Cloud backups are a practical way for small UK businesses to keep their data safe and quickly recover if ransomware strikes. Instead of relying solely on local storage, which can be encrypted or destroyed by ransomware, cloud backups store copies of your important files securely offsite. This means that even if your computers or servers are locked down by malware, you can restore your data from the cloud without paying a ransom.
Why this matters for UK SMEs
Ransomware attacks can cause severe disruption, forcing businesses to halt operations while they recover data. For small firms, this downtime can lead to lost revenue, damaged customer relationships, and increased costs. Additionally, UK data protection rules like the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR require organisations to protect personal data, which includes having reliable backups. Failure to do so risks regulatory penalties and reputational damage.
Cloud backups help reduce these risks by ensuring your data is stored in multiple locations with strong security controls. They also support compliance by enabling you to demonstrate data resilience during audits or ICO investigations. For example, a business with 50 staff handling customer data can avoid weeks of downtime and costly data recovery services by having automated cloud backups that are regularly tested.
A typical scenario
Consider a UK-based marketing agency with 30 employees. One day, an employee accidentally opens a malicious email attachment, unleashing ransomware that encrypts all local files and shared drives. Without cloud backups, the agency faces a tough choice: pay the ransom or lose months of work. However, because their managed IT provider had set up daily cloud backups with versioning, they quickly restore clean copies of their data from the previous night. The agency is back up and running within hours, avoiding significant financial and reputational damage.
Practical checklist: What to do now
- Ask your IT provider: How often are backups performed and are they automated?
- Check backup storage: Are backups stored offsite in the cloud with encryption?
- Verify backup integrity: Does your provider regularly test restoring data to ensure backups work?
- Review access controls: Who can access backups and are multi-factor authentication (MFA) and strong passwords enforced?
- Understand retention policies: How long are backups kept and are older versions available in case of undetected ransomware?
- Include backups in your cybersecurity plan: Ensure backups are part of your incident response and compliance documentation.
- Perform internal checks: Confirm that critical data and systems are included in backup scopes and that backup logs are reviewed periodically.
Next steps
Cloud backups are a key part of a layered defence strategy against ransomware. If you don't already have a reliable cloud backup solution or want to review your current setup, speak with a trusted managed IT provider or IT advisor. They can help assess your risks, recommend suitable backup schedules and security measures, and support your compliance efforts without unnecessary complexity.