# Macrium Software Named "The One to Watch Company" at Computer Networking Awards 2025

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_Manchester-based backup and recovery specialist takes top recognition at industry awards ceremony_

MANCHESTER, UK – May 23, 2025 – [Macrium Software](www.macrium.com) has been awarded "The One to Watch Company" at the [Computer Networking Awards 2025](https://networkcomputingawards.co.uk/), held last night at the Hilton Tower Bridge in London. The company also earned runner-up positions in two additional categories: "Air-Gapped Ransomware Recovery Product of the Year" and "Software Product of the Year" for its flagship [Reflect X](/products/business/standalone/workstation) solution.

The recognition comes from Network Computing's annual awards programme, which celebrates excellence and innovation across the networking and IT infrastructure sector.

"This recognition from Network Computing means a lot to our team because it acknowledges the hard work we've put into building solutions that actually solve real problems for our customers," said Dave Joyce, CEO of Macrium Software. "At Macrium everything we do is shaped by listening to our customers and meeting their unique challenges. Our customers already have complex operations, so our software should be the thing they don't have to worry about."

Macrium Software also congratulates RedKey USB, who were runners-up in "The One to Watch Company" category, along with all other winners and nominees recognised at the ceremony.

Macrium would also like to thank everyone who took the time to vote and show their support throughout the awards process - it means a great deal to the team.

The award recognises Macrium's recent strides in innovation and customer partnerships such as making headlines with transformative results for clients like [Sysmex America](/sysmex), where remote recovery capabilities reduced labour costs by 75%, and [Husco International](/husco), where recovery times were cut by 83% - keeping critical manufacturing lines operational when every minute counts. These success stories highlight how Macrium's reliable backup and recovery capabilities continue to deliver results for organisations across sectors where downtime simply isn't an option.

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## About Macrium Software

Macrium Software provides comprehensive backup, recovery, and deployment solutions designed to minimise downtime and achieve business resilience. Trusted by organisations across diverse sectors - from OEMs and mission-critical manufacturing to education and healthcare - Macrium delivers reliable technology that keeps businesses running when it matters most.

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## About Computer Networking 

The Computer Networking Awards are organised by [Network Computing](https://www.networkcomputing.co.uk/), a leading publication and media platform focusing on networking, IT infrastructure, cloud computing, and related technologies. Network Computing has been a respected source of insights, analysis, and practical advice for IT professionals, system administrators, network engineers, and decision-makers responsible for managing enterprise networks.
The annual awards ceremony brings together industry leaders to recognise outstanding achievements in networking technology, innovation, and business excellence.

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For more information about Macrium Software and its award-winning solutions, speak to our experts [today](/contact).

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Macrium Software wins "The One to Watch Company" at Computer Networking Awards 2025 in London, with Reflect X also earning runner-up positions for "Air-Gapped Ransomware Recovery Product of the Year" and "Software Product of the Year.

Macrium Software Wins "One to Watch Company" at Computer Networking Awards 2025

Macrium Software Named "The One to Watch Company" at Computer Networking Awards 2025

# What Every Business Should Learn from the M&S Cyber Attack Before It's Too Late

The recent cyber attacks on M&S, Co-op, and Harrods should be setting off alarm bells in boardrooms across the country. Not the gentle, polite "reminder to update your password" kind of bells – but the urgent kind that demand a proper cup of tea and your full attention. 

For many IT professionals watching these household names struggle to regain control of their systems, there's a certain detachment – a "that's unfortunate, but it won't happen to us" mentality that feels increasingly optimistic, although it’s still less than a year since Crowdstrike reminded us of the perils of complacency. 

M&S is losing millions daily as their operations remain crippled, with one retail expert approximating a [loss of as much as £3.2m a day](https://news.stv.tv/world/ms-losing-millions-of-pounds-a-day-after-aftermath-of-cyber-attack-continues). The Co-op has confirmed hackers [accessed millions of customers' personal details](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crkx3vy54nzo).   

And meanwhile, CIOs everywhere are quietly hoping their cyber-resilience plans are more comprehensive and robust than they might actually be. 

## From Theory to Terrifying Reality 

What makes these attacks particularly uncomfortable to watch is how quickly they transform from hypothetical risk discussions, in many cases dismissed as being ‘impossible’, into all-hands-on-deck realities. We’ve seen time and again how IT has focused each time on prevention in their cyber-security measures, rather than cure via robust cyber-resilience plans.  

