A well-thought-out cloud backup strategy is crucial today—because companies in all industries are using cloud services more than ever before. The advantages are obvious: scalability, flexibility, and high availability. However, shifting workloads to the cloud also brings a frequently underestimated risk: the false assumption that the cloud provider is responsible for data security and recoverability. This is exactly where cloud backups come into play as a strategic security tool.
Especially in an environment shaped by geopolitical tensions, cyber risks, and regulatory requirements, this misconception can have serious consequences. Public cloud providers primarily secure their infrastructure—but not automatically the content of customer data. The so-called shared responsibility model means that protecting against data loss (e.g. due to accidental deletion, malware, or misconfiguration) lies with the customer. This distinction between “security of the cloud” and “security in the cloud” clearly shows why professional cloud backup solutions are indispensable today.
Cloud backup strategy and digital sovereignty: Control is crucial
With growing focus on data protection and digital sovereignty, companies are also faced with the challenge of complying with industry-specific and legal requirements such as the GDPR, the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP), the NIS2 directive, or ISO 27001—even in complex multi-cloud scenarios. An independent backup, separate from the primary cloud provider, is therefore essential to:
- ensure data access in the event of a crisis,
- guarantee long-term archiving in accordance with regulatory requirements, and
- establish transparent control mechanisms.
Cloud backup strategy according to the 3-2-1 rule: How to back up correctly
A robust backup concept follows the 3-2-1 rule:
- 3 copies of the data
- 2 different types of storage media
- 1 copy stored at a geographically separate location
This method minimizes risks from hardware failures, cyberattacks, and local disasters. For particularly sensitive data, an offline-capable tape or disk backup is additionally recommended—physically disconnected from the network and therefore immune to ransomware.
Using backup technologies efficiently
As data volumes grow and demands for fast response times increase, efficiency becomes a decisive factor for backup strategies. Modern backup solutions therefore rely on technical optimizations to minimize storage space, network load, and backup times:
1. Incremental backups
Only the data that has changed since the last backup is saved. This reduces both the amount of storage required and the time needed for regular backups.
2. Efficient compression
By selectively reducing file size (without data loss), storage space can be significantly saved. This is especially beneficial for large data volumes.
3. Deduplication
Identical data blocks are stored only once and referenced—rather than being saved multiple times. This method is lossless but requires regular checks, as faulty deduplication can lead to inconsistent restores.
4. Fingerprinting / pattern recognition
By analyzing redundant data patterns, systems can identify and centrally manage duplicate data. Especially for regular backups of systems with only slight changes, this significantly reduces resource usage.
Altogether, these techniques enable a cost-efficient and high-performance backup architecture—provided they are correctly implemented and regularly reviewed.
Backup strategy as a success factor – what matters
A technical backup alone is not enough. What matters is strategic planning within the overall context of IT resilience. Important planning criteria include:
- Data classification: Which data is particularly sensitive or business-critical?
- RTO/RPO definition: What recovery time (RTO) and data loss tolerance (RPO) are acceptable?
- Compatibility: Does the solution fit the existing IT environment?
- Compliance requirements: Are GDPR, GoBD, and industry-specific regulations met?
- Testability: Regular restore tests to ensure the effectiveness of the solution.
Which backup solution for which use case?
- Mid-sized company using Microsoft 365:
A daily, incremental backup in a cloud-to-cloud backup solution is recommended. Providers offering native M365 support are ideal. Granular restore options and GDPR-compliant storage in EU data centers are essential. - Small and medium-sized enterprises without M365:
SMEs that do not use typical SaaS suites like Microsoft 365 also require a reliable backup strategy. Depending on the system landscape—such as local file servers, virtualized environments, or web-based tools—the following is recommended:
- For local servers and applications: image-based or file-based backups with agentless VM support.
- For web-based tools or smaller SaaS services: API-based SaaS backup services to secure collaboration tools, CRM or marketing platforms.
- For endpoints: endpoint backup solutions that automatically back up local data from laptops and PCs.
A frequently overlooked aspect for SMEs is securing mobile or decentralized workstations. Here, a combined concept of local backup and cloud offsite copy helps create resilience against loss or ransomware.
- Large IT infrastructures with a hybrid cloud strategy:
Here, a combination of agent-based backup for local workloads and cloud-native backup for hyperscaler instances is recommended. In addition, a disaster recovery plan with defined RTO/RPO targets should be in place. - Business-critical infrastructures:
For the highest security requirements, the use of an air-gap-capable, immutable, and encrypted solution is recommended—physically and logically separated from other IT systems, with a tape or disk backup as a third copy. This effectively defends against attacks such as ransomware or state-motivated data manipulation.
Cloud services are indispensable in today’s enterprise IT. But those who fail to establish an independent backup solution and do not actively protect their SaaS data are placing themselves in a risky dependency on the provider—with potentially severe consequences in the event of outages, attacks, or political escalations. A well-thought-out, efficient, and compliant cloud backup concept is therefore imperative.
Would you like to establish a robust foundation for your backup strategy?
Our experts support you in selecting and implementing a backup and recovery solution tailored precisely to your cloud environment and business model.