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Artificial intelligence is no longer just suggesting your next email subject line. Today's agentic AI systems can create tasks, reassign work, trigger automations, update entire project boards, and send communications , all without a human pressing a single button. That is a remarkable productivity leap. It is also a significant new risk to your business data.

This article explores what agentic AI looks like inside today's leading productivity platforms, the very real risks it introduces, and why a robust SaaS backup strategy is no longer optional , it is the safety net your organisation cannot afford to go without.

What Is Agentic AI?

Traditional AI assists: it drafts, suggests, summarises. Agentic AI acts. An AI agent is a system that can perceive its environment, make decisions, and execute multi-step tasks autonomously , often running silently in the background, on your behalf, at machine speed.

Where a human might spend 20 minutes reassigning tasks after a project scope change, an AI agent can do it in seconds , updating hundreds of records across multiple workspaces simultaneously. The efficiency gains are real. So are the consequences when something goes wrong.

Agentic AI in Productivity Platforms: What's Available Today

Agentic AI has moved from research labs into the tools your teams use every day. Here is a brief overview of what two major productivity platforms are now offering:

monday.com: AI Agents as First-Class Platform Members

In March 2026, monday.com announced new infrastructure that allows external AI agents to sign up, authenticate, and operate directly within the platform , alongside human users, under the same permissions model. This is a meaningful architectural shift: AI is no longer bolted on as an automation layer; it operates as a peer.

Once inside, agents can organise projects, update workflows, trigger automations, generate reports, and coordinate work across teams. The platform supports broad agent compatibility, including Claude (Anthropic), ChatGPT (OpenAI), Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, and others. Key technical features include:

• Instant API key provisioning with full GraphQL access to boards, items, automations, dashboards, and docs
• Model Context Protocol (MCP) support for standardised agent interaction across AI frameworks
• Real-time webhooks enabling agents to respond to workflow changes the moment they occur
• Enterprise-grade governance: agents operate under the same security and permissions standards as human users.

monday.com also offers its own 'monday Sidekick' - an embedded AI agent - and an Agent Builder tool, currently in beta, that lets teams design custom agents for specific workflows.

ClickUp: Super Agents with Human-Level Skills

ClickUp's Super Agents take a different approach, positioning AI teammates as entities that can be assigned tasks, messaged directly, and @mentioned within workflows , just like a human colleague. ClickUp describes over 500 'human skills' available to these agents, including sending emails, scheduling calendar events, assigning tasks, and updating databases.

Designed to run around the clock, ClickUp's agents work autonomously in the background , monitoring systems, anticipating needs, and taking action proactively. Key capabilities include:

• Ambient awareness: agents monitor context continuously and act before being asked
• Self-learning: agents improve with every interaction and piece of human feedback
• Infinite memory: short-term, long-term, and episodic memory stored and recalled automatically
• Multi-agent orchestration: a single prompt can spin up and coordinate an entire team of sub-agents

⚠️  Both platforms are racing to make AI agents first-class participants in your workflows. The ambition is productivity at machine speed. The risk is that errors , or misconfigurations , now also propagate at machine speed.

The Real Risks of Agentic AI in Your SaaS Environment

Agentic AI introduces a category of risk that is qualitatively different from traditional automation. Here are the most significant concerns:

1. Mass Updates with No Human Review

An AI agent operating on your project management platform can, in a single action, reassign every open task in a board, change all statuses, or close out items still in progress. With language-model-driven agents acting on contextual judgement, the scope of what gets changed is far broader , and far less predictable , than legacy automation rules.

A poorly worded instruction, a misunderstood context, or an agent drawing on stale knowledge can trigger changes affecting hundreds of records in seconds. Your team may not notice until significant downstream damage has already occurred.

2. Opaque, Untransparent Actions

Agents running in 'ambient' or 'background' mode , a feature both ClickUp and monday.com highlight , are by design not visible to the human team in real time. An agent working overnight might reorganise a board, archive old items, send emails, or reassign owners without anyone watching.

Unlike a human colleague whose decisions can be traced through conversation history or email threads, an agent's reasoning is embedded in the model , not documented in your SaaS platform. Even with audit logs, reconstructing the logic behind a series of AI-driven changes is often difficult or impossible.

3. Automated Actions with No Change History

Many SaaS platforms maintain a version history of manual edits. But automated actions , particularly those triggered through APIs or webhook-driven agents , often bypass or minimally populate these logs. The data changes; the audit trail is thin. When something goes wrong, you may know that records were altered but have no reliable way to know what they looked like beforehand.

 4. Cascading Errors Across Integrated Systems

Modern agents don't operate in a single tool. ClickUp's Super Agents connect to Gmail, Google Drive, Confluence, Salesforce, Slack, GitHub, and dozens of other platforms simultaneously. An erroneous action in your project management tool can trigger downstream errors in your CRM, fire off incorrect emails to clients, or corrupt data in your document management system , all before anyone notices the source mistake.

5. Privilege Escalation and Misuse of Permissions

AI agents operating with broad permissions , often inherited from the human accounts they serve , can inadvertently access, modify, or delete data far outside the intended scope of a task. If an agent is granted admin-level access to help with one workflow, nothing inherently prevents it from acting at that level everywhere it can reach.

6. Irreversible Deletions

Some agent actions , deleting items, archiving records, removing users, cancelling automations , are not easily undone through native platform tools. If your SaaS platform does not maintain a complete, independent backup, those records may simply be gone.

Why SaaS Backup Is the Essential Safeguard

There is a widespread misconception that SaaS platforms protect your data. They do , against infrastructure failures, data centre outages, and platform-level disasters. They do not protect your data against what happens inside the application: user error, automated misconfiguration, or agent-driven mass changes. That is your responsibility.

Granular Point-in-Time Recovery

The most important capability a backup solution provides in an agentic AI world is the ability to restore data to a specific point before a bad action occurred. Not a full platform rollback — a targeted, record-level or workspace-level restoration. This means you can undo what the agent did without losing everything that happened legitimately before or after.

Independent, Immutable Change History

Where your SaaS platform's audit logs may be incomplete or hard to interpret, a good backup solution maintains its own independent history of your data states. This gives you a reliable 'before and after' comparison — essential for understanding what changed and for supporting any internal or external investigation.

Coverage for Cascading Failures

Because agentic AI can affect multiple connected platforms simultaneously, your backup strategy needs to span all the SaaS tools in your stack — not just one. Solutions that back up your project management, CRM, email, and document storage independently give you the ability to restore each system to a pre-incident state without the errors in one polluting the restore in another.

Protection Against Accidental and Malicious Deletion

Native recycle bins and soft-delete features typically have short retention windows - often 30 to 90 days. A dedicated backup solution can retain your data for months or years, ensuring that even late-discovered data loss events can be addressed.

Compliance and Audit Readiness

As organisations use AI agents to process more operational data, the compliance stakes rise. GDPR, ISO 27001, SOC 2, and sector-specific regulations increasingly expect organisations to demonstrate control over their data , including the ability to recover it. A backup solution that provides complete, exportable data snapshots is a fundamental requirement for maintaining that posture.

What Good Looks Like: Recommendations for Organisations

If your team is already using , or planning to adopt , agentic AI capabilities in platforms like monday.com or ClickUp, here is what a responsible data protection posture looks like:

Conclusion

your teams use today. monday.com has opened its doors to AI agents operating as full platform members. ClickUp is training its Super Agents to work autonomously around the clock. The productivity potential is significant.

But every gain in automation speed is also a gain in the speed at which things can go wrong. Without a robust SaaS backup strategy, your organisation is one misconfigured agent , or one ambiguous instruction , away from a data recovery problem that your SaaS vendor cannot solve for you.

The solution is not to resist agentic AI. It is to embrace it with the right safety infrastructure in place. Backup is not the boring part of your cloud strategy. In an agentic world, it is the most important part.

This article is intended for IT decision-makers, operations leads, and anyone responsible for business data governance in organisations using modern SaaS productivity platforms.

At ProBackup, our primary mission is to provide you with peace of mind. When we back up your SaaS apps. whether it’s Asana, Monday, or ClickUp, we utilize heavy encryption to store that data securely on our own servers . This automated, daily process is the foundation we rely on when you need to restore a specific record or an entire project back to your account.

However, we believe in robust data resilience. That is why we offer our users the option to sync a copy of their data backups directly to their own Google Drive. While this feature is optional (available on our Pro and Premium plans ), we strongly recommend it.

Why add this extra step? Here are four reasons why syncing to Google Drive elevates your data security strategy.

1. An extra layer of redundancy

In the world of data protection, redundancy is key. While ProBackup maintains a rigorous uptime schedule to protect you against glitches, human error, or malicious intent, true "cloud resilience" means never relying on a single point of failure.

By syncing to Google Drive, you create an independent fallback. In the unlikely event that our service is temporarily unavailable, you retain immediate access to your data through your own Google infrastructure. This ensures that you are never cut off from your vital business information, regardless of the status of your SaaS provider or your backup service.

2. Instant accessibility in a familiar format

While the ProBackup app provides an easy way to navigate and search your data backups, you might prefer a more familiar workflow.

Syncing your data to Google Drive converts your records into Google Sheets. This provides a major advantage: familiarity. Unlike obscure file formats like CSV or JSON, Google Sheets are easy to read, share, and analyze. This allows stakeholders who may not have access to the ProBackup dashboard to review archived data in a format they already use every day .

3. Bulk downloading made easy

Need to get your data out of the cloud entirely? Within the ProBackup app interface, downloading every single data table across your account simultaneously isn't always feasible. Google Drive solves this.

When your data is synced to Google Drive, your entire backup history is organized into folders. With just a few clicks, you can select the parent folder and download it as a Zip file.

• Pro Tip: If you enable the sync of files and attachments , this method allows you to bulk download every document and image attached to your tasks in one go—saving you hours of manual clicking.

