One example method includes gathering respective performance data concerning each asset in a group of assets, clustering the performance data so as to define a first cluster and a second cluster, and data assets in the first cluster are assigned a HIGH RISK label and data assets in the second cluster are assigned a LOW RISK label, assigning a respective risk score to each of the assets, and the risk score includes a quantified risk level for the asset to which the risk score has been assigned, ranking the assets with the HIGH RISK label according to their respective risk scores, and backing up a ranked asset based on an IO volume associated with that ranked asset.