Cloud Storage vs Backup: Why Sync Is Not Backup

Cloud storage services such as Dropbox, Google Drive and OneDrive are widely used by small businesses and professionals. They allow files to be shared, edited and accessed from multiple devices, making day to day work easier.

However, cloud storage is often mistaken for backup.

Synchronisation keeps files consistent across devices. Backup preserves recoverable history over time. These are not the same thing.

Understanding the difference is important if your organisation depends on cloud platforms for client files, project documents, financial records or operational data.

Cloud storage platforms are built around synchronisation. When you add, edit or delete a file on one device, that change is replicated everywhere the account is connected.

If a file is modified, the modified version replaces the previous version.

If a folder is deleted, that deletion is synchronised.

If content is overwritten, the new state becomes the current state across all devices.

This process is called replication.

Replication is designed to maintain consistency. It is not designed to protect against accidental or malicious change.

Replication means the latest state is copied.

Backup means multiple historical copies are stored so that you can return to a previous point in time.

A true backup system assumes that the current version of your data may be wrong, damaged, encrypted or missing. Its purpose is to preserve earlier clean versions independently of what is happening in the live environment.

If a user deletes a folder inside a synchronised cloud storage account, that deletion is replicated to all connected devices and to the cloud interface.

The system is functioning as designed.

The difficulty arises when deletion happens unintentionally or without full understanding of the impact. By the time the issue is discovered, the change has already propagated.

Most platforms provide a recycle bin or deleted items area. While useful, these are subject to retention limits and administrative controls. They are not a substitute for a structured backup plan.

Ransomware does not simply delete files. It encrypts or alters them.

If ransomware affects a device connected to a synchronised cloud storage account, the encrypted files are treated as updates. Those encrypted versions are then synchronised.

From the platform’s perspective, it is replicating file changes as instructed.

Version history may provide limited recovery options, but this depends on:

Retention configuration

Detection speed

Licensing level

Account security

If the issue is discovered after the retention window has expired, recovery options may be significantly reduced.

Cloud platforms usually apply retention periods to deleted items and previous versions.

A retention window defines how long the platform keeps earlier states before removing them permanently.

Retention is helpful, but it introduces a time dependency. If a problem is not identified within that period, earlier versions may no longer be available.

A proper backup strategy should not depend entirely on rapid detection. It should assume that some issues may be noticed days or weeks later.

A key principle of proper backup is separation.

If a user account is compromised, suspended or removed, recovery should still be possible.

In many synchronised systems, access to restore files relies on the same credentials used for everyday work. If those credentials are affected, recovery may also be affected.

An independent backup system uses separate controls and storage, reducing the likelihood that a single incident compromises both live data and recovery copies.

A practical cloud backup approach usually includes:

Versioned backups with multiple restore points

Backups should keep historical copies across defined intervals so that data can be restored from different points in time.

Protection from standard user modification

Backup storage should not be alterable through normal day to day user access.

Clear retention policies

Retention should be defined and understood, rather than assumed.

Periodic restore testing

Restores should be tested occasionally to confirm that recovery works as expected.

For some readers, a short visual explanation is helpful before exploring the detail.

If you prefer a brief explanation before reading in depth, we have created this short overview video on this topic.

The video summarises the difference between synchronisation and backup and explains why they should not be treated as interchangeable.

For many organisations, cloud platforms store operationally important data such as:

Client records

Project documentation

Financial exports

Internal procedures

Legal or compliance related files

If that data becomes unavailable or unreliable, normal operations can be disrupted quickly.

Separating collaboration tools from recovery systems helps reduce operational risk and improves resilience planning.

If you would like a structured overview of wider resilience considerations, including backup and recovery planning, you can review our Security and Resilience page.

Cloud storage platforms are built to synchronise current working data across devices and users.

Backup systems are built to preserve recoverable history.

Using synchronisation for collaboration and independent versioned backup for recovery provides a clearer and more reliable approach to protecting business data.

This separation is simple in principle, but important in practice.

Return to all guides