum leverage. When organizations lose access to both their current data and their backups, they face an impossible choice: pay the ransom or lose everything.

To maintain a business continuity plan that goes beyond layered threat detection, here are seven strategies your IT team can implement immediately to ensure you have a healthy, immediate failover once a malicious infiltration has occurred.

1. Automated Recovery Testing

Gone are the days of manual backup testing. All businesses must have automated recovery drills integrated into their regular operations. These tests should verify not just data integrity, but the complete restoration of network configurations and system settings. Each test generates detailed audit trails, providing both compliance documentation and security validation. This automated approach not only ensures consistent testing procedures, it reduces the risk of human error and saves an enormous amount of time for backup IT admins.

2. Strategic Air-Gapping

Air-gapping has evolved beyond simple offline storage solutions. Businesses on the cloud need modern air-gapping solutions enable rapid restoration capabilities while maintaining critical data isolation. That means if you are only one cloud provider, implementing systems that can fail over immediately from any region or account. If you run a Multicloud environment, companies are beginning to ensure backup data remains completely segregated from production environments using cross-cloud air-gapping. Which brings us to…

3. Multi-Cloud Architecture

A distributed backup ecosystem provides essential protection against both targeted attacks and systemic failures. Businesses should spread their backup infrastructure across multiple cloud providers, using distinct authentication systems and separate environmental controls. This approach ensures that a compromise in one environment doesn’t cascade into others, while maintaining rapid recovery capabilities from any location.

4. Advanced Encryption Protocols

Modern backup encryption must protect data at multiple levels. This means securing not just the backup content itself, but also implementing sophisticated key management systems kept entirely separate from the backup infrastructure. Advanced encryption protocols prevent unauthorized users from even identifying backup locations, adding an essential layer of security through obscurity while maintaining full recoverability for authorized users.

5. Immutable Storage Implementation

Creating truly unchangeable backups requires more than just write protection. Modern immutable storage systems combine write-once-read-many technologies with sophisticated retention policies and integrity guarantees. This ensures that backup data remains pristine regardless of potential security breaches or accidental modifications. The system must maintain backup integrity while still enabling rapid recovery when needed.

6. Enhanced Access Controls

Access management for backup systems requires sophisticated role-based controls integrated with multi-factor authentication. Businesses must implement separate credential systems for backup access, maintaining detailed audit trails of all interactions with backup systems. This creates a secure environment where backup integrity is maintained without compromising recovery capabilities.

7. Cost-Effective Data Lifecycle Strategies

Rather than simply creating multiple copies of data, businesses need to implement intelligent redundancy strategies. This means developing sophisticated tiering systems that automatically store data based on age, importance, and recovery requirements. However, many companies shy away from this due to storage cost concerns.

Backup costs can be greatly optimized while maintaining security through intelligent data management. Modern solutions automatically transition incremental backups to lower-cost storage tiers while keeping them readily accessible. By only keeping the change in your last backup and utilizing a smart archiving approach, companies can significantly reduce storage costs without compromising security or recovery capabilities.

(Tip. most cloud providers store full backups and lack optimal tiering, leading to unnecessarily high expenses).

Looking Ahead: The Role of Automation

As cyber threats continue to evolve, companies in every sector must maintain backup strategies that are both robust and adaptable. The focus should be on creating systems that not only protect data but ensure business continuity under any circumstances. Because the ability to recover quickly and completely isn’t just about security – it’s about maintaining the trust that forms the foundation of your customer relationships.

Automation has transformed backup management from a manual process into a sophisticated, self-managing system. Modern tools handle everything from routine backups to complex multi-cloud management, reducing human error and empowering backup IT admins. Companies and IT teams that embrace these advanced approaches and tools will be best positioned to maintain operations regardless of the challenges they face.

Sebastian is the Principal Solutions Architect at N2W bringing in more than 2 decades of experience in enterprise technology, data protection and cybersecurity. With previous critical roles at Dell, Oracle, the FBI and the Department of Defense, he has established himself as a leading expert in enterprise security, backup & DR and identity management solutions. He has helped hundreds of clients simplify and bulletproof their data protection processes by helping them implement strategies that are not only robust and resilient, but also cost-effective.

The post Why Cybercriminals Are Targeting Your Backups and How to Be Prepared appeared first on Best Backup and Disaster Recovery Tools, Software, Solutions & Vendors.

Solutions Review’s Tim King curated this guide to 2025 Data Privacy Week insights, featuring a selection of commentary from industry leaders.

