What is a backup?

A backup is defined as a copy of information stored on separate media from the original. The primary purpose of backing up data is to ensure that information is preserved in case of data loss, corruption, hardware failure, or other disasters that may affect the original data. By maintaining copies of critical data on separate storage devices or locations, organizations can restore their information to a previous state when needed, thus minimizing the impact of potential incidents.

In information security, backups are a crucial part of an organization's data protection strategy. They serve not only to recover data in the event of accidental deletion or hardware issues but also to safeguard against threats such as ransomware. Having backups allows for data recovery without paying ransoms or risking permanent data loss.

While other options mention relevant aspects of information technology and security, they do not capture the essence of what a backup is designed to do. Performance improvement and malware protection measures are unrelated to the definition of a backup. Similarly, a report on system vulnerabilities pertains to assessing security risks rather than ensuring data preservation. Therefore, the correct understanding of a backup emphasizes its function as a crucial safety net for data integrity and recovery.