Have you considered the potential impact of data loss on your school? Without a reliable data backup solutions, schools risk losing critical information that could disrupt operations and impact students’ education.

Schools are increasingly dependent on technology to manage everything from student records and lesson plans to financial data and classroom resources. But what happens when this information is compromised?

Whether through cyberattacks, accidental deletions, or unexpected system failures, the loss of critical data can bring a school to a halt. Imagine the disruption to a student’s academic journey if their records were lost, or the difficulty teachers would face recreating lesson plans and resources. It’s not just systems that are affected; it’s real people – students, teachers, and staff – whose daily lives and important work are impacted.

At Radical Cloud Solutions, we understand the importance of protecting school data. As an Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud Partner, we provide advanced data backup solutions and cybersecurity solutions tailored for educational institutions.

Many schools rely on Google Workspace for Education, a powerful cloud-based platform that offers Google Drive, Gmail, Google Classroom, and more to store and manage important files. With features like file version history, trash recovery (for up to 30 days), and Google Vault for archiving, schools have flexible ways to access and restore their data when needed.

However, as schools continue to expand their digital ecosystems, they may require additional layers of data protection to ensure seamless recovery, enhanced security, and compliance with education regulations.

Let’s explore the best data protection strategies for schools.

Why Schools Need a Strong Backup Strategy

Data loss is a growing concern for schools. Consider these facts:

• 63% of lower educational institutions and and 66% of higher education organisations reported a ransomware attack in recent years
• A significant percentage of schools globally now store sensitive student data digitally as part of a broader trend toward digital learning and administrative systems.
• Only 54% of organisations have a comprehensive disaster recovery plan in place.

Cybercriminals target schools because they store valuable personal information but often lack robust security measures. Additionally, accidental file deletions, system crashes, or even natural disasters can cause data loss.

A proper backup strategy ensures that schools can recover their information quickly and continue operations with minimal disruption.

Does Google Workspace Provide Enough Backup for Schools?

Many schools use Google Workspace for Education to store documents, emails, and other critical data. Google offers robust security features, including multi-factor authentication, AI-driven threat detection, and Chromebook security; in fact, Chromebooks have never had a reported ransomware attack.

Google is also highly compliant with global data protection laws such as POPIA, GDPR, FERPA, COPPA, and ISO/IEC 27001, ensuring that schools meet strict privacy and security requirements.

While Google provides strong security and compliance tools, a dedicated backup solution like Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud is complementary rather than a replacement.

Acronis enhances school data protection by:

• Providing independent, automated backups to safeguard data beyond Google’s built-in recovery options.
• Offering ransomware protection and disaster recovery to ensure schools can restore data quickly if an attack occurs.
• Supporting multi-platform environments, protecting data across servers, staff devices, and cloud applications beyond Google Workspace.
• Enhancing compliance efforts by adding long-term data retention and advanced recovery options to meet regulatory needs.
• By combining Google’s security and compliance features with Acronis’ advanced backup and recovery capabilities, schools get a truly resilient data protection strategy, ensuring data security, accessibility, and continuity no matter what happens.

Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud: The Ultimate Complement to Google Workspace

While Google Workspace for Education provides built-in security, compliance, and data management tools, schools need a comprehensive backup and cybersecurity solution to fully safeguard their digital environments.

That’s where Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud, offered by Radical Cloud Solutions, comes in. It works alongside Google to enhance data protection, provide advanced threat defence, and ensure seamless recovery.

Here’s how Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud strengthens school cybersecurity:

• Automated & Independent Backups – Ensures continuous, secure backups of Google Workspace files, emails, and other critical school data, preventing accidental loss and data corruption.
• Advanced Ransomware & Malware Protection – Uses AI-powered threat detection to stop ransomware, phishing, and malware attacks before they compromise school data.
• Disaster Recovery & Instant Data Restoration – Minimises downtime by allowing schools to quickly restore lost or compromised data, whether from cyberattacks, accidental deletions, or system failures.
• XDR (Extended Detection & Response) – Proactively monitors the entire IT environment, identifies threats across multiple endpoints, and automates response actions to prevent cyber incidents before they escalate.
• Multi-Platform Protection – Secures not just Google Workspace data but also school servers, faculty and student devices, learning management systems, and third-party cloud applications.
• Regulatory Compliance & Long-Term Data Retention – Enhances compliance with education data privacy laws (POPIA, GDPR, FERPA) by offering customizable retention policies and audit-ready data recovery options.
• By integrating Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud with Google Workspace, schools gain a powerful, multi-layered defence strategy, ensuring that data is not only stored securely but also backed up independently, protected from cyber threats, and instantly recoverable when needed.

How Radical Cloud Solutions Can Help

At Radical Cloud Solutions, we specialise in providing cutting-edge cloud backup and cybersecurity services for schools. As an Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud Partner, we help educational institutions:

• Set up automated backups for critical data
• Enhance cybersecurity measures to prevent data breaches
• Ensure compliance with educational data protection regulations
• Minimise downtime in case of cyberattacks or system failures

By implementing a robust data backup strategy, schools can protect their information, maintain smooth operations, and provide a safe learning environment for students and staff.

We’re Your Partner in Data Compliance

At Radical Cloud Solutions, we don’t just provide backup and cybersecurity solutions – we also offer expert guidance to help schools and educational institutions achieve and maintain compliance with data protection regulations. As a trusted Data Protection Officer (DPO) partner, we work with schools to ensure that they meet the necessary data privacy laws and can confidently pursue certifications like GDPR, POPIA, and other local or international standards.

Our DPO services include:

• Compliance Assessment: We evaluate your school’s current data protection practices and identify any gaps that need addressing.
• Policy Development: We help you create comprehensive data protection policies that align with regulatory requirements.
• Training and Awareness: We provide training for staff to ensure everyone understands their role in safeguarding data and staying compliant.
• Ongoing Guidance: We offer ongoing support to ensure your school remains compliant and can demonstrate its commitment to data protection to auditors or regulatory bodies.

By partnering with Radical Cloud Solutions, your school can confidently work toward achieving compliance and certification, ensuring the privacy and protection of sensitive student data.

View our DPO Services here.

Secure Your School’s Data Today

Data loss can be devastating for schools, but with the right backup solutions, it doesn’t have to be. While Google Workspace is useful, it is not enough to fully protect school data from cyber threats, accidental deletions, or system failures.

By partnering with Radical Cloud Solutions and leveraging Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud, schools can gain a reliable, secure, and efficient data backup system that keeps educational data safe at all times.

Don’t wait for a data disaster! Contact Radical Cloud Solutions today to find out how we can help your school stay protected.