In honor of Data Privacy Week 2025, January 27-31, we’ve curated the definitive thought leader guide, drawing on the collective expertise of over 50 industry leaders and privacy professionals. This curation brings together in-depth insights and commentary from some of the most respected voices in data privacy, offering a comprehensive view of the current landscape and the evolving challenges facing businesses, regulators, and individuals alike.

As privacy concerns continue to grow (see DeepSeek), navigating the complexities of data protection has become more critical than ever. From emerging technologies like AI and blockchain to shifting regulatory frameworks and the increasing threat of cyberattacks, privacy is at the forefront of conversations across industries.

Through this guide, we aim to provide practical strategies, actionable advice, and forward-looking perspectives to help you not only stay compliant but also build trust with your customers, safeguard sensitive information, and foster a culture of privacy within your organization.

Whether you’re looking to deepen your understanding of data privacy laws, enhance your organization’s privacy policies, or simply stay ahead of industry trends, this collection of expert insights is your go-to resource for navigating the constantly evolving world of data privacy.

Data Privacy Week 2025 Insights

Jamie Moles, ExtraHop

“Data Privacy Week highlights the importance of data protection amid today’s evolving threat landscape. As we saw in 2024, high-profile data breaches reached record highs, costing organizations millions of dollars. This is our new reality, and large-scale attacks that compromise sensitive data will continue this year across all industries, considering rising geopolitical conflicts and cybercrime groups’ more advanced strategies.

Recent research from ExtraHop found that bad security hygiene and improper training, enabling attackers to steal and use credentials to enter an organization’s network, was a common point of entry for security breaches – with long-term costs averaging $677 million. Improving security hygiene to prevent these breaches is essential, and Data Privacy Week is the perfect reminder for companies to equip their employees with the knowledge to keep sensitive data secure and uphold privacy standards.

One critical investment is prioritizing cyber training for all employees. Everyone should be aware of the latest risks – such as social engineering and phishing attempts – and be required to follow basic security hygiene protocols like using unique complex passwords, activating multifactor authentication, remaining wary of suspicious emails or texts, and enabling regular software updates. Following these steps, in tandem with investments in cyber resilience, can protect organizations from a costly security incident.”

Gary Orenstein, Bitwarden 

“Protecting privacy starts with being proactive. For businesses, integrating privacy at the core of operations—whether at the organizational level or for individual employees—is crucial for establishing a robust security foundation in an increasingly complex digital landscape.

This approach isn’t just about compliance; it’s about empowering teams with the tools and knowledge needed to protect sensitive data, quickly address potential security concerns, and cultivate strong security practices across the board. One of the most effective first steps in this journey is the adoption of password managers. These tools help reinforce better security habits, ensuring that employees use strong, unique passwords across various accounts, which significantly reduces the risks tied to weak or reused credentials.

However, security and privacy require more than just password management. A multi-layered strategy—incorporating additional tools like privacy-centric browsers, email alias providers, and VPNs—further enhances protection and minimizes the likelihood of data misuse or breaches. Some of the most recommended this year have been Brave and Firefox browsers, DuckDuckGo for search, and Signal for messaging.

In a continuously evolving cybersecurity landscape shaped by advancements in AI and emerging regulatory shifts, it’s critical for businesses to stay ahead of these changes to protect organizational and personal data. Staying informed and proactive will help businesses secure their digital assets, build trust with customers, and minimize the risks to their operations.”

Chris Gibson, FIRST

Systemic data exposure

Shiva Nathan, Onymos

Candice Frost, Nightwing

The post Data Privacy Week 2025: Insights from Over 60 Industry Experts appeared first on Best Backup and Disaster Recovery Tools, Software, Solutions & Vendors.

The editor’s at Solutions Review curated this guide to 2025 Data Privacy Day insights, featuring a selection of commentary from industry leaders.

In honor of Data Privacy Day 2025 on January 28, we’ve curated the definitive thought leader guide, drawing on the collective expertise of over 60 industry leaders and privacy professionals. This guide brings together in-depth insights and commentary from some of the most respected voices in data privacy, offering a comprehensive view of the current landscape and the evolving challenges facing businesses, regulators, and individuals alike.

As privacy concerns continue to grow (see DeepSeek), navigating the complexities of data protection has become more critical than ever. From emerging technologies like AI and blockchain to shifting regulatory frameworks and the increasing threat of cyberattacks, privacy is at the forefront of conversations across industries.

Through this guide, we aim to provide practical strategies, actionable advice, and forward-looking perspectives to help you not only stay compliant but also build trust with your customers, safeguard sensitive information, and foster a culture of privacy within your organization.

