CIO MarketPulse Survey: State of SaaS Data Protection

Key insights into how senior IT leaders are managing cloud data security.

A new survey of over 300 senior IT decision-makers in the US, Europe, and Asia-Pacific reveals significant gaps in how organizations are protecting their data in the cloud. The findings highlight the need for more robust, independent backup solutions to ensure business continuity in an increasingly complex threat environment.

Over-reliance on Native Backup

The survey found that **37% of respondents** rely solely on the native backup capabilities of their SaaS applications. This approach leaves them vulnerable to data loss and service disruptions, as native backups often have limitations.

Long Recovery Times

A staggering **11% of respondents** reported that it would take them a month or longer to recover data after a loss event—or that they might not be able to fully recover at all. This highlights a critical risk to business operations and continuity.

Recent Data Loss Events

Almost half of the organizations surveyed, specifically **49% of respondents**, have experienced a major data loss event in the past year, underscoring the real and immediate threat facing businesses today.

The Demand for Segregated Storage

Senior IT decision-makers are recognizing the need for independent backup solutions. **61% of respondents** stated that physically segregated storage is a key requirement for modern SaaS backup, showing a clear shift in industry priorities toward greater data security and control.

The survey results confirm that many businesses are at risk due to inadequate cloud data protection strategies. The findings strongly suggest that an independent, immutable, and physically segregated backup solution is essential for securing business continuity and mitigating data loss.

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Defining data governance and data classification

So, what is data governance and how does it relate to cyber resilience?

Existing under the broad umbrella of data management, data governance is a program — implemented via policies and standards — intended to ensure the availability, quality, and security of an organization’s data in accordance with applicable regulations and obligations (e.g., adhering to industry standards, fulfilling requirements for certifications, etc.).

Within data governance, data classification is the process of separating and organizing data into relevant groups (“classes”) based on their shared characteristics, such as the level of sensitivity, risks they present, and the compliance regulations that protect them.

Data governance underpins cyber resilience plans

An intelligent data governance program delivers several beneficial outcomes for organizations:

  • It helps to ensure the availability, quality, and security of an organization’s data, making it a foundational pillar of business continuity.
  • Data governance helps improve overall data accuracy and impacts outcomes based on that data — which can range from comparatively simple day-to-day business decisions and operations to more complex, forward-looking initiatives including AI-focused programs.
  • It helps to support organizational efforts to comply with regulations and other obligations, making it a cornerstone of compliance.
  • An effective data governance program also permeates the entire organization, increasing data literacy, data accessibility, and data scalability.

Do you know where your data is?

Of course, disaster recovery planning cannot start without a clear understanding and mapping of your data and its significance to your business. What data is crucial for us to continue running our operations? Who needs access to which data to do their job? Where do we store all of this critical data?

Knowing the answers to these questions will start your journey towards ensuring continuity in cases of data loss or cyberattacks. This is achieved through an efficient and effective data governance framework.

I hope that, with our new report in hand, CISOs and CIOs will be able to future-proof their modern, data-driven enterprises through effective data governance.

About Keepit’s new report, “Intelligent data governance: Why taking control of your data is key for operational continuity and innovation.”

Our report takes a practical approach to data governance by offering a resource to organizations for creating or adopting a framework that works best for them.

Key takeaways from the report:

-Major trends shaping enterprise IT

-The importance of “always-on” data

-Resilience against data loss and corruption

-Data governance as an investment

-A practical approach to data governance

-10 questions for board discussions

Get the full report

About Keepit
At Keepit, we believe in a digital future where all software is delivered as a service. Keepit’s mission is to protect data in the cloud Keepit is a software company specializing in Cloud-to-Cloud data backup and recovery. Deriving from +20 year experience in building best-in-class data protection and hosting services, Keepit is pioneering the way to secure and protect cloud data at scale.

About Version 2 Digital

Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.