In today's data-driven world, your HubSpot portal isn't just a marketing and sales tool; it's a critical business asset. It holds a vast and intricate web of customer data, operational workflows, and vital business intelligence. For any organisation serious about Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC), protecting this asset is not just an IT task, it's a fundamental business imperative.
Yet, a common and dangerous misconception persists: that HubSpot's native backup capabilities, or a simple data export, are sufficient. This assumption leaves organisations exposed to significant risks, from operational paralysis to severe compliance penalties.
This guide provides a strategic overview for leaders focused on GRC. We will explore what a "comprehensive" backup truly entails, how it serves as the bedrock for meeting stringent compliance standards like GDPR, ISO 27001, and SOC 2, and what you must demand from a solution to ensure your organisation is truly protected.
What Does "Comprehensive" HubSpot Backup Coverage Truly Mean?
When it comes to your HubSpot data, "comprehensive" is about much more than just contacts and companies. A superficial backup that misses the intricate connections and configurations within your portal is a failed backup. True coverage means protecting the full spectrum of your data, including:
- Standard CRM Objects: This is the baseline. It includes your contacts, companies, deals, tickets, and products. Every record and its associated properties must be captured.
- Custom Objects: As your business scales, you rely on custom objects to tailor HubSpot to your specific needs. These objects are unique to your portal and are often mission-critical. A backup that ignores them is incomplete.
- Files and Attachments: From sales contracts and proposals attached to deals, to marketing assets and customer support documents, your HubSpot portal stores a wealth of critical files. These must be included in any backup and recovery plan.
- Critical Metadata and Portal Structure: This is the element most often overlooked, yet it is the connective tissue of your entire HubSpot operation. It includes:
- Associations: The links between contacts, deals, companies, and tickets are what give your data context. Without them, you're left with a list of names, not a relationship history.
- Workflows: Your automated processes are the engine of your portal. Rebuilding complex workflows from memory is not just difficult; it's nearly impossible and guarantees operational downtime.
- Portal Settings, Pipelines, and Properties: The very structure of your portal—your deal stages, custom properties, and user permissions, takes significant time to build and refine. Losing this configuration would set your operations back months.
A comprehensive backup solution captures all of this, ensuring that in the event of a disaster, you can restore not just your data, but your entire operational framework.
Connecting Backups to Core Compliance Requirements (GDPR, ISO 27001, SOC 2)
For GRC-focused leaders, a backup strategy is not just about recovery; it's about demonstrating control and fulfilling legal and regulatory obligations. An independent, third-party backup solution is essential for meeting these standards.
How an Independent Backup Helps You Meet GDPR Requirements
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) mandates that organisations have robust measures in place to protect personal data. Key articles directly relate to data backup and recovery:
- Article 32 (Security of Processing): This requires organisations to implement technical measures to ensure "the ability to restore the availability and access to personal data in a timely manner in the event of a physical or technical incident." A third-party, segregated backup is the most reliable way to prove this capability.
- Right to Erasure (Article 17): When a data subject requests deletion, you must be able to remove their data from all systems, including your backups. An independent backup solution provides the granular control needed to manage this process effectively.
Relying solely on HubSpot's infrastructure means all your data is in one basket. A fire, a sophisticated cyber-attack, or even an internal error could compromise both your live data and your recovery options. An independent backup provides the air-gapped security regulators expect.
Meeting ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Obligations
- ISO 27001: This international standard for information security management requires a systematic approach to managing sensitive company information. Annex A.12.3 (Information Backup) specifically calls for regular backups of information and the ability to test and restore that information.
- SOC 2: This framework, developed by the AICPA, focuses on five "Trust Services Criteria": security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. A comprehensive backup strategy is fundamental to proving Availability, as it ensures data can be recovered and made accessible after an incident.
For both ISO 27001 and SOC 2 audits, you will be required to prove that your backup and recovery plan is not just theoretical but tested and effective. An independent solution with robust logging and reporting makes this process of demonstrating compliance straightforward.
Key Considerations for Your HubSpot Backup Strategy
A truly compliant and resilient backup strategy goes beyond simply purchasing a tool. It requires a formalised approach to data governance.
Data Sovereignty: Do You Know Where Your Data Is Stored?
For global organisations, data sovereignty is a critical compliance concern. Regulations often require that the personal data of citizens be stored within their own country or region. When you select a backup provider, you must ask:
- Where will my backup data be physically stored?
- Do I have a choice of storage locations to meet my data sovereignty requirements?
A reputable backup solution will offer clear options for data residency, allowing you to align your backup storage with your legal obligations.
Creating a Formal HubSpot Data Backup Policy
A formal policy is the cornerstone of good governance. It removes ambiguity and ensures everyone in the organisation understands their responsibilities. Your policy should define:
- Scope: What data is being backed up (ensure it aligns with the "comprehensive" definition above).
- Frequency: How often are backups performed? (e.g., daily).
- Retention Period: How long are backups kept? (This should align with your legal and operational needs).
- Roles and Responsibilities: Who is responsible for overseeing the backup process? Who is authorised to initiate a recovery?
- Testing Schedule: How often will you test your backups to ensure they are viable?
Auditing Your Backup: A CISO's Checklist for Evaluation
When evaluating a HubSpot backup and recovery solution, your CISO or security team should be looking for specific capabilities. Use this checklist as a guide:
- Completeness of Coverage: Does the solution back up everything? (Standard objects, custom objects, files, workflows, settings, etc.).
- Independence and Segregation: Is the backup stored in a separate, independent location from HubSpot's primary infrastructure?
- Security and Encryption: Is my data encrypted both in transit and at rest?
- Data Sovereignty Options: Can I choose where my data is stored?
- Granular Recovery: Can I restore a single record, a specific object, or the entire portal?
- Point-in-Time Recovery: Can I restore my data to its state from a specific day?
- Audit Logs and Reporting: Does the solution provide immutable logs of all backup and recovery activities to prove compliance?
- Performance and Reliability: Does the provider have a proven track record and a clear Service Level Agreement (SLA)?
Conclusion: From a Tactical Necessity to a Strategic Advantage
In a world of increasing cyber threats and tightening regulations, a comprehensive backup of your HubSpot portal is no longer optional. It is a fundamental pillar of your organisation's Governance, Risk, and Compliance strategy.
By moving beyond a surface-level understanding of backups and embracing a comprehensive, independent, and auditable solution, you are not just mitigating risk. You are building a more resilient, trustworthy, and compliant business. You are ensuring that no matter what happens—be it accidental deletion, a malicious attack, or a system failure, your data is safe, your operations can continue, and your reputation remains intact.
Ready to build a GRC-focused backup strategy for your HubSpot portal? Contact us today to discuss how we can help you achieve complete coverage and compliance.