Whether you’re looking to deepen your understanding of data privacy laws, enhance your organization’s privacy policies, or simply stay ahead of industry trends, this collection of expert insights is your go-to resource for navigating the constantly-evolving world of data privacy.

Data Privacy Day 2025 Insights

Jamie Moles, ExtraHop

“Data Privacy Week highlights the importance of data protection amid today’s evolving threat landscape. As we saw in 2024, high-profile data breaches reached record highs, costing organizations millions of dollars. This is our new reality, and large-scale attacks that compromise sensitive data will continue this year across all industries, considering rising geopolitical conflicts and cybercrime groups’ more advanced strategies.

Recent research from ExtraHop found that bad security hygiene and improper training, enabling attackers to steal and use credentials to enter an organization’s network, was a common point of entry for security breaches – with long-term costs averaging $677 million. Improving security hygiene to prevent these breaches is essential, and Data Privacy Week is the perfect reminder for companies to equip their employees with the knowledge to keep sensitive data secure and uphold privacy standards.

One critical investment is prioritizing cyber training for all employees. Everyone should be aware of the latest risks – such as social engineering and phishing attempts – and be required to follow basic security hygiene protocols like using unique complex passwords, activating multifactor authentication, remaining wary of suspicious emails or texts, and enabling regular software updates. Following these steps, in tandem with investments in cyber resilience, can protect organizations from a costly security incident.”

Gary Orenstein, Bitwarden 

“Protecting privacy starts with being proactive. For businesses, integrating privacy at the core of operations—whether at the organizational level or for individual employees—is crucial for establishing a robust security foundation in an increasingly complex digital landscape.

This approach isn’t just about compliance; it’s about empowering teams with the tools and knowledge needed to protect sensitive data, quickly address potential security concerns, and cultivate strong security practices across the board. One of the most effective first steps in this journey is the adoption of password managers. These tools help reinforce better security habits, ensuring that employees use strong, unique passwords across various accounts, which significantly reduces the risks tied to weak or reused credentials.

However, security and privacy require more than just password management. A multi-layered strategy—incorporating additional tools like privacy-centric browsers, email alias providers, and VPNs—further enhances protection and minimizes the likelihood of data misuse or breaches. Some of the most recommended this year have been Brave and Firefox browsers, DuckDuckGo for search, and Signal for messaging.

In a continuously evolving cybersecurity landscape shaped by advancements in AI and emerging regulatory shifts, it’s critical for businesses to stay ahead of these changes to protect organizational and personal data. Staying informed and proactive will help businesses secure their digital assets, build trust with customers, and minimize the risks to their operations.”

Chris Gibson, FIRST

Systemic data exposure

Shiva Nathan, Onymos

Candice Frost, Nightwing

The post Data Privacy Day 2025: Insights from Over 60 Industry Experts appeared first on Best Backup and Disaster Recovery Tools, Software, Solutions & Vendors.

The editors at Solutions Review have compiled this list of the best data protection officer certifications online to consider acquiring.

Data protection is a broad field encompassing backup and disaster recovery, data storage, business continuity, cybersecurity, endpoint management, data privacy, and data loss prevention. Data protection software becomes more crucial as the amount of data an enterprise creates and stores continues to grow at ever-increasing rates. The primary goals of a comprehensive data protection strategy are to ensure data privacy and to enable organizations to quickly restore their data after experiencing a disaster. 

With this in mind, we’ve compiled this list of the best data protection officer certifications from leading online professional education platforms and notable universities. The certifications listed offer students the training they need to develop new skills and advance their careers. This is not an exhaustive list, but one that features the best data protection officer certifications online from trusted institutions. We made sure to include certificate descriptions and Solutions Review’s take on each.

The Best Data Protection Officer Certifications

TITLE: IBM Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate

OUR TAKE: This beginner-level program takes approximately eight months to complete at a pace of four hours per week. This training is a good fit for people entering the workforce, as well as professionals switching careers.

Platform: Coursera

Description: A growing number of exciting, well-paying jobs in today’s security industry do not require a college degree. This 8-course Professional Certificate will give you the technical skills to become job-ready for a Cybersecurity Analyst role. Instructional content and labs will introduce you to concepts including network security, endpoint protection, incident response, threat intelligence, penetration testing, and vulnerability assessment.

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TITLE: Introduction to Cybersecurity Nanodegree

OUR TAKE: Before enrolling in this program, students should have a basic knowledge of network connectivity and OS fundamentals. At a pace of 10 hours a week, it will take about four months to complete this nanodegree.

