As an MSP owner, I hear this line all the time:
“We’re not too worried. We have backups.”
Every time I hear this, I know there’s a good chance no one has tested, verified, or really thought about it beyond just checking a box. Backups don’t automatically mean recovery.
In 2026, that assumption is costing businesses days of downtime, and sometimes even weeks.
The Backup Problem No One Likes Talking About
Most SMBs technically do have backups. The real issue is that:
- They’ve never tested a full restore
- No one knows how long recovery actually takes
- The backup system is reachable by the same credentials
- There’s no clean, immutable copy
When ransomware hits, everyone realises that backups were treated as an insurance policy rather than a recovery plan.
What I See During Real Incidents
When we get pulled into ransomware or data-loss situations, the pattern is almost always the same:
- Backups exist ✔️
- Restore fails ❌
- Backup data is encrypted too ❌
- Recovery time was never discussed ❌
At that point, the business isn’t asking “Do we have backups?”
They’re asking, “How fast can we get back online?”Those are very different questions.
Backup vs. Recovery (They Are Not the Same)
Here’s how I explain it to clients:
- Backup = Data exists somewhere
- Recovery = Business operations resume within an acceptable time
If restoring a server takes 3 days but the business can tolerate only 4 hours of downtime, backups didn’t solve the problem.
What We Focus On as an MSP
As an MSP, we don’t just sell backup licenses. We design recovery outcomes. That means:
- Immutable backups (ransomware-resistant)
- Offline or isolated copies
- Regular restore testing
- Clear RTO and RPO discussions
- Monitoring failures before they become emergencies
Most importantly, someone is accountable for ensuring backups work.
The Hard Truth for SMBs
Ransomware doesn’t care:
- Who your MSP is
- Which backup product do you use
- How confident do you feel
It only cares whether:
- It can encrypt your data
- You can restore faster than it can hurt you
Backups that aren’t tested are just wishful thinking stored on a disk.
Final Thought
If you’re an SMB owner reading this, ask your IT provider a straightforward question:
“When was the last time we fully restored our data?”
If the answer isn’t clear, that’s a risk you should fix before something breaks.
Jaspreet Singh — Author @ MSPinsights.ca | Founder & CEO, Accelerate IT Services Inc.