4. Automated local backups via Drive for Desktop

The "3-2-1 backup rule" suggests keeping at least one copy of your data off-site/locally. You can automate this workflow by combining ProBackup with the "Google Drive for Desktop" application.

Once installed, Drive for Desktop syncs your cloud folders to your local hard drive. This creates a seamless chain of data flow:

1. ProBackup captures data from your SaaS app.
2. ProBackup syncs that data to your Google Cloud.
3. Drive for Desktop pulls that data down to your local computer.

This setup ensures that even if you lose internet access entirely, you have a local, searchable copy of your business data waiting for you.

While most SaaS (Software as a Service) providers have robust disaster recovery plans for their platforms, they don't typically take responsibility for data loss within your individual account. This means that if critical information is lost due to an issue on your end, you are ultimately responsible for its recovery.

Using SaaS applications to manage your work introduces certain risks, and losing key data can happen in several ways. Here are four major threats you should protect your team against.

1. Human Error

This is the number one reason for data loss. It's surprisingly easy for a team member to make a mistake that can set you back hours or even days. In many productivity apps, it only takes a few clicks to delete an entire project or board. A user might intend to delete a single task but accidentally have the whole table selected, or they might choose the "delete" option instead of "archive."

It's also common to need to roll back smaller mistakes, like accidentally changing a field configuration, removing a value from a selection field, or overwriting the wrong column with a data import. While some of these minor issues can be undone within the app itself, others require a dedicated backup and restore tool to revert the changes.

2. Malicious Users

Internal threats can be just as damaging as external ones. In many companies, authorization controls can be relaxed, allowing most team members to make significant updates or even delete crucial data. A disgruntled employee could intentionally delete entire projects or boards to harm the company.

There are also less severe but still problematic cases where lazy team members might delete data to lighten their workload, such as removing sales leads to avoid follow-ups or deleting tasks to hide a missed deadline. When work is managed in a shared online space, an independent backup ensures you have a true record of all activity.

3. Glitches & Down-time

Most major SaaS apps have a strong record for uptime, but no service is perfect. Even minor glitches, bugs from third-party integrations, or temporary down-time can significantly impact your business operations.

Imagine not being able to access prep work right before a client meeting or look up contract details during a call. An independent, third-party backup of your data ensures you have 24/7 access to your essential business information, even when the primary service is unavailable.

4. Faulty Data Imports & Third-Party Integrations

Integrating other applications or importing data from spreadsheets is a common way to streamline workflows, but these operations can be deceptively risky. A simple misstep, like a bad field mapping or importing a file with the wrong format, can instantly compromise your data's integrity.

5. Ransomware

Many people assume ransomware only targets large corporations, but in reality, hackers often go after smaller businesses, which may lack stringent security controls. By gaining access through a single employee's credentials, attackers can hold your data hostage and demand a hefty ransom. An effective backup strategy is your best defense, allowing you to restore your data and continue operations without paying the attackers.

Choosing the right SaaS app to store your business data is a big decision. If an app isn’t secure, your data could be stolen, lost, or accidentally deleted. A security breach could cost your business money, time, and trust. So, how can you tell if a SaaS app is safe to use? Here’s a checklist to help you decide before you commit to a new app.

Can the Admin Make Everyone Use Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)?

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) adds an extra layer of protection, making it much harder for hackers to access accounts. A good SaaS app should allow admins to enforce 2FA for all users. If it’s optional, some users might skip it, leaving your business at risk.

With 2FA, even if a password gets stolen, hackers still need a second factor, like a mobile code or biometric confirmation to access an account. Apps that offer 2FA but don’t enforce it leave a major security hole. Always check if admin enforcement is available and ensure your team follows the policy.

Has the App Had Security Problems in the Past?

Before trusting an app, check if it has had any security breaches. Search online for reports of past hacks or data leaks. You can also check the company’s security page or transparency reports. If the app has had issues but handled them well and improved its security, that’s a good sign. However, if it has a history of repeated problems, you might want to look for a more secure alternative. 

Look at how the company responds to incidents. Do they have a history of taking quick action, notifying users, and strengthening security? A provider that learns from past breaches and actively invests in security improvements is far better than one that tries to cover up issues or ignores them. 

Does the App Have a Good Uptime Record?

Uptime refers to how often the app is working without outages. Frequent downtime can indicate security issues or poor infrastructure. Many SaaS apps have a status page where you can check their uptime history. If an app goes down often, it might not be reliable enough for business-critical data. 

Downtime doesn’t just mean inconvenience. It could indicate underlying security issues, such as DDoS attacks or poor server management. Check the provider’s history of downtime incidents, read user reviews, and ensure they offer a service level agreement (SLA) with uptime guarantees. 

Does the App Have a Trash Bin or Archive System?

People make mistakes, and sometimes important files get deleted by accident. A secure SaaS app should have a trash bin or archive feature that lets you restore deleted data. Make sure to check how long deleted data is stored before it’s permanently erased. 

Some apps keep deleted data for only a few days, while others offer extended retention periods. Ideally, the app should have flexible options where admins can set retention policies to match business needs. If an app permanently deletes data with no way to recover it, you could be at risk of losing crucial information. 

Does the Admin Get Alerts When Data is Deleted?

Admins should be notified when important data is deleted. A good SaaS app will send alerts when someone removes files or records, allowing you to catch accidental or unauthorized deletions before they cause problems.

These alerts should include details like who deleted the data, when it happened, and whether it can be recovered. Some apps even allow admins to review and approve deletions before they take effect. If an app lacks these features, it may be harder to track and prevent data loss.

Can You Control Who Can Delete Data?

Not every team member should have permission to delete data. A strong SaaS app will let you assign different roles and permissions so that only certain users can make changes. This prevents accidental deletions and limits the risk of internal security threats. 

Role-based access control (RBAC) is essential for managing user permissions. The best apps allow detailed customization so that sensitive data is only accessible to those who need it. If an app doesn’t offer this, consider whether it’s secure enough for your business.

Does the App Have Backups, Snapshots, or Export Options?

Even the best systems fail sometimes. A secure SaaS app should have automatic backups, snapshots, or export features that let you recover old versions of your data. If an app doesn’t offer these options, losing data could be permanent.

Find out how often backups are made, where they are stored, and how easy it is to restore them. Some apps only back up data once a day, while others offer continuous backup. The more frequent and accessible the backups, the safer your data will be.

Can the App Work with Backup Services Like ProBackup or SysCloud?

Relying solely on the app’s internal backup system can be risky. Third-party backup services like ProBackup offer extra protection by automatically saving copies of your data. This ensures that even if the app itself fails, you still have a backup to restore your information.

Using an external backup service adds an extra layer of protection. It prevents data loss due to software errors, cyberattacks, or human mistakes. If a SaaS app doesn’t integrate with third-party backup providers, you may need to rely on manual exports, which are time-consuming and less reliable.

Does the App Connect with Automation Tools Like Zapier and Make.com?

Integration with automation tools like Zapier and Make.com can help improve security. These tools allow you to set up automated backups, data transfers, and alerts that keep your information safe and accessible.

For example, you could create an automated workflow that saves a copy of your records every week to a separate cloud storage provider. These integrations also help you streamline processes, reducing human error and ensuring your data is always backed up properly.

Conclusion

Security should be a top priority when choosing a SaaS app. By looking for these key features, you can make sure your data stays protected, backed up, and easy to recover if something goes wrong. Taking the time to evaluate security now can prevent costly problems in the future.

Before committing to any SaaS app, run through this checklist. The right app should not only meet your business needs but also provide peace of mind that your data is secure. A little research now can save you from big headaches later.

Imagine losing all your business data in an instant - customer records, project files, and important documents gone forever. It sounds like a nightmare, right? That’s why security standards like SOC 2 and ISO 27001 require businesses to have reliable backup systems in place. These rules help protect data from getting lost, stolen, or damaged. In this article, we’ll break down what these standards say about backups and how you can follow them easily.

What are SOC2 and ISO 27001?

SOC 2 and ISO 27001 are two widely recognized frameworks for information security and data protection. SOC 2 (Service Organization Control 2), created by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), is a framework specifically designed for technology and cloud-based service providers. It evaluates a company’s controls around security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy.

ISO 27001 on the other hand is developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and is a globally accepted standard for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continuously improving an Information Security Management System (ISMS). It focuses on risk management and best practices to protect sensitive data. Both frameworks aim to ensure that businesses safeguard customer data, mitigate security risks, and build trust with their clients and stakeholders. In general SOC 2 is more prevalent in the US while ISO 27001 is more popular in Europe.

What does SOC 2 say about backups?

SOC 2 is a security framework that helps businesses keep customer data safe. It focuses on five key areas: security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. Here’s what it says about backups:

• Keep data available: You must have a backup system in place so you can restore your data if something goes wrong.
• Keep data safe: Backups should be encrypted to prevent hackers from accessing them.
• Control who Sees it: Only authorized people should have access to backup files.
• Check your backups: Regularly test your backups to make sure they work when needed.
• Plan for disasters: If an emergency happens, you need a strategy to recover your data quickly.

What does ISO 27001 say about backups?

ISO 27001 is an international standard for keeping business data secure. It is widely adopted because it provides a structured approach to managing security risks and is recognized globally as a benchmark for information security. Unlike SOC 2, which is primarily used in the U.S. and focuses on customer data protection, ISO 27001 takes a broader approach to managing security across an entire organization. It outlines key requirements for backup management:

• Have a aackup plan: Businesses must create, document, and test backup processes regularly.
• Keep backups secure: Backup data should be stored safely to prevent unauthorized access.
• Be ready for problems: If a cyberattack or system failure occurs, backups should help restore normal operations.
• Follow retention policies: Businesses should define how long they keep backups based on legal and operational needs.

How Can You Follow These Backup Rules?

