Veeam Software has released its latest Data Resilience survey findings, highlighting growing concern around data loss and outages. In an environment where data and AI increasingly underpin business success, the need for resilient and secure data systems continues to grow. However, the findings indicate that many boards and executives are not yet fully prepared for risks associated with AI-driven threats.
The annual reminder on 31st March highlights that regular, reliable backups are a key component of digital trust and business continuity. Veeam’s findings show that executive concern about outages now exceeds concerns about economic downturns. Ransomware is the most frequently cited threat, referenced by 67% of business leaders. AI-related risks such as data leaks and algorithm bias are ranked lower but are still considered relevant at board level.
Survey highlights include:
- 76% of organisations report they would struggle significantly if faced with a three-day data outage.
- Over 40% of IT leaders are not confident in their ability to recover critical data within 24 hours of a cyberattack or data loss event.
- The consequences of data failures include reduced customer trust, reputational damage, and regulatory penalties, and in some cases may threaten business continuity. As a result, data resilience is increasingly viewed as a core business consideration rather than solely an IT function.
Despite increasing use of AI, governance around AI risk and resilience remains limited. Only a minority of boards regularly assess recovery readiness, and responsibility for resilience is often distributed across multiple executive roles, which can contribute to more reactive approaches to risk management.
Additional findings from Veeam include:
- Human impact: Major cyber incidents have been linked to employee resignations and burnout, highlighting the wider organisational effects of such events.
- Causes of data loss: External cyberattacks, human error, and system failures remain the most common contributors.
- Prevalence of outages: 83% of organisations report experiencing unresolved data outages in the past five years.
With World Backup Day approaching, organisations are encouraged to review, test, and strengthen their data resilience strategies. The consequences of gaps in resilience can include reduced customer trust, reputational damage, compliance challenges, and operational disruption.