Cabinet Minister Pat McFadden was rather direct at the [recent CyberUK conference](https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/news/cyber-attack-on-m-s-should-be-wake-up-call-minister-warns/ar-AA1EhEeS?ocid=BingNewsSerp): "Cyber-attacks are not a game. Not a clever exercise. They are serious organised crime.” 

“What we have seen over the past couple of weeks should serve as a wake-up call for businesses and organisations up and down the UK, as if we needed one, that cyber-resilience is not a luxury but an absolute necessity.” – and for companies still postponing proper data recovery investment, that call is getting increasingly difficult to hit snooze on. 

 ## Your Recovery Plan Meets Reality 

Here's where we separate disaster recovery theory from practice: your ability to bounce back isn't about how sophisticated your prevention measures were. It's about how quickly and completely you can recover your systems and data. 

Would your organisation be able to restore critical systems within hours? Or would you be looking at days – possibly weeks – of digital paralysis while watching your competitors continue to serve customers? 

Every organisation must have backup systems - period. The real questions are: 

1. Are your backups themselves protected from the same threats targeting your primary systems? 
2. Are you air-gapping critical infrastructure (air gapping involves physically disconnecting a network or computer from external connections) to make it physically inaccessible to malevolent actors? 
3. Can you actually restore from backup media quickly when things go wrong? When under attack, will you be physically capable of accessing huge cloud backups to restore them? Or should you store them on local, more accessible locations (encrypted, of course)? 
4. Have you properly tested your full recovery process under realistic conditions? 

Unfortunately, many organisations, like M&S and Crowdstrike customers, discover the answers to these questions only when disaster has already struck. 

## The Real Cost of "Good Enough" Recovery Plans 

Let's acknowledge a common business reality: disaster recovery budgets, and cyber-resilience in particular, often get trimmed because they're seen as insurance for events that "probably won't happen." The errant belief that a “bullet-proof” cyber-security strategy is the best approach has been laid bare all too often in the last couple of years. Those budget decisions look rather different now, as we watch the M&S scenario unfold with its seven-figure daily losses. 

This "Titanic" mindset leads to predictable vulnerabilities: 

- Backups that aren't tested regularly
- Recovery processes that exist in theory but not in practice
- Protection systems vulnerable to the same attacks they're meant to safeguard against
- Training that's treated as a one-time exercise rather than an ongoing commitment

The business impact extends far beyond immediate financial losses. There's the reputational damage, the lost customer trust, and the competitive disadvantage while you're struggling to get back on your feet. Those customers you disappoint today might be shopping with your competitors tomorrow. 

And this isn’t the first time we've seen this happen. The 160-year-old haulage firm Knights of Old collapsed in 2023 [after hackers corrupted critical data](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpvren4je77o), despite having what they believed were strong protections. "We felt we were in a very good place in terms of our security," admitted former director Paul Abbott. In the end, the 730-employee company was forced into administration. While companies like M&S have greater resources to recover, smaller businesses face existential threats. This reality highlights why every organisation needs not just prevention, but a reliable backup and recovery strategy as their final line of defence. 

 ## Building Cyber Resilience 

If there's a silver lining to watching these cyber-attacks unfold, it's that they provide a chance to honestly assess your organisation's recovery readiness before you're the one making headlines. 

The path forward isn't just about buying better technology; it's about fundamentally changing how your business thinks about recovery: 

1.   Treat backup and recovery as business continuity, not IT maintenance: This isn't about compliance; it's about operational resilience.
2.   Test your recovery processes regularly: Don't just verify backups exist – simulate full recovery scenarios that mirror real-world conditions.
3.   Protect your safety net: Ensure your backup systems are themselves hardened against the very attacks they're designed to recover from.
4.   Plan for the worst: Have clear, practiced procedures for situations where primary systems are completely compromised.

At Macrium, we've heard first-hand from our business customers the difference between organisations that weather cyber-attacks and those that suffer catastrophic damage. That difference isn't luck – it's preparation. The right backup and recovery infrastructure doesn't just store your data; it gives you a clear path back to operational normality when everything goes wrong. 

## It's Not If, It's When 

As we watch these high-profile attacks unfold, every IT leader should be asking not "Could this happen to us?" but "When this happens to us, how quickly can we recover?" 

Because while cyber-attacks may be inevitable, extended downtime and data loss don't have to be. The right recovery solution transforms a potential business-ending disaster into a manageable disruption – costly and challenging, certainly, but survivable. 

And in a world where digital resilience is increasingly becoming a competitive advantage, "survivable" might just be the most important word in your business vocabulary. 