There are different ways to back up your data, and the best method depends on your business needs. Here are three common approaches:

Manual Backups (Do-It-Yourself)

• Download data: Manually export important files and save them to your computer or an external hard drive.
• Use cloud storage: Store copies of your data in cloud services like Google Drive or Dropbox.

On-Premises Backup

• Use external hard drives: Copy files to an external hard drive or USB stick.
• Set up a local server: Store backup data on a secure, private network.

Cloud-Based Backup Solutions

• Automated backup services: Use tools like ProBackup to schedule automatic backups with encryption and easy restoration.
• Extra protection: Cloud-based backups are stored in multiple locations, ensuring data is safe even if one system fails.

Final Thoughts

Backups aren’t just a smart business practice - they’re required by security standards like SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Whether you choose manual exports, external hard drives, or a cloud-based service like ProBackup, having a solid backup plan keeps your business secure and compliant. Take action today to ensure your data is always protected.

With an increase in the number of online businesses, it has become customary for them to depend largely on Software as a Service (SaaS) platforms. These cloud-based tools are extremely useful in the optimization of processes and improving communication between employees. But with that great ease arises an important concern as well: what if you lose your data? 

Many make the same mistake. They think everything is taken care of and their data is safely hosted – SaaS provides that peace of mind, but that is not entirely true. Indeed, they manage uptime and security. However, they do not protect you from accidental deletions or target attacks. This is where cloud backups protect consumers as well as many companies. Let's analyse why having cloud backups in place is essential for any business using SaaS tools,, and why such measures will save you from all headaches.

1. The Risk of Data Loss Is Real

It is very common to think that data loss will not happen to your business until it does. And the truth is that if you depend on your SaaS provider’s protection solely, that may leave you exposed more than you think. Here’s why:

• Human error: Mistakes happen. An employee leaves their hard drive plugged into a conference call system and a criminal comes in and deletes as much as possible from the poor man's hard drive.
• System glitches: Even the most reliable SaaS providers are oftentimes only 95% reliable. Programming or operator errors, hardware malfunction, power outages, and internet downtime are all common nuisance problems that waste people’s time as well as opportunities to create value in an organization.

In the absence of a substantially good backup strategy, making good the lost data may be so hard if not impossible. This is the reason why having an efficient cloud backup system is so vital.

2. Why Cloud Backups Are More Than Just a Safety Net

Cloud backup can be likened to an insurance policy – one you pray that you’ll never have to use but will be immensely grateful for how useful it is when the worst comes to the worst. This is exactly the reason they are so popular

• Backup fatigue: Because these are cloud backups, these plans will keep a copy of the data and that copy is going to be kept in other places away from where the SaaS provider’s office is located. Therefore, even if there are any inconsistencies with your SaaS data, you don’t have to fret as there’s a backup already in place B and ready to be utilized instead. 
• Automatic updates:  The most important feature? The majority of cloud storage backup solutions are automatic. So, once you decide how often to back up your information, you will never have to disturb yourself to back up the information regularly – your information will be backed up automatically. 

Eventually, however, we can expect and appreciate cloud storage for backup and recovery of valuable information because in case the worst case scenario occurs, one does not lose information for good.

3. Cyberattacks and Ransomware: How Cloud Backups Can Save You

This age, especially after the growth of ransomware, brought the danger of cyber threats higher than ever. They take hold of the resources you have at this moment as well as your data and agree to unlock the data only for a huge fee. The damage in terms of business and processes might be preventive.

Luckily for our business, against ransomware attacks one of the most efficient measures would be the taking of online cloud backups. There is no point in stealing ANY of your SaaS data because you will always have a backup, which attackers will not be able to access.

 To get more security, businesses mostly use services such as the Cheapest monthly VPN which keeps the internet traffic secure while the data is being backed up or changed. It is a clever, multi-level method to secure your information.

4. Best Practices for Cloud Backups in SaaS

If you wish to optimize the effectiveness of your cloud backups, there are several practices you should observe regarding your data.

• Backup frequently: Regularly, data loss is less likely when frequent backups are made.
• Use encryption: Encryption needs to be applied whenever and wherever your backups are being sent or kept.
• Test your backups: Make it a point to carry out some recovery testing regularly. The chances of accomplishing this in an actual crisis are quite slim so it is advisable to carry out this during a drill.
  

Conclusion

Cloud backups should not be considered as an additional feature: they are a must include in every strategy for SaaS data protection. They help prevent human errors, protect against hackers and assist in meeting legal requirements which is quite a valuable asset for your company. In the era we are living in, no one is too cautious about how they go about keeping the most important item in business – the data.

In the world of digital transformation, data is the lifeblood of businesses. Whether it’s customer information, project details, or vital internal communications, the importance of safeguarding this data cannot be overstated. However, many companies mistakenly assume their cloud apps provide adequate protection, only to find themselves scrambling when critical information is lost. Enter ProBackup, a company dedicated to filling this gap with a straightforward yet powerful solution for backing up and restoring data from popular project management and CRM apps.

SafetyDetectives recently had the opportunity to sit down with Willem Dewulf, CEO of ProBackup, to discuss the inspiration behind founding the company, what sets them apart in a crowded market, and the common misconceptions businesses have about data backups. Willem’s journey from experiencing a data loss firsthand to building a specialized backup service provides invaluable insights into why robust data protection is crucial for businesses of all sizes. Read on to learn more about ProBackup’s unique approach, their commitment to data security, and advice for companies just beginning to think about their backup strategies.

| Can you share the story behind the founding of ProBackup? What inspired you to create this service?

The idea for ProBackup came from a personal experience. Years ago, we ran a SaaS company and used Podio for our internal project management. One day, one of our clients accidentally deleted a significant amount of data, including apps and accounts. When we tried to recover it, we discovered that Podio’s backup solution was inadequate. They could only provide a raw file with basic records, but none of the metadata, comments, or files were recoverable. That was a huge problem.

This experience made us realize the need for a robust backup solution. As a tech company, we decided to build one ourselves. That was about eight years ago. Over the years, we went through several iterations of our backup app for Podio, and around four years ago, we launched Pro Backup as a dedicated service focused on providing quick and easy backup and restore solutions for popular SaaS apps. Our goal was to keep it simple, avoiding unnecessary functionalities and focusing on what really matters—backing up data and making it easily restorable.

| What sets ProBackup apart from other data backup solutions on the market?

There are a few key differences. Firstly, most cloud backup solutions target major suites like Office 365, Google Workspace, Salesforce, or HubSpot. We, on the other hand, focus on popular project and CRM apps like Trello, Asana, and ClickUp. We aim to be the best in this niche rather than competing in the crowded Office 365 space.

Secondly, our app is incredibly easy to use. You can start backing up your cloud apps  in just a few minutes. We design our onboarding process to be as straightforward as using the apps we’re backing up, like Trello or Asana. Once connected, everything happens automatically—backups run every 24 hours without the need for manual scheduling.

Finally, our pricing model is a significant differentiator. We offer a simple, transparent pricing structure with three plans: Plus, Pro, and Premium. Unlike our competitors, who often charge separately for each app integration, we allow you to back up multiple apps with a single subscription. This makes it easier for customers to understand what they’re paying for and offers great value without the complexity of managing multiple subscriptions.

| What are some common misconceptions businesses have about data backups?

Two big misconceptions come to mind. First, many businesses assume that their cloud apps have built-in, foolproof backup solutions. They think, “If we delete something, the provider can recover it.” But that’s not always true. It’s surprisingly easy to permanently delete data in many apps. Additionally, some apps, like Trello, lack the necessary controls to limit actions by certain employees. For example: Anyone with access can delete a whole Trello board and empty the trash bin with just a few clicks, making the data irretrievably lost.

The second misconception involves the limitations of backing up through public APIs. We can only back up what the app’s public API allows us to access. This means certain data types, like automations or specific metadata, might not be backed up because they’re not available through the API. We strive to be transparent about these limitations with our customers, but it can still lead to disappointment when users expect a full, 100% backup.

| How does ProBackup ensure data security, especially when dealing with sensitive company information?

Security is our top priority. From the start, we’ve made it a core part of our company culture. We use the latest encryption technologies and leverage the security features provided by AWS, as we store our data on S3. Internally, we follow strict security protocols. Access is tightly controlled, and all team members undergo regular training on data security. Even our admin access is restricted; we limit the number of accounts any admin can access daily, and we have alerts in place for any unusual activity. Most importantly, the majority of the data isn’t accessible to our team by default. We’ve designed our processes to minimize risk at every level.

| How do you see AI and machine learning impacting the future of cloud backups?

For us, AI is mostly a tool to enhance productivity and speed up certain processes. We use AI to assist with coding and other tasks, but when it comes to data backups, we don’t see an immediate impact. Our data backups are highly secure, and we don’t view them as a data source for machine learning. The complexity involved in developing backup integrations for new SaaS apps still requires a lot of human input and understanding. We’re not at a point where AI can fully automate this process. So, while AI is valuable, we don’t currently see it revolutionizing our core backup functions.

| What advice would you give to small businesses just starting to think about their data backup strategy?

It depends on the size of your business, but as soon as you start relying on any cloud app to manage your business, you should consider securing that data. Start by thinking about worst-case scenarios. In the beginning, manual exports on a weekly basis might suffice. But as you grow, switching to a daily automatic backup solution makes more sense. We’ve seen many small businesses come to us in panic after losing critical data, only realizing the importance of backups after the fact. Just like you wouldn’t wait to get car insurance after a crash, don’t wait to set up a backup after losing data. It’s crucial to have a plan in place from the start to avoid potential disasters.

Most modern businesses digitally store and transmit the sensitive information of their customers, employees, and other stakeholders. Digital data technology increases the productivity of companies and allows them to serve their customers faster and better. 

