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The Backup Blind Spot: A Cautionary Tale for Every Business

Tamara Korbel

Jul 31 2025

3 min read

In the world of IT, few things are more chilling than discovering that your business’s lifeblood isn’t protected. That’s the unsettling reality uncovered during a recent infrastructure review, and it serves as a stark reminder of what’s at stake when backup solutions are assumed rather than assured.

The Discovery: A Policy with No Teeth

A review of the organization’s backup documentation revealed a startling truth: while a policy existed, it was effectively a placeholder. No on-premises or cloud environments were actively protected. Backup frequency, retention, and even physical storage locations were marked “N/A.” In short, the policy documented the absence of a backup strategy.

This wasn’t just a gap; it was a gaping hole in the company’s disaster recovery posture.

The Risk: One Click from Catastrophe

Without backups, the organization is one ransomware attack, hardware failure, or accidental deletion away from irreversible data loss.

The horror story practically writes itself:

A malicious actor encrypts irreplaceable company data.
No backups exist to restore operations.
Production halts. Orders go unfulfilled.
Revenue evaporates. Reputation suffers.

And all of it could unfold in a matter of hours.

The Response: From Exposure to Action

The good news? This wasn’t ignored. A comprehensive proposal was drafted, outlining a robust recovery solution including cloud storage, hardware, and professional services. The team also initiated discussions around transitioning to a more flexible backup platform to gain greater control and visibility.

Quarterly reviews emphasized the urgency of implementing encrypted, segregated backups to ensure disaster recovery readiness. This was not just a technical upgrade—it was a business continuity imperative.

Lessons for Every Organization

A policy is not a plan. If your backup policy says “N/A,” your recovery plan is “nonexistent.”
Visibility is everything. Regular audits and QBRs can surface blind spots before they become breaches.
Ownership matters. An MSP provides the tools and expertise to ensure proper backups are designed, implemented, and maintained. This story highlights the value of a trusted partner looking out for your organization.

The Path Forward

With a new backup solution in motion and a renewed focus on resiliency, this organization is turning a near-miss into a model for proactive IT governance. But their story is a warning to others: don’t wait for a crisis to discover your backups are missing.

This publication contains general information only and Sikich is not, by means of this publication, rendering accounting, business, financial, investment, legal, tax, or any other professional advice or services. This publication is not a substitute for such professional advice or services, nor should you use it as a basis for any decision, action or omission that may affect you or your business. Before making any decision, taking any action or omitting an action that may affect you or your business, you should consult a qualified professional advisor. In addition, this publication may contain certain content generated by an artificial intelligence (AI) language model. You acknowledge that Sikich shall not be responsible for any loss sustained by you or any person who relies on this publication.

About the Author

Tamara Korbel

With over three decades of Information Technology experience, Minnesota native Tamara Korbel is a vCIO at Sikich. Before joining Sikich, Korbel honed her expertise in IT data security as well as healthcare IT systems and services. She served as a Enterprise Solutions CISO, Healthcare IT Leader, and had a 15-year tenure as a Information Systems Manager.