Many business owners believe their data is safe because they “have backups.”
But after years of working with companies across Columbus and surrounding areas in Ohio, we’ve learned a hard truth:
Most backups don’t work when they’re actually needed.
They exist.
They run.
They report “success.”
And yet—when disaster strikes, recovery fails.
Let’s look at why this happens, how to know if you’re at risk, and what reliable backup really looks like.
A backup is only valuable if you can:
“Recoverable” means your business can realistically resume operations after:
If recovery would take days—or isn’t possible at all—your backup isn’t doing its job.
Here are the most common issues we find during IT assessments.
Many backup systems generate errors that no one reviews.
Common problems include:
Without monitoring, failures go unnoticed for months.
Until it’s too late.
This is one of the biggest risks.
Many businesses have never performed a full recovery test.
They assume:
“If it says successful, it must work.”
That assumption is dangerous.
We regularly see backups that:
Testing is the only proof.
Backups often miss:
So while “something” is backed up, it’s not everything.
Partial protection creates false confidence.
If your backup system is connected to your network, ransomware can often reach it.
We’ve seen cases where:
No clean copy remained.
This is why immutable and offline backups matter.
Some backups technically work—but take days to restore.
For many businesses, that’s unacceptable.
Ask yourself:
If not, recovery speed matters just as much as recovery itself.
Old credentials can allow attackers to delete or modify backups.
If access isn’t properly managed, your “safety net” is vulnerable.
A Central Ohio law firm experienced ransomware.
Their backups were “fully protected.”
All backups were encrypted.
No recovery was possible.
They rebuilt from scratch.
A modern, recoverable backup strategy includes:
Failures are detected and reported immediately.
Restores are tested on a schedule.
Backups that cannot be altered by malware.
On-site + cloud + offsite storage.
Clear targets for:
So recovery doesn’t rely on one person.
Learn more:
➡️ /backup-disaster-recovery
Ask your IT provider these questions:
If answers are unclear, that’s a warning sign.
Many businesses assume Microsoft handles backups.
Microsoft provides retention—not full disaster recovery.
Deleted data, ransomware, or sync errors can still cause permanent loss.
That’s why third-party backup is critical.
Learn more:
➡️ /5-microsoft-365-settings
A professional MSP ensures:
Learn more:
➡️ /managed-it-business-ohio
At Cloud Cover, we help Central Ohio businesses:
✔ Design layered backup systems
✔ Implement immutable storage
✔ Test recovery regularly
✔ Monitor failures 24/7
✔ Document recovery plans
✔ Prepare for ransomware events
Our goal: no surprises when it matters most.
Not always. Cloud backups must still be monitored, tested, and protected from ransomware.
At least quarterly, and after major system changes.
Sometimes, but insurers often deny claims when controls are missing.
That depends on your business, but most companies should aim for hours—not days.
An IT assessment shows whether your backups are truly recoverable—and what needs improvement.
➡️ See what’s included:/it-assessment-what-to-expect
➡️ Request an assessment:/free-it-assessment
Backups don’t fail loudly.
They fail quietly.
And they fail when you need them most.
If you don’t know whether your data can be restored today, you’re taking a bigger risk than you realize.
Get clarity.
Test recovery.
Protect your business.