Unfortunately, digital information is under constant threat from hackers and cybercriminals worldwide. No matter where your company stores and transmits information, a hacker could steal the data or damage the cloud server storing it if you don’t have the proper safeguards to prevent such attacks. 

The Importance of Data Security

Data security refers to the procedures, processes, and technologies designed to protect digital information wherever it is transmitted, such as a client’s computer, the organizational network, and the cloud servers and storage devices. 

The best data security measures will protect sensitive digital information from disclosure, theft, damage, corruption, or unauthorized access. These security measures must consider the vulnerabilities of physical hardware, software applications, user data accessibility, and organizational policy standards (CFI).

New threats to digital information exist every day. For this reason, companies must frequently update their database security technologies and protocols to better protect data from the latest malware, ransomware, and other security threats circulating on the internet. 

If a company fails to protect its data from cybercriminals and their attacks, it could jeopardize the privacy of its customers, reduce productivity, and damage the overall reputation of the business. That is why you must take data security seriously if you want to protect the productivity and integrity of your business. 

Watch for Data Breaches

A data breach is when an unauthorized person or third party may have accessed, stolen, copied, modified, or retrieved sensitive information from a company’s cloud server, network, or client’s computer (Wikipedia). Some people may also refer to it as a data leak or security breach, but they are the same thing. 

Data breaches can happen to even the most protected and updated security systems. Here are some examples of common data security breaches (Sutcliffe Insurance):

• Weak security credentials are easily susceptible to hackers
• Software application vulnerabilities (e.g., poor configurations, back doors, etc.)
• Malware unintentionally downloaded into the security system
• Too many access permissions granted (increases the risk of hackers gaining unauthorized access to user accounts)
• Stolen login credentials of authorized users
• Failure to update security protocols and configurations
• Physical attacks on security systems (insider threats)
• Lack of data encryption technologies

Major corporations spend millions of dollars on data loss prevention each year but still suffer data security breaches periodically. Here are a few notable examples of famous data security breaches from recent years (Drapkin & Farrelly):

1) T-Mobile Security Breach – May 2023

The famous cellphone service provider, T-Mobile, suffered a cyber attack affecting roughly 800 customers. Based on reporting, unauthorized parties accessed sensitive customer data, including ID cards, PINs, social security numbers, and contact information. It was T-Mobile’s second security breach within one year.

2) Chick-fil-A Security Breach – January 2023

Suspicious activity was suspected on several customer accounts of the popular fast-food chain restaurant Chick-fil-A. The company urged customers to report all suspicious or unusual activity on their accounts, such as strange login activity. Unauthorized third parties may have accessed some customers’ names, phone numbers, email addresses, physical addresses, and stored payment information. 

3) MGM Resorts International – September 2023

A ransomware cyber attack was inflicted upon MGM Resorts International, reducing its operational productivity and costing the company around $80 million in lost revenue in under one week. The hacker may have used the “social engineering” technique to break through the company’s cybersecurity defenses. Combating social engineering requires better employee training and the ability to spot phishing and baiting attempts online. 

The Newest Trends in Data Security

Companies of all industries are eager to search for effective ways to protect their computer systems and cloud data storage servers from the most common types of modern cyberattacks, such as phishing and ransomware. Because of this, new data security methods and protections are trending almost every month. 

Here are the top five newest trends in data security methodology and technology (DeVry University):

1) Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence

Machine learning is a data security practice utilizing the power of artificial intelligence to locate cyber threats and vulnerabilities in a security system. It is a faster, cheaper, and effective way for companies to safeguard their data without relying entirely on humans. After all, humans are more prone to making mistakes than AI. 

Machine learning is the future of cloud security and data leakage prevention. AI is a more sophisticated form of data security in cloud computing. Although not many companies use machine learning for data loss protection right now, it is only a matter of time before it becomes the new norm in clou data security. 

Of course, there are plenty of data protection services available to assist companies who are ready to implement machine learning protections into their data security systems. We recommend you act sooner rather than later to stay ahead of the attacks before they occur. 

2) Multi-Factor Authentication

Have you noticed how most companies now require their customers and clients to submit at least two or more user credentials to verify their identities before logging into their accounts? This multi-layered login security method is called multi-factor authentication. 

Multi-factor authentication usually applies to personal accounts. Some companies require users to submit multiple credentials to log into their accounts, while others only make it optional. 

For instance, a user may have to submit a username and password as one credential. Then, on the next screen, they may have to submit a temporary six-digit code sent to their cell phone number. This double-layer authentication method helps ensure the account’s true owner is the one logging in. 

3) Firewall as a Service

Firewall as a Service (FWaaS) is a new cloud firewall security service that blocks potential malware and other malicious attacks on a network before they reach a cloud server or computer hardware that stores sensitive information. 

FWaaS is a vast improvement from traditional firewall software because a single computer console can manage the entire network’s security protection. In other words, you can manage the firewall protection of an entire network of computers from one console without having to update the computers separately. 

Why You Need Cloud Backups for Your Business

Do you have cloud backups to protect your business data in case of a malware attack, hardware failure, or other incident that could result in the loss or theft of your data? Without a cloud backup, you will not be able to retrieve lost or stolen data resulting from these incidents.

ProBackup offers professional cloud data security and backup services to businesses of all industries. We can safeguard your company’s sensitive data by saving backup copies of encrypted cloud storage regularly. Then, if a cybercriminal ever attacks your cloud data servers, you can restore the lost data through the backup data copies generated previously. You will never have to worry about losing data to cyberattacks ever again.

References

• DeVry University - 15 cyber security trends expected in 2023. devry.edu. (n.d.). https://www.devry.edu/blog/cyber-security-trends.html 
• Corporate Finance Institute (CFI). Data Security. (2023, November 21). https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/data-science/data-security/ 
• Kaspersky. (2023, April 19). Top ten cybersecurity trends. usa.kaspersky.com. https://usa.kaspersky.com/resource-center/preemptive-safety/cyber-security-trends 
• Sutcliffe Insurance. (2018, October 8). 8 most common causes of Data Breach. Sutcliffe Insurance. https://www.sutcliffeinsurance.co.uk/news/8-most-common-causes-of-data-breach/ 
• Wikimedia Foundation. (2023, December 11). Data breach. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_breach 
• Drapkin, Aaron. (2023, December 12). Data breaches that have happened in 2023 so far - updated list. Tech.co. https://tech.co/news/data-breaches-updated-list

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Many businesses depend on Software as a Service (SaaS) apps to help operate and manage their organizations. SaaS apps are used to manage internal projects, development cycles, ticketing & customer relationships. Some examples of the most popular SaaS apps for businesses are DocuSign, HubSpot, Jira, monday.com, Slack and Trello. 

Do you know what all these apps have in common? Each transmits and stores sensitive data on cloud servers to provide fast and easy access to commercial users. Because of this, the app companies have an obligation to secure and protect all their stored and transmitted data. Not only is it a moral obligation for app companies to protect their users’ data, but it is also a legal obligation. 

In this blog post we are taking a deeper look on how these SaaS providers project your data, what the main security risks are and how you can mitigate against them. 

How do SaaS apps transmit your data?

SaaS backup and data security are essential for protecting user privacy when businesses send information through a subscription-based software platform. But to understand the potential data security risks of such a platform, you have to understand how SaaS data transmits in the first place. 

Data is transmitted through the following three locations:

• The Cloud Server
• The Network / Internet
• The Client’s Computer

The cloud server (1) hosts the framework of the software application and stores the data of all the application clients. A client will download the software application onto their computer (2) or mobile device to access it. The network (3) is the cyber pathway responsible for transmitting information between the cloud server and the downloaded software application on the client’s computer. 

When the client performs actions and saves content on the application, the updated data gets transmitted through the network and stored on the cloud server. As a result, the client can access their data from any computer or mobile device with the application downloaded on it. All they have to do is log into their SaaS account using their username and password credentials to retrieve the stored data from the cloud.

The Top 3 Data Security Risks to SaaS Apps

Several potential data security risks can occur in any of the three locations of data transmission: the cloud server, the network, and the client’s computer. The risk level depends on how much time and effort a SaaS company has invested in securing its cloud storage system, network, and user application. 

Some SaaS apps are more secure than others. Therefore, you should be aware of the potential SaaS data risks involved so you can look for alternative ways to boost your SaaS data security. 

Here are the top three SaaS data risks below:

1) System Hijacking

Cybercriminals usually target SaaS network computers because they are the least secure and most vulnerable. Since network computers actively transmit sensitive data, it opens up more pathways for cybercriminals to gain entry to the systems. Once that happens, the cybercriminals could hijack user accounts, access sensitive data, and upload viruses, malware, or ransomware to destroy the computer systems. 

2) Poorly Configured SaaS Application

SaaS companies must adequately configure their app and its architecture with the latest security protocols to prevent data security breaches and cyberattacks. Unfortunately, SaaS companies sometimes misconfigured their apps or fail to update the security protocols. This failure leaves SaaS apps extremely susceptible to cyberattacks and unauthorized access to sensitive user information. 

3) Failure to Track and Monitor Unusual Data Access Attempts

Cybercriminals will often prey upon poorly monitored SaaS apps. They may perform several login attempts using various hacking methods to gain unauthorized access to user accounts. If the SaaS app software operators are not actively monitoring for unusual login activity, they will not catch a pending cyberattack before it strikes.

The Top 4 Data Protection Methods for SaaS Apps

The best SaaS app companies use highly effective data protection methods to secure user data and prevent unauthorized access. But if you are not happy with the data protection features of a particular SaaS app, look for third-party data security integrations to improve your company’s data protection when using the app. You will learn about one example as you continue reading. 

Here are the top four data protection methods below:

1) Cloud Backup Data Protection

Some SaaS companies can back up your cloud-stored data in case it gets deleted accidentally or maliciously. A cloud backup creates a saved copy of the currently stored information and puts it in a secure location where it can never be overwritten or altered. It will ensure you can retrieve your data under any circumstances, such as after a ransomware attack, virus, or data-overriding mistake. 

