Only a fifth of Russians fully back up their data, while many do not back up at all or are unwilling to pay for recovery if data is lost. This pattern emerged from a joint study by the IT company Cyberprotect and the Analytical Center NAFI. The takeaway is clear: backing up is common, but consistent, proactive backup remains limited.
Backup is among the most reliable defenses against data loss. Current data shows that about half of Russians create backup copies, yet the activity remains irregular. The most recent findings reveal a modest increase from last year, with 3 percentage points more people making backups, but still only a portion of the population doing so regularly. Additionally, 32% of respondents consider information highly important and maintain routine backups. By 2024, 18% reported not backing up at all.
Data protection behavior does not differ by gender; men and women show similar patterns. Age, however, influences attitudes: individuals over 45 are more likely to forgo backups, representing the largest share at 24%. A possible reason is that older people tend to keep critical items in analogue form, such as passwords in a notebook or printed documents, while digital photo and video archives may be viewed as less essential.
Participants faced a hypothetical question: if a computer or smartphone failed or was stolen and all data were lost, how much would they pay to recover it? The survey found that 31% would spend up to 5,000 rubles, with women more often willing to pay this amount (38%) than men (25%).
Young people under 24 place higher value on their digital data, with 8% ready to spend more than 100,000 rubles to recover lost files and 7% willing to pay between 20,000 and 50,000 rubles.
Despite these figures, a majority of Russians still accept the possibility of data loss. About 43% would not pay to attempt recovery, effectively accepting data loss as a possible outcome.
Experts explain that data loss can occur through accidental deletion, hardware damage, power outages, or malware. Recovery costs can be substantial, and in a worst‑case scenario, data may be lost permanently. As a precaution, many users adopt a regular backup routine based on the 3‑2‑1 rule: at least three copies of a file, stored on two or more devices, with an offsite copy as well. Elena Bocherova, the general director of Cyberprotect, emphasizes this approach as a practical safeguard.
The idea of creating backup copies is linked to digital literacy. Timers Aimaletdinov, Deputy Director General of NAFI and co‑author of the Digital Citizen diagnostic platform for digital competences, notes that backup practices are a key element of modern digital literacy. He also cautions about protecting backups from unauthorized access, especially in a climate where sanctions and market turbulence can heighten information loss risks. Building skills in backup creation and data security remains an important part of staying digitally competent.
Overall, the study underscores the ongoing challenge of aligning people’s concern for data with concrete backup habits. The human factor—habits, risk perception, and access to reliable tools—continues to shape how Canadians and Americans think about protecting their digital lives, even as the region faces its own unique cybersecurity considerations. [Citation: Cyberprotect and NAFI study cited in public release]