Safeguard your business data and support operational continuity with our free, downloadable Backup Policy template.
Enter and submit your email below to download this free resource.
What is a Backup Policy?
A Backup Policy is a formal document that outlines the procedures for creating, storing, and managing copies of essential business data. It defines the frequency of backups, the types of data to be backed up, storage locations, and responsibilities for maintaining and testing backups.
Implementing a robust Backup Policy helps businesses:
- Protect against data loss due to cyber attacks, hardware failures, or human error
- Support quick recovery of critical information
- Comply with legal and regulatory requirements
- Maintain customer trust by safeguarding sensitive data
By clearly defining backup procedures, organisations can minimise downtime and data loss, supporting resilience in the face of disruptions.
Why Backup Policies Are More Important Than Ever
In today’s digital landscape, data is a critical asset for businesses. The increasing reliance on digital systems makes data protection paramount.
Key statistics:
- 43% of UK businesses reported experiencing a cyber breach or attack in the last 12 months. (Source: Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025 – UK Government (gov.uk))
- The average cost of a data breach in the UK has risen to £3.58 million, marking a 5% increase from the previous year. (Source: UK Data Breach Costs Soar to £3.58m – SMEWeb)
- 67% of medium-sized and 74% of large UK businesses have experienced cyber breaches or attacks in the past year. (Source: Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025 – UK Government (gov.uk))
Without a formal backup policy, businesses risk:
- Permanent loss of critical data
- Extended downtime affecting operations and revenue
- Non-compliance with data protection regulations
- Reputational damage and loss of customer trust
A well-defined Backup Policy is essential for mitigating these risks and ensuring business continuity.
Why This Matters for ISO Certification
Maintaining a comprehensive Backup Policy provides evidence of systematic data protection practices, a key requirement in ISO audits. Certification bodies expect organisations to have documented procedures for data backup and recovery.
For organisations aiming to achieve or maintain ISO certifications, a Backup Policy is a vital component:
- ISO 9001 – Quality Management Systems: Supports consistent quality by ensuring data integrity and availability.
- ISO 22301 – Business Continuity Management: Emphasises the importance of data recovery strategies to maintain operations during disruptions.
- ISO 27001 – Information Security Management: Requires measures to protect against data loss, including regular backups.
Get Started Today
By using our template, you can streamline your data protection processes and align with the requirements of ISO standards, facilitating smoother certification and audit processes.
Enter and submit your email below to download this free resource.