However, not all SaaS apps have cloud backup features for restoring lost data. That is why you may need to use a backup-as-a-service (BaaS) app to safeguard the sensitive data on your SaaS apps to ensure you never lose your data. All you need to do is find a reliable BaaS app that can easily integrate into your SaaS apps. 

Of course we recommend using Pro Backup as your designated backup-as-a-service app. Pro Backup is trusted by many businesses world-wide and allows you to back up data on many popular cloud-based SaaS apps, such as Airtable, Jira, and Trello. It has several easy integration options to back up your precious data flawlessly. 

Pro Backup also features advanced encryption protection (256-bit) to safeguard your backups and make the data retrievable whenever the original data is lost or destroyed. The best part is that all the team members on your SaaS user account can operate Pro Backup under one license. 

2) Data Encryption

Encrypting your backup data is essential, but you must also encrypt the transmitted and stored data. Security breaches usually occur within the network, allowing cybercriminals to view unencrypted or poorly encrypted sensitive information. But if you use a 256-bit encryption key to shield your data from unauthorized access in the network, you can prevent cybercriminals from gaining access to your data. 

Professional SaaS companies will not allow data transmission through FTP or HTTP because they are easily compromised. Instead, they will use more secure data encryption methods like transport data encryption (TDE) or Transport Layer Security (TLS). 

3) User Authentication

Secure data systems use digital key certificates to verify user identities and prevent unauthorized access to their data. Virtually all SaaS companies use key certificates or key vault services to boost user login security and ensure that only authorized people can successfully access their data. These keys may contain a series of encrypted numbers which act as digital signatures for the users. A new encrypted digital key is created each time a user logs into their account. 

4) Monitor All Login Attempts

Backend cloud system monitoring is another critical security task of SaaS companies. They must monitor and record all login attempts to track suspicious activity and potential cyber-criminal wrongdoing. When a SaaS company constantly monitors attempted logins and access to the cloud, they have a better chance of stopping data breaches and implementing more robust data security techniques in the future.

Conclusion

Are you ready to begin protecting your SaaS user data? If so, you should start with probackup.io because it offers professional and reliable cloud backup services at affordable prices. It is the perfect BaaS app for saving, recovering, and retrieving data files without any risk of deleting them.

Data is arguably one of the most valuable assets in the modern marketplace. But it’s usually sensitive, and organizations do their best to prevent unauthorized disclosure of confidential data.

However, data loss still remains a huge concern for businesses because they can spend a fortune on data recovery in case something happens. Not only that, but the consequences of data loss can be damaging to businesses as it can ruin their reputation, affect productivity and stop organizational processes.

That’s where data loss prevention comes in.

Organizations have increased their spending on data loss prevention practices and software tools. The global market is expected to grow to $6.4 billion by 2028, and rightly so. Research has shown that you might end up paying more for data recovery solutions than you typically would for data protection measures.

This is why data loss prevention is important. We’ve prepared the following post to serve as a brief guide to everything you need to know about data loss prevention and why it is necessary.

What Is Data Loss Prevention?

Data Loss Prevention (DLP) refers to the process of preventing sensitive data from being disclosed or stolen. It is a crucial way to protect your company’s assets and information. This data could include intellectual property, corporate data, and consumer data.

The thing is, data resides in various devices, including physical servers, databases, personal computers, file servers, flash drives, and mobile phones. Not only that, it moves through many network access points, including VPNs, wire lines, and wireless connections.

There are many ways that data loss can happen. This includes human error, system failure, data corruption, theft, software corruption, natural disasters, and perhaps the most notorious one of them all, hacking.

Data loss prevention aims to provide solutions to these problems. Think of it as a combination of practices and software tools designed to prevent unauthorized access to data.

Why is Data Loss Prevention (DLP) important?

Data loss prevention is crucial because it helps minimize the risks of data being stolen, lost, or compromised. These practices and software solutions prevent data from being lost by identifying and monitoring all the different sources of data leakage.

The implications of data loss can be detrimental to organizations. For instance, business operations can come to a halt, reputations can be ruined, and money can be lost, not to mention legal actions and lawsuits.

Data loss prevention can’t be overlooked because the consequences can be devastating if an organization’s data is breached. For example, if a company has a breach of its payroll system, it might not have any money to pay its employees or make payroll deposits. This could lead to bankruptcy or, even worse – shutting down completely.

Another example would be if a healthcare provider had a breach of their records system. If private patient information leaks, it could lead to a ton of identity theft cases with patients. Not only that, but the healthcare provider would be subject to harsh legal ramifications.

5 Data Loss Prevention (DLP) best practices

1) Back up your data

Backing up your data is an essential practice in data loss prevention because it ensures that you have a copy of your data in case anything happens to the original. This way, you can restore all your files and programs.

2) Consider using a VPN

A VPN is a Virtual Private Network that provides an encrypted connection between two endpoints. This encryption means that all data sent over the network is scrambled and can’t be read by anyone else.

A VPN is essential for data loss prevention because it prevents people from intercepting, accessing, and tampering with sensitive information. And in the process, it also helps in protection against malware attacks. It would be in your best interest to carefully compare some of the best VPNs out there and choose the right solution if you want to ensure data moves securely within your organization.

3) Improve your network security

DLP focuses on protecting information as it moves across different media, such as email, cloud storage, social media, and other platforms. Network security can be improved to prevent data breaches by implementing DLP.

This can be achieved by using tools that monitor network activity to identify potential threats that could lead to unauthorized access or leakage of sensitive information.

4) Educate employees on data loss prevention practices

Employees are one of the first lines of defense against data breaches in an organization. So, investing in their education, training and raising cybersecurity awareness would be in your best interest.

Education should cover areas including using strong passwords, identifying and dealing with phishing attacks, using encryption software, deleting confidential material, and using encrypted USB drives, just to mention a few.

5) Implement a DLP policy

Data loss prevention practices outline how your organization protects and shares its data. They include written rules and procedures to ensure protection against data loss or lawsuits.

Bottom Line

Data is an essential yet sensitive asset for many businesses. Data loss often results in damaging outcomes, including tarnished reputations, loss of revenue, and interrupted business processes. To stop this from happening, organizations turn to data loss prevention.

Data loss prevention is essential as it helps businesses avoid potential data leaks, cybersecurity attacks, and lawsuits. There are many data loss prevention techniques, including backing up data, using VPNs, educating employees on DLP practices, improving network security, and introducing DLP policies.

About Cybernews

The team at Cybernews works diligently to bring breaking reports of online privacy and security issues, backed by in-depth technical analysis and investigative reporting. You can find more of their articles on Cybernews.com and reach them on Twitter (@CyberNews) anytime.

When we first published this guide in 2020, the intersection of GDPR and backups was a grey area — one that regulators were only beginning to address. Four years later, it is no longer grey. In February 2026, the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) published its landmark Coordinated Enforcement Framework (CEF) report on the right to erasure, drawing on investigations by 32 Data Protection Authorities (DPAs) across the EEA. The findings are clear: erasure compliance is now firmly in regulators' crosshairs — and backup systems are explicitly on the list of concerns.

This updated guide incorporates the latest regulatory guidance, real-world enforcement findings, and practical operational advice for any organisation running backups of personal data. Whether you use ProBackup to protect your SaaS workspace data, or manage backups in-house, this article will help you build a defensible, GDPR-compliant approach.

Why GDPR and backups are a difficult combination

Backups exist precisely because data must not be lost. GDPR's right to erasure exists precisely because data must, in some circumstances, be deleted. These two requirements are structurally in tension, and that tension is not fully resolved by any single piece of guidance — including this one.

The practical difficulty is this: a backup tape or snapshot is designed to be a complete, point-in-time copy of a system's data. Surgically removing one individual's records from that snapshot is often technically impossible without restoring the entire backup, making the deletion, and then re-backing up. That is expensive, slow, and disruptive to the very purpose the backup serves.

GDPR regulators understand this. Their guidance consistently acknowledges the technical constraints. But understanding a constraint is not the same as exempting an organisation from the underlying obligation. The EDPB's February 2026 CEF report noted that difficulties with backup deletion were among the most common compliance failures observed across 764 controllers surveyed — ranging from no procedures at all to reliance on simple overwrite cycles with no documented rationale.

The Legal Framework: What the GDPR actually requires

Article 17: The Right to Erasure ('Right to be Forgotten')

Article 17 GDPR gives individuals the right to request deletion of their personal data when any of the following conditions apply:

• The data is no longer necessary for the purpose for which it was collected
• The individual withdraws consent (where consent was the lawful basis) and there is no other legal ground
• The individual objects to processing and there are no overriding legitimate grounds
• The data was processed unlawfully
• Deletion is required to comply with a legal obligation
• The data was collected in relation to an offer of information society services to a child

Article 5(1)(e): Storage Limitation

Personal data must be kept in a form which permits identification of data subjects for no longer than is necessary for the purposes for which it is processed. Once the purpose is fulfilled — or where no purpose remains — the data must be deleted or anonymised. This applies equally to live systems and backups.

Article 30: Records of Processing Activities

Your Record of Processing Activities (RoPA) must document the envisaged time limits for erasure of each data category. If your backup retention schedule contradicts the deletion periods in your RoPA, you have a compliance gap that DPAs are specifically looking for.

Article 12(3): The One-Month Timeline

Erasure requests must be acted upon without undue delay and within one month of receipt. Controllers may extend this by a further two months where requests are complex or numerous, provided they inform the data subject of the extension within the first month.

Important: The one-month clock applies to the response — not necessarily to the physical deletion from every storage layer. Transparency about what has been done, and what will be done when, is what the law demands for backup-layer data.

