---
title: "Spooky Cyber Stories: The Backup Butcher - EMPIST®"
description: It's crucial to have a Backup & Disaster Recovery plan in place. Unfortunately, some of the data in today's accounts didn't make it out alive.
image: https://hs.empist.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/BackupButcher_10_3-1.jpg
---
[Skip to main content](https://hs.empist.com/blog/spooky-cyber-stories-the-backup-butcher#main-content)
[   ](https://hs.empist.com/home)
- [Show submenu for IT Services IT Services](https://hs.empist.com/it-services/)
- [Managed IT Services](https://hs.empist.com/it-managed-services)
- [Co-Managed IT](https://hs.empist.com/co-managed-it)
- [Cybersecurity Services](https://hs.empist.com/cybersecurity)
- [Cloud Services](https://hs.empist.com/cloud-services-managed-private-public-hybrid)
- [Show submenu for Why EMPIST Why EMPIST](https://empist.com/about-us/)
- [Blog](https://hs.empist.com/blog)
- [Show submenu for Support Support](https://empist360.com)
- [Status](https://status.empist.com)
Open main navigation
Close main navigation
- Show submenu for IT Services IT Services
- IT Services
- [IT Services](https://hs.empist.com/it-services/)
- [Managed IT Services](https://hs.empist.com/it-managed-services)
- [Co-Managed IT](https://hs.empist.com/co-managed-it)
- [Cybersecurity Services](https://hs.empist.com/cybersecurity)
- [Cloud Services](https://hs.empist.com/cloud-services-managed-private-public-hybrid)
- Show submenu for Why EMPIST Why EMPIST
- Why EMPIST
- [Why EMPIST](https://empist.com/about-us/)
- [Blog](https://hs.empist.com/blog)
- Show submenu for Support Support
- Support
- [Support](https://empist360.com)
- [Status](https://status.empist.com)
- [Under Attack?](https://empist.com/under-attack/)
[Call Now](tel:+13123601900)
[Under Attack?](https://empist.com/under-attack/)
[Call Now](tel:+13123601900)
[Blog](https://hs.empist.com/blog)
Tags
- [Cybersecurity](https://hs.empist.com/blog/tag/cybersecurity)
- [IT Services](https://hs.empist.com/blog/tag/it-services)
- [News](https://hs.empist.com/blog/tag/news)
- [Digital Agency](https://hs.empist.com/blog/tag/digital-agency)
- [Cloud Services](https://hs.empist.com/blog/tag/cloud-services)
- [Business](https://hs.empist.com/blog/tag/business)
- [Business Intelligence](https://hs.empist.com/blog/tag/business-intelligence)
Search
- [Cybersecurity](https://hs.empist.com/blog/tag/cybersecurity)
- [IT Services](https://hs.empist.com/blog/tag/it-services)
- [News](https://hs.empist.com/blog/tag/news)
- [Digital Agency](https://hs.empist.com/blog/tag/digital-agency)
- [Cloud Services](https://hs.empist.com/blog/tag/cloud-services)
- [Business](https://hs.empist.com/blog/tag/business)
- [Business Intelligence](https://hs.empist.com/blog/tag/business-intelligence)
#### Muahahaha! Backup & Disaster Recovery!
It’s National Cybersecurity Awareness Month and to kick it off, we have some extra spooky cyber stories to share with you. Let us introduce you to the villainous Backup Butcher by covering some of the very worst real-world backup nightmares.
You never know where the Backup Butcher is going to strike next.
#### Is Your Data Safe?
You could lose it all. Whether your data loss is due to human error or a cyberattack, it’s crucial to have a Backup & Disaster Recovery plan in place. Unfortunately, some of the data in today’s accounts didn’t make it out alive.
#### The Backup Butcher Strikes
Our first backup disaster takes place inside the walls of a UK prison. Scared already? It gets worse. Back in 2009, Backup & Disaster Recovery plans were not as mainstream as they should have been. This backup disaster lost the data for every prisoner in the country, including the [information on 40,000 serious offenders.](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/2598204/Home-Office-loses-confidential-data-on-all-UK-prisoners.html)
##### The Criminal Case
How did it happen? Well, an employee took all the data from a secure server and transferred it to a USB stick. The files on the USB stick were in an unencrypted format, and the USB was lost. The lesson here is to never download data to an unencrypted format and to, of course, have a backup plan tested and running constantly.
#### Strike Two: The Kansas Backup Tapes
Once again, the Backup Butcher struck and hit a university in Kansas. This Spooky Cyber Story starts with a tornado hitting Joplin, Mo., in May of 2011. The effects of the tornado impacted the offsite storage of [Pittsburgh State University in Kansas](https://www.networkworld.com/article/3432128/real-world-backup-woes-and-how-to-fix-them.html?upd=1570116236320). As it turns out, there was a backup tape data center in Joplin that stored data for several universities, putting them all at risk for data loss after the destructive storm.
##### The Recovery Plan
Action had to be taken. The entire system needed a refresh with high-speed fiber rings, new storage arrays in multiple locations and several backup processes running throughout the day. To go through this process and recovery, data had to be replicated manually. Yikes!
