The annual observance of World Backup Day on the 31st of March is particularly pertinent this year, given the rising tide of cyber-attacks and data breaches that are causing alarm among senior executives worldwide. Recent, extensive research reveals that 90% of executives fear a ransomware attack on their organisations– with nearly 40% expressing extreme apprehension. The growing complexity, scale, and impact of these data breaches, losses, and thefts highlight the critical importance of data protection for both individuals and enterprises.

Remus Lim, the Senior Vice President of Asia Pacific and Japan, a hybrid data cloud company, has offered expert commentary on the key importance of data protection and recovery in the current digital landscape. He emphasised the calamitous implications of data loss for an organisation, saying that it "can be catastrophic."

Mr. Lim fully recognises the urgency of World Backup Day, deeming it "a timely reminder of the importance of data protection, both on a personal and enterprise level." He also elaborated on the integral role that data protection plays for enterprises when it comes to business continuity, financial loss prevention, legal compliance and maintaining customer trust. While methods like data encryption and data backup are commonly used by organisations, Lim emphasises that "safeguarding data effectively requires a holistic strategy that includes policies and processes to address concepts like data governance."

He insists on the importance of data availability and accessibility for those enterprises that are aiming to use data-driven decision-making or advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI). In addition to this, trust in their data is paramount. "Enterprises must ensure that they have data governance frameworks in place so that their data sets are accurate, complete and consistent, and in compliance with government regulations," adds Lim.

Data management is a key part of this equation, despite often slipping under the radar when it comes to discussions on data protection. Lim highlights the many advantages organisations can glean from investing in modern data management platforms. "Such platforms deliver a real-time overview of data across multi-cloud and on premises," he says, "allowing companies to actively monitor for threats while accelerating their AI and digital transformation initiatives through instantaneous access to high-quality data."

The word of caution from Cloudera's Senior Vice President of Asia Pacific and Japan underpins the significance of World Backup Day, offering a cogent argument for the critical necessity of data protection and recovery in today's digital world - a world increasingly fraught with cyber threats and data breaches.