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Does IT know before HR? Data backup habits linked to employee engagement, report finds

by Todd Humber
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A new survey of more than 2,300 workers suggests that employees who regularly back up their work data tend to be more engaged on the job.

The findings are part of CrashPlan’s 2024 Work Trend Security Report, released Wednesday, which shows that those who never back up data often report lower satisfaction levels and are more likely to admit to risky security practices, said CrashPlan.

The report also identifies a group dubbed “Idea Workers,” whose roles focus on producing new ideas and valuable intellectual property. Although they are generally more engaged and back up data more frequently than other employees, they face greater difficulties due to large file sizes, scattered data and limited tools and policies, said CrashPlan.

“Poor backup practices may very well be among the first signs of an unhappy employee,” said Todd Thorsen, chief information security officer for CrashPlan, which is based in Minneapolis. “It certainly says something about an employee’s level of commitment when they are no longer concerned about preserving their own work. It’s also a reminder that poor employee engagement doesn’t just diminish performance – unengaged employees pose a real data protection challenge.”

Among respondents, the leading concern was losing important files and intellectual property, cited by 47 per cent, followed by business interruption at 27 per cent and data exposure at 26 per cent, the company said. Yet more than half of all workers surveyed reported that they do not consistently back up their data, said CrashPlan.

“Idea Workers,” including architects, attorneys, designers, data scientists and others, were 25 per cent more likely than other employees to say they were proud to work at their organisation, 15 per cent more likely to say they felt energized by their work and eight per cent more likely to always back up their data, according to the report. Yet they also face more challenges: larger files, more distributed data and insufficient backup tools and policies, said CrashPlan.

“It’s crucial that businesses understand the unique data resilience challenges Idea Workers face and take proactive steps to protect their valuable data and intellectual property,” said Thorsen.

CrashPlan describes its platform as providing data resilience and governance services. The company’s report was released Wednesday.

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