The EDPB's 2026 findings: What regulators now expect

The EDPB's CEF 2025 action on the right to erasure — the results of which were published in February 2026 — is the most authoritative signal yet of what regulators consider compliant practice. Here are the key findings most relevant to backup systems:

Backup handling was a widespread failure

DPAs found a wide spectrum of practices. Some controllers had no procedures at all for erasure in backups. Others relied solely on automatic overwrite cycles with no documented policy or communication to data subjects. The EDPB specifically called out these approaches as inadequate.

The EDPB identified one best-practice model

One approach stood out in the report as exemplary: a controller that, upon reaching a data subject's retention end date, automatically extracted all personal data relating to that individual from all systems, moved it to an access-restricted environment, and permanently deleted it one month later. Some controllers also replaced personal data fields with random characters — achieving functional erasure within the backup structure without restoring the backup.

Anonymisation is often insufficient

Many controllers claimed to anonymise data as an alternative to deletion. DPAs found that most of these techniques were in practice only pseudonymisation — reversible masking that does not prevent re-identification. True anonymisation removes data from GDPR's scope entirely. The EDPB is currently developing new anonymisation guidelines following the CJEU's September 2025 ruling in Case C-413/23P (EDPS v. SRB). These guidelines will be critical for any organisation relying on anonymisation as an erasure alternative.

The volume of erasure complaints is rising

In the Netherlands, 580 complaints in 2024 — 18.6% of all DPA complaints — related to the right to erasure. In Ireland, more than 3,000 erasure complaints have been filed since GDPR came into force. Spain has received over 7,000 such complaints. This is not a niche issue.

Enforcement will intensify in 2026

Multiple DPAs — including CNIL (France), the Portuguese CNPD, and the Swedish IMY — have confirmed that the CEF findings will inform sector-specific inspections and supervisory planning in 2026. Nine DPAs launched or continued formal investigations as part of the 2025 action, with proceedings ongoing in Ireland, France, Portugal, Slovenia, and Germany.

Does a Deletion Request Include Removing Data from Backups?

Yes, but with important practical nuances that regulators have consistently acknowledged.

The Danish Data Protection Authority (Datatilsynet) has stated that deletion from backups is mandatory 'if this is technically possible.' The French CNIL has long held that data deleted from production systems may remain in backups temporarily, provided the organisation clearly communicates this to the data subject in plain language and specifies the retention time.

The UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) uses the concept of putting data 'beyond use.' For backup data that cannot be immediately overwritten, this means:

• The backup is not accessed for any operational purpose
• No one can retrieve and use the backed-up data
• The data will be deleted when the backup is next refreshed or overwritten on a documented schedule
• The organisation is transparent with the data subject about this timeline

The ICO also distinguishes between offline archiving and live backups — but critically, archiving offline is still processing under GDPR. It only remains lawful if you can justify it with a lawful basis.

What this means in practice: When you receive a valid deletion request, you should delete the data from your live systems immediately. For backup data, document the earliest point at which the backup containing that data will expire or be overwritten, and communicate this to the data subject. Then ensure the data is not accessed or restored in the interim.

The 'Zombie Record' Problem: What Happens When You Restore a Backup?

The second core problem — and one that has bitten many organisations — is the restoration scenario. Suppose a user's data has been legitimately deleted following an erasure request. Six months later, you suffer a data loss event and restore from a backup that pre-dates the deletion. That user's records are now back in your live system. You are immediately non-compliant.

This is not a hypothetical. It happens routinely in organisations that have not built a deletion-aware restore process.

The Deletion Index: The industry-standard solution

At ProBackup, we have always advised clients to maintain what we call a deletion index. Here is how it works:

• When you action an erasure request, you record a non-identifiable marker (such as a database row ID, a hashed identifier, or an internal record number — not the personal data itself) alongside the date of deletion
• That record is retained for as long as any backup exists that could contain the original data
• Your restore process includes a mandatory post-restore step: run the deletion index against the restored dataset and re-delete any records flagged for erasure
• Document this process in your data protection documentation

This approach was implicitly endorsed in the EDPB's 2026 report, which noted the best-practice examples involved tools that tracked data subject retention end dates and applied automated deletions at the point of expiry.

GDPR-Compliant Retention Periods for Backup Data

GDPR does not prescribe specific retention periods. It requires organisations to justify the period they choose based on the purpose of the data and any applicable legal obligations. The storage limitation principle under Article 5(1)(e) is the controlling rule: keep data no longer than necessary.

In practice, backup retention periods are often shaped by:

• Operational recovery needs: How far back do you realistically need to restore?
• Contractual or regulatory obligations: Do sector-specific rules mandate minimum retention?
• Legal exposure windows: The applicable limitation period for claims in your jurisdiction
• Cost and proportionality: Is the marginal compliance benefit of very long retention worth the increased data protection risk?

Common reference points from other applicable laws (which must be balanced against GDPR's minimisation principle) include:

These are indicative references only. Every organisation must document and justify its own retention schedule in its RoPA. The EDPB's 2026 report specifically criticised controllers for failing to define and document retention periods, calling this one of the seven systemic weaknesses identified across the survey.

Communicating With Data Subjects About Backup Retention

Transparency is a first principle of GDPR. Articles 13 and 14 require controllers to inform data subject (at the point of collection) about the envisaged period for which their data will be stored, or the criteria used to determine that period.

When it comes to backups, this means your privacy notice should not be silent on the subject. The CNIL guidance from 2018 — which remains the most widely-cited practical standard — says organisations must explain in clear and plain language:

• That data has been removed from production systems
• That a backup copy may remain temporarily
• The specific retention time of that backup (or the earliest point at which the backup will expire)

Here is a suggested template paragraph for your privacy notice:

"When we receive a valid request to delete your personal data, we will remove it from all live systems without undue delay. Your data may remain in encrypted backup copies for up to [X weeks/months], after which it will be automatically overwritten or deleted in accordance with our backup retention schedule. During this period, your data is not accessible for any operational purpose and will not be restored to live systems. You will receive a confirmation of deletion from our live systems within [X days] of your request, together with this explanation regarding backup retention."

This level of transparency achieves two things: it satisfies your Article 12 and 13 obligations, and it sets realistic expectations for data subjects that reduce the likelihood of complaints to DPAs.

Practical Compliance Checklist for Backup Systems

Based on the EDPB's 2026 findings and our own experience supporting thousands of clients at ProBackup, here is the operational checklist every organisation should work through:

Documentation

• Your RoPA documents the retention period for every category of backed-up data
• Your backup retention schedule is aligned with (and does not exceed) the deletion periods in your RoPA
• You have a written internal policy describing how erasure requests are handled in the context of backups
• Your privacy notice discloses backup retention timelines in plain language

Process

• You have a formal intake process for erasure requests (verbal or written requests both qualify — no 'magic words' are required by the ICO)
• You verify the identity of the requesting individual before acting
• You delete from live systems within one month of receipt
• You maintain a deletion index using non-identifiable markers
• Your restore procedure includes a mandatory post-restore deletion step based on the index
• You inform any third-party processors (including your backup provider) of applicable erasure requests

Technical

• Backup access is restricted to restore-only scenarios — no operational querying of backup data
• Your backup encryption keys are managed such that key destruction could, where practical, render data irrecoverable
• Where you use anonymisation as an erasure alternative, you have verified it constitutes true anonymisation (not merely pseudonymisation)
• Automated retention expiry is in place where technically feasible

Accountability

• You log erasure requests and record the steps taken, the systems affected, and any backup-layer timeline communicated to the data subject
• You can produce this log on request from a DPA
• Your retention schedule is reviewed at least annually

When You Can Refuse or Delay an Erasure Request

The right to erasure is not absolute. Article 17(3) sets out the exceptions. You may retain personal data — including in backups — where processing is necessary for:

• Compliance with a legal obligation under EU or Member State law (e.g., statutory accounting or tax records)
• The establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims
• Reasons of public interest in the area of public health
• Archiving purposes in the public interest, or scientific, historical or statistical research — subject to appropriate safeguards
• The exercise of the right of freedom of expression and information

The most commonly invoked exception in practice is legal obligation and defence of legal claims. Where this exception applies, document your reasoning explicitly. The EDPB's 2026 report found that controllers frequently misapplied exceptions - citing them without adequate justification. This is itself a compliance failure.

How ProBackup Supports GDPR-Compliant Data Management

At ProBackup, we back up SaaS workspaces — Asana, ClickUp, monday.com, HubSpot, Jira, Notion, Slack, and more — for thousands of teams across Europe. GDPR compliance is not an afterthought for us; it is built into how our product works.

Granular, point-in-time snapshots

Our daily snapshots create discrete restore points. This means that when a deletion request is actioned in your SaaS workspace, you can identify exactly which backup generations contain the affected data — and plan your retention timeline accordingly.

Defined retention windows

ProBackup gives you control over how long backup data is retained. We recommend aligning your ProBackup retention window directly with the backup retention periods disclosed in your privacy notice. When the retention window closes, the data is permanently removed from our systems.

Security architecture

All ProBackup data is encrypted at rest with AES-256 and in transit with TLS. Access to backup data is restricted and audited. ProBackup is SOC 2 Type II certified, which means our security controls — including access to backup data — have been independently verified.

Data Processing Agreement

As a data processor under GDPR, ProBackup provides a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) to all customers. This DPA formally documents our obligations in relation to the personal data we process on your behalf, including our obligations to assist you in responding to data subject rights requests.

Deletion support

When you action an erasure request and need to understand what backup generations may contain the affected data, our support team can assist. We can advise on the precise retention window for your account and confirm the date by which a given backup will expire.

Conclusion: The Regulatory Direction of Travel Is Clear

When we wrote the original version of this article in 2020, many organisations were still treating GDPR backup compliance as a theoretical concern. The EDPB's February 2026 report (i.e. the most detailed, evidence-based regulatory assessment of erasure compliance yet produced) confirms that those days are over.

