Do you still remember the helplessness when your phone suddenly went black and all photos and chat records disappeared in an instant? Or the regret when your computer crashed, only to realize that important files had never been backed up?
As the 15th World Backup Day approached on March 31, data security issues have once again attracted widespread attention. Data backup is not only a "safe box" for personal digital assets, but also a "safety net" for the continuous operation of enterprises and a "cornerstone" for the stable operation of public services.
A recent survey released by Western Digital, a storage giant, shows that 66% of Chinese respondents have experienced data loss due to device damage, accidental deletion, or cyberattacks, and nearly half of them could not recover the lost data. This sounds an alarm for us—it is imperative to establish a sound data backup system.
(Source: Western Digital, Researchscape)
1. In China: Why Is Data Backup Becoming Increasingly Important?
Everyone Is an "Influencer" – Growing Demand for Data Storage and Backup
China has the largest number of Internet users in the world. As of December 2024, the scale of China’s Internet users exceeded 1.1 billion, and the Internet penetration rate rose to 78.6%.
(Source: CNNIC)
The popularity of the self-media industry continues to rise.
The 30-day interaction growth of the topic "#TryingtoBeaSelf-MediaCreator" reached 851,800, and the total views of the topic "#Self-MediaEntrepreneurship" hit 1.399 billion.
(Source: xh.newrank.cn)
To stand out in the self-media field, the key lies in having unique original content and a clear positioning in a specific niche.
Therefore, users’ demand for storing data such as videos and photos has generally increased.
According to the latest survey, 51% of Chinese respondents said their storage demand across all devices reached more than 100GB (higher than the global average of 44%).
(Source: Western Digital, Researchscape)
In the field of content creation, the loss of data at any link may have a significant impact. The integrity and security of data are thus particularly important, not just sufficient storage capacity.
In terms of data backup behavior, Chinese users have a more advanced awareness of data backup: 89% of Chinese respondents back up their data, a proportion higher than the global average (87%). Among them, the proportion of those who choose manual backup is as high as 42%, ranking first in the world.
(Source: Western Digital, Researchscape)
When asked about the reason for backing up data, 93% of Chinese respondents said it was to prevent the loss of important files, a proportion significantly higher than the global average (83%).
(Source: Western Digital, Researchscape)
Digital Transformation – Data Security Attracts Great Attention
China has achieved remarkable results in digital transformation. By the end of 2023, the scale of industrial digitalization reached 43.84 trillion yuan, with a nominal year-on-year growth of 6.9%.
(Source: CAICT)
In March 2025, China’s first basic architecture standard for digital transformation, Reference Architecture for Digital Transformation Management, was released. This national standard clarifies the path and methods of transformation, providing guidance for standardized construction.
In the future, China will continue to promote digital transformation and expand the digital industry.
(Source: Government Official Website)
As enterprises continue to advance digital transformation, the importance of data has become increasingly prominent.
Rapid Technological Development – Helping Cultivate Data Backup Habits
China has made significant progress in the construction of 5G base station infrastructure in recent years. As of November 2024, the number of 5G base stations in China had reached 4.191 million.
(Source: CNNIC, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology)
The rapid promotion of 5G technology provides faster speed and more stable connections for data transmission, making it more convenient for users to back up data. The penetration rate of cloud storage services in China is also increasing year by year, and more and more users have developed the habit of data backup.
However, free cloud storage space is usually limited, which also prompts some users to consider a combination of cloud storage and local external storage to balance the needs of data protection and cost efficiency.
From the perspective of Chinese users’ usage habits, data storage methods have shown a diversified trend: cloud storage is their main choice, accounting for 77%; in addition, 53% of users choose USB flash drives, 42% choose external hard drives, and 20% choose NAS (Network Attached Storage).
(Source: Western Digital, Researchscape)
In 2025, 6G technology was included in the Government Work Report for the first time, clearly defined as a core framework content for the cultivation of future industries.
In the future, the ultra-high-speed transmission of 6G will drive exponential growth in data generation and transmission. This trend puts forward higher requirements for data storage capacity, requiring more efficient and larger-capacity storage and backup solutions.
2. Chinese Users Lead in Data Backup Awareness and Behavior – But Why Fall Behind in Frequency?
According to survey data, 54% of global users regularly back up their personal data (i.e., backup frequency of weekly/daily), while in China, the proportion of users who back up regularly is 46%, lower than the global average.
