Backup as a Service

Backup as a Service (BaaS) is a cloud-delivered model in which a third-party provider manages the backup, storage, and recovery of an organisation's data on its behalf. Rather than investing in on-premises tape libraries, backup servers, and the IT resource to maintain them, businesses subscribe to a managed service that continuously or periodically copies data to secure, geographically redundant cloud infrastructure. Recovery can be initiated on demand, often through a self-service portal, returning the business to a known good state without waiting for physical media or manual intervention. For UK businesses, BaaS has become a critical component of any serious data protection strategy. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) expects organisations to implement appropriate technical measures to safeguard personal data under UK GDPR, and demonstrating that backups are encrypted, access-controlled, and regularly tested is central to that obligation. Sector-specific regulators — including the FCA, NHS Digital, and Ofcom — add further layers of expectation around data availability and retention. Ransomware represents an acute and growing threat to UK organisations of every size. Attackers routinely target backup repositories before deploying encryption payloads, making immutable or air-gapped backup copies an essential defence. BaaS providers that offer object-lock or write-once-read-many (WORM) storage deliver a copy of data that cannot be overwritten or deleted by an attacker who has compromised the primary environment. When evaluating BaaS providers, UK buyers should focus on several key areas. Recovery point objective (RPO) defines how much data the business can afford to lose — measured in time — and buyers should confirm that backup frequency matches that tolerance. Recovery time objective (RTO) defines how quickly services must be restored, and providers should demonstrate tested recovery capabilities, not just theoretical speeds. Data residency matters: UK and EU data sovereignty requirements mean buyers should confirm that backup data is stored and processed within approved jurisdictions, with clear contractual guarantees. Security credentials including ISO 27001 certification, Cyber Essentials Plus, and SOC 2 Type II are markers of provider maturity. Finally, look for providers that conduct and evidence regular restore testing — a backup that has never been tested is not a backup.