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March 27, 2000
About World Backup Day: The power that your data wields
March 31 is World Backup Day. It serves as an annual reminder of how susceptible and vulnerable companies are, even one equipped with the latest technologies – that is, when the data is not adequately protected. Many companies use backups as a safeguard against common threats such as defective hardware, inadvertent deletion, or – the worst case scenario – ransomware by which files are encrypted and entire business processes are paralyzed.
Companies need protection mechanisms
that can detect and block every single attempt at manipulating data within the network as soon as possible.
Backups are an important aspect of an overarching strategy
That’s why it is no longer sufficient for companies to just make a backup nowadays. They need protection mechanisms that can detect and block every single attempt at manipulating data within the network as soon as possible. According to Erik Heyland, Head of Testing Labs at AV-TEST, “it is prudent for enterprises to implement a good protection strategy. It is not only critical for the enterprise's continued existence; in many cases, it is required for compliance with legal requirements. After all, enterprises also need to keep new regulations in mind, such as NIS2, the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) or DORA. Some of the security strategies and rules governing backups are contained in this legislation and compliance with them is mandatory.”
Security solutions for companies, like the ones that AV-TEST regularly certifies for Windows and Mac systems, are the first line of defense. The solutions need to monitor all access activities, encrypt data, secure communications, and – leveraging the help of AI – detect anomalies that may be indicative of an attack. They are intended to prevent external attackers from penetrating the network, and at the same time, make sure that access rights and privileges are properly managed, preventing authorized users from surreptitiously accessing more than they should. In the process, there is also another task: to provide defense against the most dangerous form of malware, ransomware. This underlines
It takes numerous layers of protection to safeguard a company
Immutable backups form the second layer of protection. Once the data has been backed up, it cannot be edited or deleted thanks to the immutability of the data. It means that there is a reliable recovery point in the background if an attacker manipulates business data, emails, or documents, making it possible to restore data and also determine compromised data.
There are many common situations, in which the advantage becomes clear. If data is encrypted by ransomware, an immutable backup enables the company to roll back to a clean, restorable copy, without needing to engage with the blackmailer and their demands. After all, analyses and statistics indicate that 95 percent of ransomware attacks attempt to compromise backups.
Furthermore, if an insider tries to cover up any trace of an attack or delete any data, the immutable backup copies cannot be tampered with – on the contrary, the manipulation attempt is exposed. What’s more, the impact of accidental errors, software bugs, or faulty hardware loses its bite because there is an undamaged, time-stamped backup copy available. Some industries have long since required the implementation of immutable backups, in order to meet compliance and data protection requirements and provide proof of the integrity of information.
The new CTI report for 2025/2026 only underscores the reality of the threat. There were 1,119 ransomware attacks recorded in 23 European countries and Israel, and 226 of these took place in Germany, followed by the UK and France. The cyber incidents listed here by AV-TEST are based on extensive monitoring across the public Internet and dark web sources.
3 new malware samples added every second
By combining traditional security measures with immutable backups, companies can build a line of defense that fends off both major, well-known cyberthreats as well as quieter, underestimated attacks on data integrity. This elevates a simple backup concept into a genuine strategy for greater resilience, making enterprises far better prepared for the unimaginable, unthinkable and unworkable. AV-TEST’s own database, AV-ATLAS, which records malware and other threats and is constantly updated, lays bare the massive threat posed by cyberattacks. A quick glance at AV-ATLAS shows that there are more than 3 new malware samples generated and published essentially every second.