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In today’s cybersecurity landscape, disaster recovery (DR) is no longer just about surviving natural disasters or hardware failures. Organizations are rapidly shifting their data protection strategies to show resilience in the face of relentless, sophisticated ransomware attacks.
We sat down with Wayne Kiphart, CEO of Performive,, to unpack this challenge and help you level up your data protection strategy for 2025.
From Backup Checkboxes to Real Resilience
For years, businesses treated having a data protection strategy like a checklist item: back up the data, test recovery once a year, call it done. However, with ransomware attacks now targeting backup and disaster recovery (DR) systems themselves, that mindset has become dangerously outdated.
“Threat actors are spending weeks inside environments, disabling backups and DR before launching an attack,” shared Wayne Kiphart of Performive. “So, when they finally pull the trigger, they know you can’t recover unless you pay.”
This reflects a broader industry shift from basic backup to holistic operational resilience. That includes disaster recovery services, layered cybersecurity, clean recovery environments, and a proactive data protection strategy that also accounts for insurance readiness.
Ransomware Resilience Is a Business Risk Strategy
The modern threat landscape is shaped by more than malware. Insider threats, compliance pressures, and evolving cyber insurance standards all influence today’s data protection strategies.
Today’s cyber insurance applications can run over 100 pages and demand evidence of vulnerability management, penetration testing, and phishing training.
Organizations should develop their data protection strategy in partnership with experts who can help them meet these growing requirements and provide tailored protection levels based on the value and sensitivity of their systems, from file servers to ERP apps.
By building a clear picture of the environment and aligning recovery strategies with risk profiles, providers can help reduce both risk exposure and insurance premiums.
Mid-Market Companies Need a New Playbook
Mid-sized businesses are especially vulnerable. With limited IT resources, lean budgets, and rapidly evolving environments, they often struggle to meet the demands of cybersecurity. A strong data protection strategy must be accessible and tailored to their specific needs.
It’s no longer just about backing up data; it’s about knowing what needs to be protected, how it should be protected, and why. Some service providers even bring in partners to review cyber insurance policies and ensure coverage matches actual risk. This full-spectrum support—from policy review to implementation—is a key component of an effective data protection strategy and a hallmark of modern Managed Service Providers (MSPs).
Data Protection Strategy: Proactive Planning Is Non-Negotiable
According to Kiphart, mindset is the most significant gap in ransomware preparedness plans. Too many businesses treat disaster recovery as something they’ll “get to later,” only to be caught off guard when an attack hits.
Your strategy should start with a comprehensive assessment: What data do you have? Where does it live? What security measures are in place?
From there, you can design a layered approach that includes:
- Immutable, air-gapped backups
- 24/7 monitored environments
- Clean recovery sites
- RTO/RPO optimization by system
- Integrated cyber insurance support
In short, you need a data protection strategy that assumes compromise is inevitable and recovery is non-negotiable.
MSPs are becoming essential partners in an era when even enterprise IT teams are stretched thin. They don’t just deliver tools—they bring expertise, scale, and operational continuity.
And the best part? They support your strategy before, during, and after an incident to ensure fast, confident recovery.
Your 2025 Data Protection Strategy: Assume It Will Happen
If there’s one takeaway for business leaders in 2025, it’s this: Don’t wait to implement your data protection strategy.
Assume ransomware is coming to your organization and build a data protection strategy to withstand it. The financial, operational, and reputational costs of being unprepared are staggering, and many companies never recover.
Ransomware resilience is not just a technical strategy— but a business survival strategy. In 2025, resilient organizations will not just try to prevent attacks—they’ll be ready to bounce back from them.
Is your organization prepared to prevent and recover from ransomware attacks? If not, it might be time to rethink your disaster recovery (DR) and data protection strategy, with resilience at the core.
Bridgepointe partners with premier managed security services and cybersecurity solution providers to support your 2025 data protection strategy needs.
Talk to an expert to explore how we can help.