Platform: Udacity

Description: Take your first step toward a career in cybersecurity and learn the skills required to become a security professional with the Introduction to Cybersecurity Nanodegree program. In this program, you will learn how to evaluate, maintain, and monitor the security of computer systems. You’ll also learn how to assess threats, respond to incidents, and implement security controls to reduce risk and meet security compliance goals.

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TITLE: Security Engineer Nanodegree

OUR TAKE: Prerequisites for this nanodegree include the basics of Python and experience configuring AWS and Linux environments. In addition to training, this program offers real-world projects, technical mentor support, and career services.

Platform: Udacity

Description: You’ll master the foundational skills necessary to become a successful Security Engineer. This program will focus on how to protect a company’s computer systems, networks, applications, and infrastructure from security threats or attacks. This course introduces the fundamental concepts and practices of security engineering. These are the basic principles and properties a security engineer will apply when evaluating, prioritizing, and communicating security topics. Additionally, you’ll learn about the practical applications of cryptography. You will also learn about strategies for risk evaluation, security review, and audit.

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TITLE: Security Analyst Nanodegree

OUR TAKE: Before enrolling in this program, it’s recommended that students have experience with Python, SQL, security fundamentals, database design, and networking and operating systems. At a pace of 10 hours a week, students will complete this nanodegree in about four months.

Platform: Udacity

Description: You’ll master the skills necessary to become a successful Security Analyst. Learn to identify, correct and respond to security weaknesses and incidents. Plus, get hands-on experience monitoring network traffic, analyzing alert and log data, and following incident handling procedures. You will begin your exploration into the role of a security analyst. You will learn about the core principles and philosophy that drive work in the security field. Then, you will discover physical, logical and administrative controls, their industry-recognized frameworks, and how to apply them to secure a network, system, or application. Lastly, you will apply security concepts to create defensible, resilient network architecture.

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TITLE: Become a Data Architect Nanodegree

OUR TAKE: Students should have intermediate Python and SQL experience, as well as basic ETL and Data Pipeline experience before enrolling in this program. At a pace of 5-10 hours a week, it will take an estimated four months to complete this nanodegree.

Platform: Udacity

Description: In this program, you’ll plan, design, and implement enterprise data infrastructure solutions and create the blueprints for an organization’s data management system. You’ll create a relational database with PostGreSQL, design an Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) data model to build a cloud-based data warehouse, and design scalable data lake architecture that meets the needs of Big Data. Finally, you’ll learn how to apply the principles of data governance to an organization’s data management system.

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TITLE: Cyber Security Expert Master’s Program

OUR TAKE: This Simplilearn master’s program features more than 160 hours of applied learning, including 64 hours of e-learning content, and lifetime access to self-paced videos and class recordings.

Platform: Simplilearn

Description: The Cyber Security Expert Master’s Program will equip you with the skills needed to become an expert in this rapidly growing domain. You will learn comprehensive approaches to protecting your infrastructure, including securing data and information, running risk analysis and mitigation, architecting cloud-based security, achieving compliance, and much more with this best-in-class program.

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TITLE: Master’s Degree in Cybersecurity

OUR TAKE: This program from edX, in partnership with Georgia Tech, requires a Bachelor of Science from an accredited institution in Computer Science or Computer Engineering, as well as a solid understanding of computer science fundamentals.

Platform: edX

Description: Cybersecurity isn’t just about keeping your individual computers and devices safe, it’s about safeguarding our society and our world. Whether that’s from rogue criminals and gangs who want to steal your money or identity, or nation-states and terror groups who want to disrupt defense systems, elections, or cripple our energy infrastructure, the need for well-trained cybersecurity professionals who can stop these attacks has never been greater. Georgia Tech’s OMS Online Master of Science in Cybersecurity is the only interdisciplinary degree in cybersecurity from a U.S. News & World Report Top 10-ranked public university that you can earn online, on your own schedule, for tuition less than $10,000.

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NOW READ: The 7 Best Udemy Courses for Data Protection Officers to Consider for 2021

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The post The 7 Best Data Protection Officer Certifications Online for 2025 appeared first on Best Backup and Disaster Recovery Tools, Software, Solutions & Vendors.

The editors at Solutions Review have compiled this list of the best data center courses on Udemy to consider taking.

Data center professionals are sidled with a large responsibility. Knowing how to keep an organization’s data center secure and operating smoothly is critical. Without proper training and knowledge of how to operate and maintain a data center, IT professionals can leave their business vulnerable to a host of issues, including ransomware attacks, power outages, natural disasters, and more.

