Backup for Somtoday
Somtoday does not automatically create a backup of your student administration data. Here is what is genuinely at stake — and how to protect it in under an hour.
((GDPR (education) — student record retention))
What is actually stored in Somtoday?
Somtoday is the daily operational backbone for many secondary and vocational schools. What most users don't realise: all that data is not automatically protected against loss.
Typical data that lives in Somtoday and can be lost:
- student registrations — student personal data and educational history
- grades — grades per subject, period and assessment type
- attendance records — attendance, lateness and absence codes
- course enrolments — course and module enrolments per academic year
All of this data falls under GDPR (education) — student record retention, which means you must be able to reproduce it for 5 years.
Does Somtoday automatically create a backup?
Somtoday is cloud-based, so your data is safe — right? This is the most common misconception among secondary and vocational schools.
Topicus guarantees that the platform runs, not that your data can be recovered after ransomware or errors.
Ransomware
Encrypts everything — including data synchronised via Somtoday. Without an offline backup you have no clean recovery point.
Human error
A deleted record, an overwritten import or a mistaken bulk action — Somtoday offers limited or no undo functionality after more than limited.
End-of-year migration error
Year-end data migrations between school years can cause records to be overwritten or orphaned if not performed with a verified backup in place.
How Mindtime protects Somtoday data
Mindtime connects directly to Somtoday via a local agent combined with the Somtoday REST API and creates continuous incremental backups.
| Scenario | Somtoday alone | With Mindtime backup |
|---|---|---|
| Ransomware encrypts your data | x | ✓ |
| Employee deletes records | x | ✓ |
| Integration overwrites data | x | ✓ |
| Prove GDPR retention obligation | x | ✓ |
| Data on Dutch servers | Topicus cloud (Netherlands) | 100% Netherlands |
What if something goes wrong?
Imagine: it's Monday morning. Somtoday is no longer showing data — ransomware encrypted school servers including Somtoday exports and student files during the summer exam period. What now?
Alert received
Mindtime automatically detects that something is wrong and sends an alert.
Choose a recovery point
Choose the moment before the attack. Every increment is saved.
Local recovery started
Recovery starts directly from the local copy. No waiting for a cloud download.
Operational
Your Somtoday environment is running again. All student administration data is intact.
Somtoday and your retention obligation
Data you manage in Somtoday typically falls under GDPR (education) — student record retention. That means you are legally required to retain those records for 5 years.
Mindtime stores all Somtoday data exclusively on Dutch servers, fully within GDPR jurisdiction.
Mindtime is ISO 27001 certified and ISO 27001 where applicable.
Secure your Somtoday data in five steps
Setup takes less than an hour. After that, the backup runs fully automatically.
Request a demo
We show you how Mindtime works for Somtoday.
Install the Mindtime agent
The agent is installed on your server or workstation.
Configure the backup schedule
Set which data, how frequently and how long it is retained.
First backup + test recovery
We run a test recovery so you know it works.
Runs automatically
Mindtime runs fully automatically. We schedule a brief quarterly review.
Why secondary and vocational schools choose Mindtime
100% on Dutch soil
Your data never leaves the Netherlands. Two redundant data centres within GDPR jurisdiction.
ISO 27001 + ISO 27001
Independently certified. Annual external audit on processes and security.
Hybrid backup: fast recovery
Local copy for fast recovery and cloud copy for disaster scenarios.
No vendor lock-in
Your data is always yours, in standard formats. You can switch or export at any time.
What is actually stored in Somtoday?
Somtoday is the daily operational backbone for many secondary and vocational schools. What most users don't realise: all that data is not automatically protected against loss. Typical data that lives in Somtoday: student registrations, grades, attendance records and course enrolments. All of this falls under GDPR (education) — student record retention, meaning you must be able to reproduce it for 5 years — even after ransomware, a fire or human error.
Does Somtoday automatically create a backup?
Somtoday is cloud-based, so your data is safe — right? This is the most common misconception among secondary and vocational schools. Somtoday offers high availability — meaning the software is almost always online. But availability is not the same as a backup. Topicus guarantees that the platform runs, not that your data can be recovered after a ransomware attack, a deleted account or an integration error.
Ransomware
Encrypts everything — including data in Somtoday. Without an offline backup you have no clean recovery point.
Human error
A deleted record or bulk import error — Somtoday offers limited undo after limited.