(Source: Western Digital, Researchscape)
This indicates that even though Chinese users want to back up data frequently, they "lack the ability to do so despite good intentions." According to the survey, they are mainly restricted by the following factors:
Insufficient Storage Space
Among the group that claims "no backup," 43% of Chinese respondents believe that "insufficient device storage space" is the main reason for not backing up data, significantly higher than the global average (30%).
(Source: Western Digital, Researchscape)
This shows that Chinese users face more prominent problems of insufficient storage space, and their demand for additional storage capacity (such as cloud storage expansion or external hard drives) is particularly urgent.
Inconvenient Storage and Backup Processes
70% of Chinese respondents said they would be more willing to back up data frequently if the data storage and backup processes were automatic and easy.
This reflects that Chinese users have higher requirements for the convenience of data storage and backup processes. If the processes can be effectively simplified, the frequency of data backup by Chinese users will increase.
Concerns About Cloud Storage Data Privacy and Price Considerations
Currently, cloud storage is the most mainstream data backup method in China, with 77% of Chinese respondents using it.
However, it is worth noting that 65% of them have concerns about the data security and privacy of cloud storage, and 7% of respondents even said they do not trust the security and privacy of cloud storage at all.
(Source: Western Digital, Researchscape)
In addition, the price of cloud storage is another key consideration for Chinese respondents.
Survey data shows that 81% of Chinese respondents use free cloud storage services, and 63% of them encountered insufficient storage space in the past six months, leading 59% of users to choose to upgrade to paid services.
(Source: Western Digital, Researchscape)
It is worth noting that 39% of Chinese respondents said that the price of cloud storage services is becoming more and more expensive, even unaffordable.
These data indicate that the free cloud storage space is not enough for most users, forcing them to switch to paid services.
From the charging standards of mainstream cloud storage platforms, especially for users with large-capacity needs, the economic burden of using paid cloud storage services for a long time is relatively significant.
(Source: Official Websites of Various Companies)
3. For Users: What Is a Better Data Backup Strategy?
A Better Data Backup Strategy: The 3-2-1 Backup Strategy
In today’s digital age, data backup has become a basic need for individuals and enterprises.
People not only need to back up data, but also hope that the backup process is easy and economical, and can meet the needs of security and large capacity—and the 3-2-1 backup strategy can meet these needs.
Take an accident in 2021 as an example: a fire broke out in a data center located in Strasbourg, France, of a well-known European cloud service provider, completely destroying one data center and partially damaging another, paralyzing approximately 3.6 million websites. In this accident, some customers’ data was permanently lost because it was not backed up.
This incident highlights the risks of relying on a single data storage method. Although cloud storage is the most commonly used storage form, relying solely on cloud storage is not enough.
External hard drives and Network Attached Storage (NAS) have become ideal data backup solutions.
For example, the maximum capacity of a single hard drive from Western Digital can reach 26TB, which can effectively supplement cloud storage services and provide more reliable protection for data security. Among them, enterprise-grade hard drives such as the Ultrastar DC HC690, with the help of UltraSMR technology, have a single-drive capacity of up to 32TB.
These devices not only have large capacity but also high cost-effectiveness, which can effectively supplement cloud storage services and provide more reliable protection for data security.
Western Digital: Supporting the Practice of the 3-2-1 Backup Strategy
Western Digital focuses on HDDs and provides a variety of high-performance, high-capacity product options, including consumer-grade products suitable for daily use by individuals and families—such as the classic portable external hard drive WD® My Passport™ series and the higher-capacity WD® My Book™ desktop hard drive. Professional-grade and enterprise-grade products are more suitable for enterprises, creative professionals, and content creators—such as the newly upgraded 26TB G-Technology™ G-DRIVE™ and G-RAID™ external storage solutions, as well as WD Red™ Pro HDDs.
(Source: Western Digital)
Whether it is an external HDD or an HDD in NAS, Western Digital’s innovative products can meet the storage and backup needs of different groups of people in different scenarios, supporting consumers and enterprises to easily, economically, and completely implement the 3-2-1 backup principle.
No matter if you are a "potential talent," a "theoretical expert," or a "laid-back person," Western Digital can help you easily become an "action-oriented person" and meet your different needs!
(Source: Western Digital, Researchscape)
The survey results are from an online survey conducted by international market research and consulting firm Researchscape from February 7 to 25, 2025, covering 10 different countries and regions around the world, with a total of 6,118 respondents (including 567 respondents from China).
