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Databarracks
Data Health Check
2016 Report
Executive Summary
It’s our sixth annual report and as the years go by, each iteration becomes an increasingly useful snapshot that captures the IT landscape both as it was over the last 12 months, and in transition from the years before it.
Welcome to
the 2016
Databarracks
Data Health
Check
Executive Summary
There are 48 fewer respondents in this year’s survey than in 2015, although the proportion of respondents between large, medium and small organisations has stayed relatively consistent.
Backup
Methods
No surprises here then: tape as a primary backup method remains at an all-time low of 3%. This is the first year it hasn’t fallen – possibly indicative of how stubborn some legacy systems (often populated with static compliance data) can be. I wouldn’t be surprised to see similar figures next year.
We did see a drop in the prevalence of combined disk/tape solutions, with a new option, External Hard Drive/USB, seeming the preferred choice instead.
Backup
Backup
Methods
No surprises here then: tape as a primary backup method remains at an all-time low of 3%. This is the first year it hasn’t fallen – possibly indicative of how stubborn some legacy systems (often populated with static compliance data) can be. I wouldn’t be surprised to see similar figures next year.
We did see a drop in the prevalence of combined disk/tape solutions, with a new option, External Hard Drive/USB, seeming the preferred choice instead.
Backup
Methods
No surprises here then: tape as a primary backup method remains at an all-time low of 3%. This is the first year it hasn’t fallen – possibly indicative of how stubborn some legacy systems (often populated with static compliance data) can be. I wouldn’t be surprised to see similar figures next year.
We did see a drop in the prevalence of combined disk/tape solutions, with a new option, External Hard Drive/USB, seeming the preferred choice instead.
Backup
Data Loss
Equally, human error remains the leading cause of data loss, as has been the case every year since 2008 with the exception of 2014, where hardware failure came top. We’re wary of reading too much into that blip, which, along with 2012’s inflated responses, is more likely down to minor variations in the sample group.
In parallel, we’ve seen a small rise in the amount of reported data loss due to cyber-attacks, up to 9% this year, which correlates with the increased reportage of high-profile attacks by organised cyber criminals in the press over the last 12 months.
Cyber-attack as leading cause of data loss
Backup
Disaster Recovery
Planning
Over the past 6 years we’ve seen a significant increase in the number of organisations with a business continuity plan, from 37% in 2008 to 67% in 2016. Whilst the adoption of business continuity planning is moving in the right direction, the maintenance of those plans is just as important to measure.
Disaster Recovery
Disaster Recovery
Planning
Over the past 6 years we’ve seen a significant increase in the number of organisations with a business continuity plan, from 37% in 2008 to 67% in 2016. Whilst the adoption of business continuity planning is moving in the right direction, the maintenance of those plans is just as important to measure.
Around 30% more organisations have a business continuity plan today than in 2008.
DR testing is divisive.
It’s simultaneously becoming more prevalent among some respondents, whilst making no impact upon a stubborn 24%.
Disaster Recovery
Disaster Recovery
Biggest causes of downtime in 2016
Another new question this year: hardware failure is revealed to be the biggest cause of IT downtime.
Disaster Recovery
Meanwhile, actual RTOs still aren’t matching up to ideal RTOs…
Desired RTOs
Actual RTOs
Disaster Recovery
...and this may be due to the following barriers.
Cyber Security
Security Practices
Users might have less regard for internal security policies than IT managers would like, with 61% of respondents speculating their employees flout them at least once a month, and nearly a third saying it’s daily or more.
Taken in context with the frequency and variety of cyber-attacks, it might be time for IT departments to communicate the risks more clearly, or tighten controls.
Two thirds (66%) of respondents had been affected by a cyber threat in the past 12 months.
Cyber Security
Cyber Security
Security Practices
Users might have less regard for internal security policies than IT managers would like, with 61% of respondents speculating their employees flout them at least once a month, and nearly a third saying it’s daily or more.
Taken in context with the frequency and variety of cyber-attacks, it might be time for IT departments to communicate the risks more clearly, or tighten controls.
Two thirds (66%) of respondents had been affected by a cyber threat in the past 12 months.
How often do you think your employees flout security policies?
Cyber Security
Security Practices
Not enough organisations are reviewing their security policies in response to recent cyber threats, though the number is improving.
Cyber Security
Over half of respondents (59%) have invested in safeguards in the last 12 months to protect against cyber threats
General Cloud Computing
Landscape
The qualities most valued by respondents in their chosen cloud providers always offer an interesting snapshot of the sometimes unspoken priorities organisations hold.
General Cloud Computing
General Cloud Computing
Encouragingly, around a third of respondents had factored their use of cloud services into their continuity plans, with another fifth intending to. Whilst we’d like to see these numbers as high as possible, that over half of respondents are treating risk so consciously hopefully indicates a healthy appetite for risk reduction.
General Cloud Computing
