SaaS providers guarantee platform uptime and infrastructure security. They protect against server failures, data centre outages, and cyberattacks on their systems.

What they don't protect: Your data from your own users, your own mistakes, and your own integrations.

This is the shared responsibility model. The platform maintains availability; you are responsible for data integrity. Without an independent backup solution, the following risks can cause permanent data loss.

Risk 1: Human error

The #1 cause of SaaS data loss.

It takes just a few clicks to delete an entire project or board. A user intends to remove a single task but has the whole table selected. Someone chooses "delete" instead of "archive." A project manager clears out old data and removes something still in use.

Some minor mistakes can be undone within the app itself - if you catch them immediately. Others require a dedicated backup tool to restore the previous state. ProBackup protection: Browse your backup vault to any previous date. Restore individual fields, tasks, or entire boards with one click. Compare versions to see exactly what changed before restoring.

Common human error scenarios:

• Bulk deletion with wrong selection
• Overwriting columns during data import
• Removing a value from a selection field
• Changing field configuration
• Accidental archive vs. delete

Risk 2: Malicious users

Internal threats are as damaging as external ones.

Most organisations operate with relaxed authorisation controls. Team members can edit, move, and delete data freely—essential for collaboration, dangerous for data security.

Intentional data destruction: A disgruntled employee with workspace access can delete entire projects or boards before leaving the company. By the time IT is notified, the damage is done and the trash retention period may have expired.

Data manipulation to hide performance issues:

• Sales reps deleting leads to avoid follow-up accountability
• Team members removing tasks to hide missed deadlines
• Managers altering records to obscure project delays

When work is managed in a shared online space, your SaaS app's activity log shows what happened—but it won't restore what was lost. An independent backup ensures you have a true, immutable record of all data as it existed at any point in time.

ProBackup protection: Daily snapshots capture your complete workspace state. Smart alerts notify admins when unusual deletion activity is detected. Restore data deleted by any user, regardless of their current access level.

Risk 3: Glitches & downtime

Even industry leaders experience outages.

Major SaaS platforms maintain strong uptime records, but no service is perfect. Temporary outages, API failures, and platform bugs can leave your team without access to critical information at the worst possible moment.

Real-world impact scenarios:

• Client meeting in 10 minutes, platform is down
• Sales call in progress, CRM unavailable
• Project deadline today, workspace inaccessible
• Third-party integration causes data corruption

Downtime doesn't just mean waiting—it means lost productivity, missed opportunities, and damaged client relationships.

ProBackup protection: Access your backed-up data 24/7 through the ProBackup vault, independent of your SaaS provider's status. Enable Google Drive sync for an additional layer—view your data in Google Sheets even when both the SaaS platform and ProBackup are unavailable.

Risk 4: Faulty imports & third-party integrations

The most underestimated data risk.

Connecting apps and importing spreadsheets streamlines workflows—but these operations are deceptively dangerous. A single misconfigured field mapping or malformed CSV can compromise thousands of records instantly.

Common integration failures:

• CSV import with a wrong column mapping.
• Spreadsheet upload with an incorrect date format.
• Third-party sync with an automation bug.
• API integration with an unexpected data format.
• Zapier/Make automation with a misconfigured trigger.

These errors often go unnoticed until someone needs the corrupted data. By then, the original values are gone and the app's version history (if any) has expired.

ProBackup protection: Point-in-time recovery lets you restore data as it existed before the faulty import. Compare versions to identify exactly which records were affected. Restore individual fields without overwriting other changes made since the incident.

What is the most common cause of SaaS data loss?

Human error accounts for the majority of data loss incidents. Accidental deletions, incorrect imports, and misconfigured field settings are far more common than cyberattacks or platform failures.

Can't I just use my SaaS app's built-in version history?

Built-in version history is useful for minor, immediate mistakes but has significant limitations. Retention periods are typically 30-90 days, granularity is often limited to board-level snapshots, and recovery options disappear once items are permanently deleted. An independent backup provides longer retention, finer granularity, and access even when the platform is unavailable.

How does ProBackup detect malicious deletions?

ProBackup's smart alerts (Pro and Premium plans) monitor your backup snapshots for unusual activity patterns. If a significant number of records are deleted in a short period, admins receive an email notification—often before the damage is discovered through normal workflows.

What happens if my SaaS platform goes down?

ProBackup stores your data independently in AWS Dublin. You can browse and search your complete backup history through the ProBackup vault regardless of your SaaS provider's status. With Google Drive sync enabled, you also have a copy in your own Google account in familiar spreadsheet format.

How quickly can I restore after a faulty data import?

Immediately. Use the date picker in the ProBackup vault to view your data as it existed before the import. Compare versions to identify affected records, then restore individual fields, tasks, or entire boards with one click.