Cost of Backup Solutions
across the UK

# Backup Solutions Accreditation Guide

Several UK trade bodies and regulatory schemes are relevant to backup solution providers. The Information Security Registered Assessors UK (ISRAU) oversees ISO/IEC 27001 certification, which demonstrates that a provider has implemented robust information security management systems, including proper data protection and backup protocols. The Cyber Essentials scheme, run by the National Cyber Security Centre, is a government-backed standard that confirms a provider has implemented fundamental cyber hygiene practices. For providers handling personal data, compliance with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 is legally mandatory rather than voluntary. Some backup providers may also hold certifications from the Cloud Industry Forum or be members of the Backup and Recovery Standardization Initiative, which promote best practice standards. Understanding what these accreditations mean helps you assess whether a provider meets industry expectations for security, reliability and compliance.

To verify a provider's credentials, check whether they display current certification on their website and request a copy of their accreditation certificate, which should show the issuing body and expiry date. Contact the relevant trade body directly to confirm the provider's status if you have any doubt. Ask for evidence of regular audits or assessments, as genuine accreditations require ongoing compliance checks rather than being one-time achievements. Request references from existing customers, particularly in your industry sector, to understand whether the provider's accreditation translates into reliable service in practice. Verification matters because backup solutions handle your most critical data; a provider without proper accreditation may lack systematic security controls, have poor recovery procedures, or fail to meet legal obligations around data handling, potentially exposing you to data loss, breaches or regulatory penalties.

Accredited backup providers typically charge 15 to 30 percent more than non-accredited competitors, reflecting the costs of maintaining compliance, undergoing regular audits and implementing certified security