Retention literally means "to hold on to". With data and backups, retention is a very important factor. It is not only about retaining your data, but also about how much your data changes. If you have a backup every month and keep it for a year, this means that the retention goes back a maximum of a year and can result in a month's loss of data. It seemed like a good plan, but in practice it is not enough. Different backup strategies can make your data retention perform a lot better. In the Netherlands, SMEs are required to retain data that is directly linked to the added value of their products or services for at least 7 years. A backup of no more than 7 years is a big disappointment.