With this in mind, we’ve compiled this list of the best data center courses on Udemy if you’re looking to grow your skills for work or play. Udemy is one of the top online education platforms in the world with more than 130,000 courses, expert instruction, and lifetime access that allows you to learn on your own schedule. This list of the best data center courses on Udemy below includes links to the modules and our take on each.

Note: Courses are listed in no particular order.

The Best Data Center Courses on Udemy

TITLE: Cisco Nexus & UCS Manager Data Center Lab Course

OUR TAKE: This course will give students exposure to CCNA Data Center 200-150 DCICN Nexus Labs and show them how to analyze and troubleshoot problems with Cisco Data Center devices. The class from Veyhurdam Dikmen also boasts a 4-star ranking and requires some basic networking experience.

Description: Welcome to Cisco Nexus & UCS Manager Data Center Lab Course Cisco Data Center Networking Nexus UCS Manager Labs Course DCICN. In this course you will learn how to perform necessary configurations for Cisco Nexus & UCS Manager and important and useful subjects for your profession.

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TITLE: Data Center Essentials: General Introduction

OUR TAKE: This course from John Peterson touts a 4.6 rating and has been taken by over 2,800 students.  Peterson provides an overview of the different types, sizes, and priorities of data centers, as well as supporting equipment, systems, and controls.

Descriptions: Learn the basics to enter into the world of data centers, the fastest growing sector in the design and construction industry. By the end, you will know the lingo and more about data centers than 90% of those in the industry… Our digital footprint grows phenomenally every year and that data passes through, is stored and processed by the contents of these largest of energy-intensive buildings on the planet. This course is intended to give you a jump start into the world of data centers.  We will cover the many standards, terminology, and acronyms used when talking and walking through these mission-critical facilities.

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TITLE: CCNP Data Center -350-601 DCCOR Implementing and Operating

OUR TAKE: This course from Ratnesh Kumar provides students with 26 hours of on-demand video and three downloadable resources. Before taking this class, students should be familiar with Ethernet and TCP/IP networking, SANs, and Fibre Channel protocol.

Description: The Implementing and Operating Cisco Data Center Core Technologies (DCCOR) course helps you prepare for the Cisco® CCNP® Data Center and CCIE® Data Center certifications for advanced-level data center roles. In this course, you will master the skills and technologies you need to implement data center compute, LAN, and SAN infrastructure. You will also learn the essentials of automation and security in data centers.

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TITLE: Data Center Essentials: Power & Electrical

OUR TAKE: This course is a continuation of John Peterson’s Data Center Essentials series. This class focuses on the basics of data center electrical and power systems, including redundancy concepts for electrical distribution and equipment.

Description: In this course, we dive more deeply into the electrical and power systems and components that support data centers.  With data centers using about 5% of the world’s energy and growing, these power systems are ever-expanding and improving.  With the internet expected to be an essential part of our lives, the electrical infrastructure supporting the data centers that power the internet are becoming more essential to understand and support.

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TITLE: iPexpert’s CCNA DCICN Data Center Course

OUR TAKE: This nearly 18-hour long course aims to provide students with an understanding of the topics in the CCNA DCICN Data Center certification. Students should note that a basic understanding of networking terms and command line coding is recommended before taking this course, but not required.

Description: iPexpert’s Cisco CCNA Data Center Course is a modular video course that’s been built by creating very focused videos for every topic seen on the CCNA DCICN Data Center exam, 640-911. Delivered in crystal clear high-definition format, watch and listen along as 2 world-class CCIE instructors whiteboard and configure these various technologies and protocols. This course offers the information you need to get you on your way to CCNA success!

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TITLE: Data Center Essentials: Mechanical & Cool

OUR TAKE: This 4.7-star rated course in John Peterson’s Data Center Essentials series delivers an introduction to data center cooling, as well as an understanding of mechanical and plumbing systems. Students will also gain an understanding of what factors impact cooling design.

Description: In the next section of the Data Center Essentials courses, we cover the mechanical cooling systems that support data centers and prevent them from overheating.  As the data center power and density has increased every year, the need to remove the heat generated has become a more important factor for the design and operation of the facility… We will start with the common terminology, standards, guides and operating conditions for data centers before moving on to more complex components, operations, and controls.  And whether you are walking through a data center every day or only once in a while it is important to understand how the cooling and mechanical systems are operating to keep the internet up and running.

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