Safeguard your organisation’s data and reinforce operational continuity with our free, downloadable Backup Policy template – designed to help Irish businesses formalise backup procedures, support data recovery, and meet regulatory or ISO standard requirements.
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What is a Backup Policy?
A Backup Policy is a formalised document that defines how your organisation handles business-critical data: outlining backup frequency, types of data to copy, storage locations (onsite, offsite, or cloud), and responsibilities for managing and testing backups.
Creating a robust Backup Policy allows Irish organisations to:
- Mitigate risk of data loss from cyber incidents, hardware failure, or accidental deletion
- Enable faster restoration of important information
- Maintain compliance with data protection regulations such as GDPR
- Strengthen trust with customers and partners by protecting sensitive data
Documented backup protocols can also help to reduce downtime and bolster business resilience.
Why Backup Policies Are More Critical Than Ever
Data is the lifeblood of modern organisations – and Ireland is no exception. Several recent reports highlight the ever-rising cyber risk and associated costs faced by Irish enterprises.
Key Statistics:
- 74% of Irish businesses reported an increase in cyber attacks over the past year, with organisations experiencing an average of 58 attacks per business annually. Nearly half (47%) reported reputational damage. (Source: Hiscox Cyber Readiness Report 2024 – hiscox.ie)
- The global average cost of a data breach rose to €4.49 million in 2024, with data recovery often taking more than 100 days.
(Source: RTÉ – Data breach costs hit €4.49m globally) - Nearly 30% of large Irish companies reported paying a ransom in the past year, with an average payout of €683,000 for successful ransomware attacks.
(Source: Irish Post – One-third of Irish companies have paid cyber ransom)
Without a formal Backup Policy, organisations face:
- Permanent data loss affecting core operations
- Prolonged recovery times disrupting service delivery
- Regulatory noncompliance under GDPR and other frameworks
- Significant reputational damage and erosion of stakeholder trust
Implementing a structured policy helps mitigate these risks proactively, ensuring reliable data recovery and continuity.
Why This Matters for Certification and Regulation
A Backup Policy is a critical component of data governance and is often required for certifications and regulatory requirements. Auditors expect verifiable procedures outlining how you secure and recover essential data.
It supports key standards and frameworks including:
- ISO 9001 – Quality Management Systems
Supports consistent delivery by ensuring data integrity and availability. - ISO 22301 – Business Continuity Management
Emphasises data recovery plans as a critical element in sustaining operations during disruptions. - ISO 27001 – Information Security Management
Requires documented procedures for backup, storage, testing, and recovery of information assets.
Whether you’re preparing for ISO certification or auditing for regulatory requirements, a Backup Policy enhances operational readiness, compliance visibility, and audit confidence.
Get Started Today
Formalise your approach to data protection. Download our free Backup Policy template today.
Enter and submit your email below to download this free resource.