Thirty-two DPAs investigated 764 controllers. They found widespread inadequacy. Backup handling was singled out as one of the seven systemic challenges. And multiple DPAs have now confirmed they will use these findings to drive sector-specific enforcement in 2026 and beyond.

The good news is that the compliance path is well-defined. You do not need to surgically remove data from every backup in real time. You do need a documented retention schedule, a deletion index, a transparent privacy notice, and a restore procedure that includes re-deletion of flagged records. These are achievable for organisations of any size.

At ProBackup, we are committed to making this as operationally straightforward as possible for our customers. If you have questions about how your ProBackup configuration aligns with your GDPR obligations, our team is available to help.

Sources and Further Reading

• EDPB CEF 2025 Report on the Right to Erasure (February 2026) — edpb.europa.eu
• ICO Guidance on the Right to Erasure — ico.org.uk
• CNIL Guidance on Backups and Erasure — cnil.fr
• heyData: GDPR Data Retention Periods: Key Rules and Best Practices (January 2026) — heydata.eu
• Danish Datatilsynet: Guidance on Backup and the Right to Erasure — datatilsynet.dk
• GDPR Regulation (EU) 2016/679 — Articles 5, 12, 13, 17, 30 — gdpr-info.eu
• Reed Smith: EDPB CEF 2025 Report Analysis (March 2026) — reedsmith.com

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For advice specific to your organisation's circumstances, consult a qualified data protection professional.

When we first published our guide on GDPR and cloud backups back in 2020, the regulatory landscape was still young. Organisations were scrambling to understand three core obligations: maintain backups, keep them up to date, and ensure your providers were compliant. Five years on, the picture is dramatically more complex.

The GDPR has evolved from a standalone privacy mandate into the foundational layer of an interconnected digital regulatory apparatus: now stacked alongside the NIS2 Directive, the EU AI Act, the EU Data Act, and the Digital Omnibus Package. Meanwhile, enforcement has intensified: European data protection authorities levied approximately EUR 1.2 billion in GDPR fines during 2025 alone, and the average cost of a data breach for US companies has climbed to $10.22 million when fines and remediation are combined.

At ProBackup, we back up SaaS data for thousands of organisations across Europe and beyond. We work directly with a Belgian Data Privacy specialist to keep our own practices current. This guide is the most comprehensive resource we have produced on the topic: written to help you understand not just what the law says, but what it means practically for your backup strategy in 2026.

Why GDPR Still Matters for Cloud Backups

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which entered into application on 25 May 2018, applies to any organisation that processes personal data of individuals in the EU or EEA — regardless of where the organisation itself is headquartered. This extraterritorial reach is often underestimated.

Cloud backups are squarely within scope. When you back up your SaaS platforms — your CRM contacts in HubSpot, your project data in Asana, your customer communications in Slack — you are creating copies of personal data. Those copies inherit every GDPR obligation that applies to the original data.

The practical implications are significant:

• Your backup must be able to support a deletion request (the "right to erasure"), not just in your live system but in your backup copies.
• Your backup provider becomes a **data processor** and must sign a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) with you.
• If your backup is stored in a country outside the EEA, that transfer must be governed by an appropriate legal mechanism.
• Your backups must be tested regularly, not just taken.

Article 32: Backup and Disaster Recovery Is a Legal Requirement

The most direct GDPR reference to backup sits in Article 32 - Security of Processing. It requires organisations to implement appropriate technical and organisational measures, including:

(b) the ability to ensure the ongoing confidentiality, integrity, availability, and resilience of processing systems and services;

(c) the ability to restore the availability and access to personal data in a timely manner in the event of a physical or technical incident;

(d) a process for regularly testing, assessing and evaluating the effectiveness of technical and organisational measures for ensuring the security of the processing.

Three concrete obligations flow from this:

Obligation 1: You must be able to restore personal data

This is not a recommendation — it is a legal requirement. If personal data is lost due to accidental deletion, ransomware, a SaaS platform outage, or a rogue automation, you are responsible for restoring it. Your SaaS provider's infrastructure-level redundancy does not cover data loss caused by actions within the application itself.

Obligation 2: Restoration must be timely

Article 32 specifies "in a timely manner." This is deliberately vague, but regulators interpret it in context. A data breach notification must be made within 72 hours (extended to 96 hours under the forthcoming Digital Omnibus Package). If you cannot recover personal data affected by an incident before that deadline, you face compounded compliance risk. Your backup frequency, restore speed, and recovery point objectives (RPOs) are therefore compliance questions, not just technical ones.

Obligation 3: You must test your backups regularly

Article 32(1)(d) explicitly requires you to test the effectiveness of your security measures. An untested backup is not a compliant backup. Regulators can and do ask for evidence that backups have been tested as part of audit and breach investigation processes.

Data Subject Rights and Your Backup Copies

One of the most underappreciated GDPR challenges for backup operators is the tension between data subject rights and the very nature of a backup. A backup is, by design, a point-in-time copy of your data — preserved, immutable, and designed to be restored rather than edited.

But GDPR grants individuals powerful rights that must be honoured across all your data stores, including backups:

The Right to Erasure ("Right to be Forgotten")

Under Article 17, individuals can request that you delete their personal data. This request must be honoured within 30 days. The challenge: if you have daily backups retained for 30, 60, or 365 days, every one of those backup snapshots also contains the person's data.

The GDPR does not require you to immediately purge every backup copy upon receiving an erasure request — but it does require you to ensure that data is not restored from a backup after deletion from your live systems without applying the same erasure. In practice, this means your data management and restore workflows must be designed to account for deletion requests.

The Right of Access (Data Subject Access Requests - DSARs)

Individuals can request copies of all personal data you hold on them, including data in backups. You must respond within 30 days. In 2026, automated DSAR fulfillment tooling has become a baseline expectation — manual workflows are too slow and error-prone to sustain compliance at scale.

The Right to Rectification

If a data subject requests that their data be corrected, that correction should not be undone by a subsequent restore from backup. Your restore processes need controls to prevent overwriting post-request corrections.

Controller vs. Processor: Where Do You Stand?

Understanding your role in the data chain is foundational to GDPR compliance. Most organisations using a backup solution will occupy both roles at different points.

An important shift in 2026 enforcement: the historical assumption that processors carry minimal liability is obsolete. Regulators now apply shared legal liability across the data supply chain. If your backup provider's misconfiguration or weak default security settings lead to a data breach, the processor is held directly liable alongside you as the controller. This makes vendor due diligence a primary compliance obligation, not a nice-to-have.

Vetting Third-Party Backup Providers

Choosing to outsource your backup to a third-party provider is not the end of your GDPR obligations — it is the beginning of a new set of them. Your backup provider is a data processor, and you are responsible for ensuring they meet the same data protection standards you do.

Key questions to ask any backup provider before signing:

Security architecture

• Is data encrypted at rest (AES-256) and in transit (TLS 1.2+)?
• What is their access control model? Is role-based access control (RBAC) enforced?
• Do they maintain audit logs of all data access?
• Are they SOC 2 Type II certified? Is the report available for review?
• Have they undergone third-party penetration testing?

Data location and sovereignty

• Where are your backups physically stored? Which country or region?
• Can you choose your backup region to keep EU data within the EEA?
• Who are their sub-processors (e.g., cloud infrastructure providers)?
• Are Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) in place for any international transfers?

Data subject rights support

• Can the provider support targeted deletion of a specific user's data from backups?
• Can they assist with DSAR responses that require searching backup data?
• What is their process for handling rectification requests that span backup copies?

Breach notification

• What is their contractual obligation to notify you of a breach? Within what timeframe?
• Does their notification timeline allow you to meet your own 72-hour (or 96-hour post-Omnibus) obligation to your supervisory authority?

At ProBackup, we work with a Belgian Data Privacy specialist (Dirk De Bot at DPS4U) and maintain our DPA and sub-processor register publicly accessible from our website footer. We are built on AWS infrastructure in the EU, and all data is encrypted with AES-256 at rest and TLS in transit. Our SOC 2 Type II certification is available on request from our Trust Center.

Data Residency and International Transfers

GDPR's Chapter V imposes strict rules on transfers of personal data outside the EEA. Any time your backup data leaves the European Economic Area — even if only for processing or storage purposes — you need a lawful transfer mechanism in place.

Adequacy Decisions

The European Commission has granted adequacy decisions to a number of countries, meaning data can flow there without additional safeguards. The EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF), adopted in July 2023, survived its first major legal challenge in September 2025, providing a relatively stable mechanism for transfers to certified US organisations. However, it remains under scrutiny and should be treated as a framework to monitor, not assume.

Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs)

For countries without adequacy decisions, the 2021 SCCs remain the most widely used mechanism. If your backup provider's infrastructure includes US or non-EEA cloud regions, ensure your DPA incorporates current SCCs and that any Transfer Impact Assessment (TIA) has been completed where required.

Data Residency Controls

The most operationally clean solution for EU-based organisations is to ensure your backup provider can offer dedicated EU-region storage. This eliminates the need for transfer mechanisms entirely for your backup data. When evaluating providers, ask specifically whether EU-region storage is included in standard plans or requires an enterprise upgrade.

Data Retention: The Tension Between Backup and Minimisation

GDPR's data minimisation and storage limitation principles (Article 5) require that personal data is kept only for as long as necessary for its original purpose. This creates a genuine tension with backup strategy: the whole point of a backup is to retain data for a period so you can recover it.

Regulators have recognised this tension. The working position accepted by most supervisory authorities is that backup data may be retained beyond normal deletion schedules — but only within a clearly documented retention framework.

