When it comes to protecting your business data, many organisations still confuse backup with disaster recovery. It’s an easy mistake to make—they both deal with data protection, right?

But here’s the truth: while they’re related, they serve very different purposes. And understanding the distinction is critical to building a resilient strategy that can withstand ransomware, hardware failure, and even human error.

Let’s break it down…

Backups are like a time machine for your files. Accidentally deleted a spreadsheet? Overwrote a critical document? Backups let you rewind and recover.

They’re designed to protect individual files and folders, making them ideal for day-to-day mishaps. But if your entire system goes down—say, due to a cyber attack or server failure—backups alone won’t get you back in business.

Disaster recovery (DR) is about restoring operations, not just files. It’s the plan that gets your systems, applications, and infrastructure back online after a major disruption.

Think of it as your business’s emergency response system. DR ensures that even if your primary environment is compromised, you can switch to a secondary setup and keep things running.

Without a disaster recovery plan, your business could face hours, or even days, of downtime. And in today’s fast-paced world, that’s a risk few can afford.

At Stiperstone, we provide both backup and disaster recovery solutions. But the real value lies in knowing when and how to use each.

Together, they form a comprehensive resilience strategy that protects your business from:

• Ransomware attacks
• Hardware failures
• Human error
• Natural disasters

Imagine this: your business is hit by ransomware. Files are encrypted, systems are locked, and operations grind to a halt.

With backups, you might be able to recover some files. But without a disaster recovery plan, your systems remain offline, your staff can’t work, and your customers are left waiting.

A combined strategy means you can restore files AND resume operations quickly, minimising disruption and protecting your reputation.

If you’re unsure about any of these, it’s time to take action.

At Stiperstone, we specialise in helping businesses like yours build robust, tailored recovery plans. Whether you’re starting from scratch or refining an existing strategy, we’ll guide you through every step.

Because when the unexpected happens, you shouldn’t just recover—you should bounce back stronger.