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A new Omdia study commissioned by Object First suggests technology leaders are losing ground in the fight against ransomware, with recovery outcomes deteriorating and confidence in existing backup storage eroding. The research, based on responses from global IT and business leaders, reports that 83% of organisations suffered a successful ransomware attack in the past two years – a sharp rise from 66% in 2024 – and that most experienced repeated service interruptions once breached.
The findings point to a growing “immutability gap” between what organisations believe they need for secure recovery and what their current backup environments can deliver. While 93% of leaders surveyed say Absolute Immutability is critical for ransomware protection, only 16% report having backup storage that meets that standard. Omdia defines Absolute Immutability as backup data that cannot be modified or deleted under any circumstances, even by privileged administrators or attackers with full access to IT credentials.
The consequences of this gap are becoming more visible. Only 39% of organisations recovered at least three‑quarters of their data after an attack, down from 57% two years ago. Three‑quarters said their largest data loss event exceeded their Recovery Point Objective, and 64% experienced outages that surpassed their Recovery Time Objective. With recovery windows lengthening and data loss increasing, backup storage is being viewed less as an operational safeguard and more as a core resilience requirement.
Simon Robinson, Principal Analyst at Omdia, said the findings underline a growing disconnect between perceived and actual protection. “Ransomware can lead to a business continuity crisis, and the data shows that many organisations fall short when it comes to reliable recovery. While most technology leaders recognise the importance of immutable backups, the research points to a clear gap between perceived immutability and Absolute Immutability.”
The study also highlights a shift in scrutiny around vendor claims. Nearly nine in ten respondents said immutability assurances cannot be taken at face value and require independent validation. Business leaders are increasingly involved in resilience planning too, with 73% of line‑of‑business and C‑suite respondents viewing absolutely immutable backups as essential to enterprise continuity strategies.
Object First CEO David Bennett said the results reflect what customers are reporting. “When ransomware strikes, recovery can’t depend on backups that can still be altered, deleted, or compromised. Absolutely immutable backup storage is the last line of defense against ransomware.”
The full Omdia report, Recovery Without Compromise: The Data‑Backed Case for Backup Storage with Absolute Immutability, is available now.