Defining your backup retention periods

Your backup retention policy should explicitly define:

• How long daily backups are retained (common ranges: 30 to 365 days)
• Whether longer-term archives are maintained and for what purpose
• How the retention period relates to the underlying data's retention schedule
• What happens to backup data when the underlying data is deleted (e.g., upon a right-to-erasure request)

NIS2: The New Cybersecurity Directive That Changes the Stakes

The NIS2 Directive (Network and Information Security Directive 2), which Member States were required to implement into national law by October 2024, is one of the most significant new developments for organisations running digital infrastructure - including SaaS backup operations.

Where GDPR focuses on protecting personal data and individual rights, NIS2 focuses on systemic cyber risk and operational resilience. It expands the scope of who must comply significantly beyond the original 2016 NIS Directive, covering essential entities and important entities across a broad range of sectors including digital infrastructure, cloud computing services, managed service providers, and data centre operators.

What does NIS2 require in relation to backup?

NIS2 requires covered entities to implement risk management measures including:

• Business continuity: Backup management and disaster recovery are explicitly listed as required measures under Article 21.
• Supply chain security: Organisations must assess the security posture of their service providers, including backup vendors.
• Incident reporting: Significant incidents must be reported to the relevant national authority within 24 hours (early warning) and 72 hours (full report) — tighter than the GDPR's 72-hour personal data breach notification window.
• Cyber hygiene: Basic cybersecurity practices including patching, access control, and encryption are mandated.

NIS2 vs. GDPR: Two different but overlapping frameworks

A critical point: NIS2 compliance does not automatically mean GDPR compliance, and vice versa. Organisations that fall within NIS2 scope need to manage both simultaneously. They each require a designated representative in the EU for non-EU organisations — and importantly, these are *different roles* that cannot simply be assigned to the same person without care.

The key operational difference is urgency. GDPR representatives primarily handle documentation, data rights requests, and regulatory correspondence — tasks that are important but rarely time-critical. NIS2 representatives must be prepared to facilitate technically complex, time-sensitive incident communications. Assuming a single outsourced provider can cover both roles adequately without specialist cyber security capability is a common and potentially costly mistake.

The Digital Omnibus Package: What's Changing in 2026

In November 2025, the European Commission introduced the Digital Omnibus Package — a sweeping legislative simplification designed to address the paralysing operational friction caused by multiple overlapping digital regulations. It is expected to be enforced from mid-to-late 2026 and introduces several changes that directly affect backup and incident response.

The 96-hour breach notification window

One of the most practically significant changes: the GDPR's 72-hour breach notification deadline is being extended to **96 hours**. This additional time was explicitly designed to give incident response teams the breathing room needed for accurate forensic investigation before notifying authorities. For organisations relying on backup restores as part of their incident response, this provides slightly more operational flexibility.

The Single Reporting Portal

Currently, a single cyber incident can trigger distinct, separately formatted notifications under GDPR, NIS2, DORA, and eIDAS — each with different deadlines and requirements. The Digital Omnibus Package introduces a Single Reporting Portal: one submission that is automatically routed to the appropriate national authorities across frameworks.

For backup operators, this means your incident response plan needs to be updated. You will no longer be filing separate notifications to different bodies — but the information required for that single submission will need to be comprehensive enough to satisfy all frameworks simultaneously.

The EU AI Act and Backup Implications

The EU AI Act, transitioning into full applicability from August 2026, may seem distant from backup operations — but it has a direct relevance for organisations using SaaS platforms with AI features, or deploying agentic AI tools that interact with business data.

Agentic AI tools - such as AI agents built into monday.com, ClickUp, and other SaaS platforms — can now autonomously create, modify, delete, and reorganise data at machine speed. A poorly configured or misunderstood instruction can result in mass data changes or deletions before any human notices. We cover this in detail in our article on Agentic AI vs. the Importance of SaaS Backup.

From a backup and GDPR perspective, the AI Act reinforces the importance of:

• Audit trails: AI systems must maintain transparency logs. Your backup provides an independent, tamper-proof history of data states — critical when AI-driven changes need to be investigated or reversed.
• Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs): High-risk AI systems require DPIAs that run in parallel with GDPR DPIAs. Your backup strategy should be documented as a risk mitigation measure in these assessments.
• Data minimisation: AI models processing personal data must use only what is necessary. Ensure your backup policy does not inadvertently expand the footprint of personal data being retained.

Beyond Europe: Global Privacy Laws That Reference Backup

GDPR set the template that most other major privacy regulations now follow. If you operate in markets outside the EU, you are likely subject to additional laws that carry parallel obligations for your backup practices.

United Kingdom - UK GDPR

Post-Brexit, the UK retained its own version of GDPR (UK GDPR), enforced by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). Backup obligations mirror those under EU GDPR. Note that non-UK organisations targeting UK individuals must appoint a UK Representative — separate from any EU Representative appointment.

United States - State Privacy Laws (18 and counting)

The US still lacks a comprehensive federal privacy law. However, 18 states now have full consumer privacy frameworks, all of which carry data retention, deletion, and security obligations relevant to backup. California (CCPA/CPRA), Virginia, Colorado, Texas, and Oregon are among the most actively enforced. Key backup-relevant obligations under US state laws include:

• Honouring deletion requests across all data systems, including backups
• Implementing reasonable security measures (which regulators interpret to include backup and recovery)
• Providing data portability upon request

Switzerland - Revised Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP)

Fully enforced since September 2023, the revised Swiss FADP broadly mirrors GDPR but with one critical difference: fines under the Swiss law are levied against individual executives rather than the company itself. A Chief Privacy Officer or CISO can personally face a fine of up to CHF 250,000 for intentional violations. For Swiss-market operations, this makes personal accountability for backup compliance especially acute.

Australia, Canada, Singapore, Japan

Each of these jurisdictions has adopted or updated privacy legislation in recent years that includes security-of-processing obligations analogous to GDPR Article 32. If you serve customers in any of these markets, consult local counsel — but in almost every case, maintaining a compliant backup strategy under GDPR will put you in a strong position under these laws as well.

Your Practical GDPR Backup Compliance Checklist

Use this checklist as a practical starting point for reviewing your backup programme against GDPR and related 2026 obligations. This is not a substitute for legal advice, but it covers the core operational requirements that regulators expect to see documented.

Backup Infrastructure

☐ Backups are taken at a frequency sufficient to meet your recovery point objectives

☐ Backups are encrypted at rest (AES-256 or equivalent)

☐ Backups are encrypted in transit (TLS 1.2+)

☐ Backup systems have role-based access controls (RBAC) — minimal access by default

☐ Backup access events are logged in an audit trail

☐ Backups are stored in a geographically distinct location from primary data

☐ EU personal data is backed up within the EEA, or a lawful transfer mechanism (SCCs, DPF) is in place

Testing and Governance

☐ Backup restores are tested at least quarterly and results are documented

☐ Recovery time objectives (RTOs) are defined and achievable within your breach notification window

☐ Backup policy is reviewed annually and signed off by a named responsible party

☐ Backup retention periods are defined per data category and documented in your ROPA

☐ Your incident response plan references backup restore as a recovery step and assigns ownership

Data Subject Rights

☐ A deletion request log exists and is cross-referenced before any backup restore

☐ Restore procedures prevent overwriting post-request data corrections

☐ Your backup provider can support targeted user-level data searches if a DSAR requires it

Third-Party Management

☐ A signed, current DPA exists with your backup provider

☐ Your backup provider's sub-processor list is available and has been reviewed

☐ Your DPA includes breach notification obligations for the provider with a deadline that supports your own 96-hour reporting window

☐ Your backup provider's security certifications (e.g., SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001) have been reviewed and are current

NIS2 and Related Obligations (if in scope)

☐ Your organisation has assessed whether it falls within NIS2 scope

☐ Backup and disaster recovery are documented as part of your NIS2 Article 21 risk management measures

☐ GDPR and NIS2 representatives (if required) have been separately appointed and are actively engaged

☐ Your incident response plan is updated to reflect Single Portal reporting under the Digital Omnibus Package

How ProBackup Approaches Compliance

ProBackup is a SOC 2 Type II certified backup solution for SaaS platforms including Asana, ClickUp, monday.com, HubSpot, Jira, Notion, Slack, and others. Our parent company B4B IT is headquartered in Belgium and we work with a specialist Belgian Data Privacy expert (Dirk De Bot at DPS4U) to maintain our compliance posture.

Here is how our product and operations map to the obligations described in this guide:

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Our full GDPR documentation, audit reports, and security details are available at probackup.io/gdpr and probackup.io/resources/audit-reports.

Summary: What Has Changed Since 2020

Our 2020 guide distilled GDPR's backup obligations into three points: backup is legally required, backups must be regular, and your provider must be compliant. All three remain true. But the landscape has become significantly more complex:

• Enforcement has intensified dramatically: EUR 1.2 billion in fines in 2025 alone, with US organisations absorbing 83% of all penalties historically.
• NIS2 has added a parallel cybersecurity compliance framework covering backup, incident response, and supply chain security — with distinct representative requirements from GDPR.
• The Digital Omnibus Package is streamlining but also raising standards: one portal for incident reporting, a 96-hour notification window, and tighter consent architecture requirements.
• The EU AI Act is intersecting with backup compliance: As AI agents increasingly operate within SaaS platforms, the importance of independent, granular backup has never been higher.
• Shared liability across the data supply chain is now enforced: backup providers are held as accountable as the organisations they serve.
• Data subject rights obligations apply to backup copies: Erasure, access, and rectification requests must be managed across your live systems and your backups.

The organisations that treat backup as a compliance instrument (not just an IT function) are the ones who navigate this landscape most successfully. A robust, tested, documented backup strategy is simultaneously your best risk mitigation tool and your clearest demonstration of accountability to regulators.

This article is intended for IT decision-makers, compliance officers, and data protection professionals. It reflects the regulatory environment as of March 2026 and should not be treated as legal advice. For specific compliance guidance, consult a qualified data protection professional.