Research From Infrascale Reveals 21% of SMBs Lack Proper Data Protection

Infrascale has released the findings of its new research, which indicates that 58 percent of C-level executives at small and medium businesses (SMBs) said their biggest data storage challenge is security vulnerability. Additionally, 49 percent of top leaders at SMBs stated that cyberattacks are their biggest data protection concern. However, despite these concerns, over 20 percent of SMB leaders do not currently have a backup or disaster recovery solution in place.

This Infrascale research, conducted in March 2020, is based on a survey of more than 500 C-level executives. CEOs represented 87 percent of the group, and the majority of the remainder was divided between CIOs and CTOs.

When asked what data protection means to them, 61 percent of respondents named encryption and data security. The same number also said data backup. 59 percent defined data protection as data recovery, while 54 percent named anti-malware services. Additionally, 46 percent cited email protection, and data archiving and the ability to become operational quickly after a disaster each got 45 percent of the participants’ vote.

The research suggests that there is significant variation in what top executives in different industries consider to be the most important aspects of data protection. For example, in the legal field, 89 percent of executives said data protection offers data security and encryption. 71 percent of respondents in the healthcare sector agreed. Encryption and data security was also the top answer among retail/e-commerce and telecommunications leaders with 67 and 52 percent shares, respectively. 

However, top executives in education see data backup and data recovery as the most important aspects of data protection, with 61 percent of respondents in that field holding this belief. Additionally, for 57 percent of the top leaders in accounting, banking, or finance, data backup is the key concern in data protection.

In a press statement, CEO of Infrascale, Russell P. Reeder said, “in today’s data-driven world, seeing that over 20 percent of SMBs do not have a data protection solution in place is quite concerning. Every modern company depends on data and operational uptime for its very survival, and there are some very accessible solutions available to companies of all sizes. Data protection and operational uptime have never been more important than during the unprecedented times we are currently facing.”

While the definitions of data protection may vary, it’s clear that most SMBs believe it is important to have a data protection, backup, and/or disaster recovery solution in place, as 79 percent of respondents said they already do. However, that still leaves a significant share (21 percent) that has no data protection solution in place. Not only that, but 13 percent of SMB C-level executives said they have no data protection strategy in place, which makes their businesses incredibly vulnerable.

Reeder continued, stating, “each organization is different. But one thing all businesses have in common is a desire to eradicate downtime and data loss. Organizations can and should protect their data, and their businesses as a whole, by enabling comprehensive data protection with modern backup and disaster recovery solutions and strategies. This has never been more relevant than today, as much of the world has mobilized to a remote workforce. Consider the implications for a business should their data become compromised if it does not have a solution in place to quickly and effectively return to working order.”

Learn more about Infrascale.