_Want to strengthen your business resilience against cyber threats? Our team of specialists can help you assess and improve your disaster recovery capabilities. [Speak to our team](/contact) about creating a recovery strategy that works when you need it most. _

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The recent cyber attacks on M&S, Co-op, and Harrods should be setting off alarm bells in boardrooms across the country. The urgent kind that demand a proper cup of tea and your full attention. 

What Every Business Should Learn from the M&S Cyber Attack Before It's Too Late

# How to Clone a Disk with Macrium Reflect X: Your Complete Guide

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When your hard drive starts making unusual noises or you're finally ready to upgrade to that SSD you've been considering, disk cloning becomes an essential skill. While you're here though, remember that regular backups are your best defense against unexpected data loss - but more on that later. 

The good news? With [Macrium Reflect X](/products/home), the process is more straightforward than you might expect.

Disk cloning creates an exact 1:1 copy of partitions from one disk to another. It's particularly valuable when you need to move your operating system to new hardware without reinstalling everything from scratch - a scenario that saves both time and potential headaches.

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## Common Use Cases for Disk Cloning

The most frequent reason people clone disks is upgrading to larger or faster storage. Whether you're moving from a traditional hard drive to an SSD or simply need more space, cloning preserves your entire system setup while making the transition seamless.
Identifying Your Source Disk

Before beginning the cloning process, you'll need to identify which disk contains the data you want to copy. For operating system moves, look for the disk containing system partitions—these are marked with Windows icons in Macrium Reflect X, making identification straightforward.

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## The Cloning Process

### Step 1: Selecting Your Destination

To start cloning, select 'Clone' under the source disk. The wizard will guide you through choosing your destination disk. This is where careful attention becomes important.

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## Understanding the Process

Cloning is what we call a destructive process - existing partitions on the destination disk will be overwritten when source partitions are copied. We strongly recommend verifying that you've selected the correct destination disk, as errors can result in unintended data loss.

If you're uncertain about data on the destination disk that might be needed later, consider creating a disk image first. This precautionary step can save considerable trouble if you need to recover anything afterward.

### Step 2: Copying Partitions

Once you've selected your destination, you have several options for copying partitions:

Automatic Copying: The 'Copy Partitions' button handles everything automatically, copying all partitions while intelligently adjusting sizes. It will shrink partitions to fit smaller disks or expand them to utilize all available space on larger ones.

Manual Control: For more precise control, use 'Delete Partition' or 'Erase Disk' to prepare the destination, then drag and drop partitions individually. 

This approach allows you to reorder partitions during the copy process.

The 'Fill Space' and 'Float' buttons help adjust partition sizes and locations as needed. Don't worry about making mistakes during setup—the 'Undo' button lets you reverse any changes, and nothing is final until the clone actually begins.

### Step 3: Scheduling Options

The next screen offers scheduling options for future automatic clones. This feature is useful if you want to maintain an up-to-date duplicate of your source disk - essentially keeping a ready-to-use backup drive.

For most upgrade scenarios, scheduling isn't necessary since this is typically a one-time operation.

### Step 4: Final Review

The summary page displays all clone operation details. This is your opportunity to verify everything is configured correctly. Taking a moment to review these settings can prevent issues later.

Click 'Finish' to begin the clone. If the operation will remove existing partitions from the destination disk, you'll receive a confirmation prompt to ensure you want to proceed.

Monitoring Progress: The progress window displays the clone status as it proceeds. The time required depends on the amount of data being copied and the speed of your storage devices.

Completion: Once cloning finishes, you can return to the 'Create Backups' tab to see both disks now contain identical data. If you cloned to a larger disk, you'll notice the partitions have expanded to utilize the additional space available.

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## Think Beyond Cloning

While disk cloning is excellent for upgrades and system migrations, it serves a different purpose than regular backups. Cloning is ideal for moving your entire system from one drive to another, while backups provide ongoing protection against data loss from various causes.

For comprehensive data protection, we recommend establishing [regular backup schedules](/what-is-321-backup-strategy) alongside using cloning for specific upgrade or migration needs. This combination ensures you're prepared for both planned transitions and unexpected situations - because while cloning handles the big moves, backups keep your data safe from life's daily digital surprises.

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## Need Assistance?

Questions about cloning or curious about backup strategies? Our team is here to help with both the technical bits and the bigger picture. [Contact our support team](/contact).



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Learn how to clone your disk with Macrium Reflect X. Step-by-step guide for moving your OS to new drives safely - plus why backups matter too.

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Macrium Software Named "The One to Watch Company" at Computer Networking Awards 2025

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