End-of-year migration error
Year-end data migrations between school years can cause records to be overwritten or orphaned if not performed with a verified backup in place.
How Mindtime protects Somtoday data
Mindtime connects directly to Somtoday via a local agent combined with the Somtoday REST API and creates continuous incremental backups — in the background, with no action required on your part. Your data is stored on 100% Dutch servers, fully GDPR-compliant.
| Ransomware encrypts your data | ✗ No recovery | ✓ Restore from pre-attack snapshot |
| Employee deletes records | ✗ Limited undo window | ✓ Record-level recovery |
| Integration overwrites data | ✗ Cannot be undone | ✓ Restore from any point in time |
| GDPR retention obligation | ✗ No audit trail backup | ✓ Point-in-time restore + report |
| Data on Dutch servers | ✗ Topicus cloud (Netherlands) | ✓ 100% Netherlands |
What if something goes wrong?
Imagine: it's Monday morning. An employee notices that Somtoday is no longer showing data — ransomware encrypted school servers including Somtoday exports and student files during the summer exam period. What now? With Mindtime you are back up and running within 2–4 hours.
Alert received — within minutes
Mindtime automatically detects the problem and sends an alert.
Choose a recovery point — to the minute
Select the moment before the attack in the Mindtime dashboard.
Local recovery started — quickly available
Recovery begins immediately from the local copy — no waiting for a cloud download.
Operational — within 2–4 hours
Your Somtoday environment is running again. All student administration data intact. No ransom paid.
Retention obligation for Somtoday
Data in Somtoday typically falls under GDPR (education) — student record retention. That means you are legally required to retain records for 5 years and to be able to reproduce them during an audit or legal request. Mindtime configures the correct retention period automatically and stores all data on exclusively Dutch servers — fully within GDPR jurisdiction. Mindtime is ISO 27001 certified — independently verified, not self-declared.
Secure your Somtoday data in five steps
Setting up backup for Somtoday takes less than an hour. After that, the backup runs fully automatically in the background — no manual actions, no maintenance burden.
Request a free demo
We show you how Mindtime works for Somtoday — including the integration for your specific environment.
Install the Mindtime agent
The agent is installed on the server or workstation where Somtoday is running. Average: 20 minutes.
Configure the backup schedule
Set which data, how frequently and how long — aligned to your 5 years retention obligation.
First backup + test recovery
The first full backup starts immediately. We run a test recovery together so you know it works before you ever need it.
Runs automatically — quarterly review
Mindtime runs fully automatically. Monthly backup reports and a brief quarterly review to keep scope up to date.
Why secondary and vocational schools choose Mindtime
Here is why secondary and vocational schools choose Mindtime for backup of Somtoday — and why we are different from generic cloud backup solutions.
- ISO 27001
- NEN 7510
- GDPR-compliant
- Dutch servers
🇳🇱 100% Dutch servers
Your data never leaves the Netherlands. Two redundant data centres — fully GDPR-compliant. No US law exposure.
ISO 27001 + ISO 27001
Independently certified. Annual external audit on processes, systems and security.
⚡ Hybrid backup: fast recovery
Local copy for fast recovery (hours, not days). Cloud copy for disaster scenarios.
No vendor lock-in
Your data is always yours, in standard formats. Switch or export at any time.
Frequently asked questions about backup for Somtoday
Have a different question? Ask us directly.
Does Somtoday automatically create a backup?
Somtoday offers high availability, but that is not the same as a backup. Somtoday provides availability on the Topicus platform but does not include an independent customer backup. Mindtime adds an independent, immutable copy.
How long does setup take?
Installation and configuration takes under an hour on average. After the first full backup, all incrementals run automatically.
What does backup for Somtoday cost?
The price depends on data volume and retention window. We provide a tailored quote after a short intake.
What happens when I want to recover data?
Choose the recovery point in the Mindtime dashboard — to the minute. Recover a file, folder or the complete environment. Average: 2–4 hours.
Is Mindtime compliant with GDPR (education) — student record retention?
Yes. ISO 27001 certified, exclusively Dutch data centres, retention configured for 5 years under GDPR (education) — student record retention.
Does Mindtime also work with Magister and ParnasSys?
Yes. Mindtime works across your complete IT environment — not just Somtoday. See also: backup for Magister and backup for ParnasSys.
Protect your Somtoday data today
ISO 27001 certified · 100% Dutch servers · Operational within one hour · No vendor lock-in
Free and no obligation. Average setup time: < 1 hour.