#### The Backup Butcher Strikes a Third Time
This backup scare [almost cost Pixar a billion dollars](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/pixars-billion-dollar-delete-button-nearly-lost-toy-story-2-animation-7758083.html). During the making of Toy Story 2, an employee accidentally ran a command that removed everything on the file system. Just like that, the completed movie was gone. This mistake, if not recovered, would have taken an entire year to correct. The panicked team at Pixar wrapped up the software from the Pixar HQ in blankets to transport and connect them to systems at another location. Luckily, they were able to find the missing files and save the launch of the film.
#### Avoid Backup Scares
There are so many proactive things you can do to make sure your data doesn’t get chopped. Having a [Backup & Disaster Recovery](https://empist.com/it-solutions/managed-services/backup-disaster-recovery/) plan is at the top of the list. We can’t stress this enough. Once you have a backup plan in place, test it. Also, have a backup for your primary backup. You don’t want to cut your losses when the Backup Butcher comes knocking. For more IT news, blogs and industry insights throughout the week, follow us on [ Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/empist/), [ Twitter](https://twitter.com/Empist), [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/empist/), and [ Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/empistgroup/).
Tags:
[Cybersecurity](https://hs.empist.com/blog/tag/cybersecurity)
### Got A Question?
Feel free to contact us with any questions about this post or anything else you may be interested in finding out.
###### Categories
- [Cybersecurity](https://hs.empist.com/blog/tag/cybersecurity)
- [IT Services](https://hs.empist.com/blog/tag/it-services)
- [News](https://hs.empist.com/blog/tag/news)
- [Digital Agency](https://hs.empist.com/blog/tag/digital-agency)
- [Cloud Services](https://hs.empist.com/blog/tag/cloud-services)
###### Recent Posts
- [What Every Business Needs to Know About Ransomware Protection](https://hs.empist.com/blog/what-every-business-needs-to-know-about-ransomware-protection)
- [How to Choose the Right IT Support Model for Your Business](https://hs.empist.com/blog/how-to-choose-the-right-it-support-model-for-your-business)
- [Hidden Risks of Shadow IT and How to Mitigate Them](https://hs.empist.com/blog/hidden-risks-of-shadow-it-and-how-to-mitigate-them)
- [What Small Business Owners Should Know About Network Security](https://hs.empist.com/blog/what-small-business-owners-should-know-about-network-security)
- [5 Ways Co-Managed IT Services Can Boost Your Team’s Efficiency](https://hs.empist.com/blog/5-ways-co-managed-it-services-can-boost-your-teams-efficiency)
## Related Articles
[ What Every Business Needs to Know About Ransomware Protection Marty Hitzeman • Jul 3, 2026, 4:00:01 AM](https://hs.empist.com/blog/what-every-business-needs-to-know-about-ransomware-protection)
[ What Small Business Owners Should Know About Network Security Marty Hitzeman • Jun 12, 2026, 4:00:51 AM](https://hs.empist.com/blog/what-small-business-owners-should-know-about-network-security)
[ Healthcare IT: Risk Management and Compliance Tips Marty Hitzeman • May 15, 2026, 4:00:05 AM](https://hs.empist.com/blog/healthcare-it-risk-management-and-compliance-tips)
[ Securing Hybrid Cloud Environments: Best Practices for SMBs Marty Hitzeman • Apr 24, 2026, 4:00:05 AM](https://hs.empist.com/blog/securing-hybrid-cloud-environments-best-practices-for-smbs)
[](https://empist.com)
- [MANAGED IT SERVICES](https://hs.empist.com/it-managed-services)
- [CYBERSECURITY](https://hs.empist.com/cybersecurity)
- [CLOUD SERVICES](https://hs.empist.com/cloud-services-managed-private-public-hybrid)
- [CO-MANGED IT](https://hs.empist.com/co-managed-it)
- [PROFESSIONAL IT SERVICES](https://empist.com/it-services/professional-it-services)
- [BUSINESS PROCESS IMPROVEMENT](https://empist.com/it-services/business-process-improvement)
- [DIGITAL SERVICES](https://empist.com/it-services/digital-services)
- [SUPPORT](https://empist360.com)
EMPIST, LLC 2026 Copyright. All rights reserved. [Privacy policy](https://empist.com/privacy-policy/) | [Terms](https://empist.com/terms-conditions-us/)
-
-
-
-
-
-
```json
{
"@context" : "https://schema.org",
"@type" : "BlogPosting",
"author" : {
"@type" : "Person",
"name" : "Christina Tzouganatos",
"url" : "https://hs.empist.com/blog/author/christina-tzouganatos"
},
"dateModified" : "2026-02-02T16:03:23.381Z",
"datePublished" : "2020-10-01T10:00:21.000Z",
"headline" : "Spooky Cyber Stories: The Backup Butcher - EMPIST®",
"image" : [ "https://hs.empist.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/BackupButcher_10_3-1.jpg" ],
"mainEntityOfPage" : {
"@id" : "https://hs.empist.com/blog/spooky-cyber-stories-the-backup-butcher",
"@type" : "WebPage"
},
"publisher" : {
"@type" : "Organization",
"logo" : {
"@type" : "ImageObject",
"url" : "https://hs.empist.com/hubfs/Empist_logo_dark-1.png"
},
"name" : "EMPIST"
}
}
```