Systems and methods to backup unprotected virtual machines

A system to protect unprotected virtual machines in an information management cell, the system comprising:

• computer hardware including one or more computer processors;
• and
• computer-readable storage comprising computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computer hardware to perform operations defined by the computer-readable instructions, the computer-readable instructions configured to:
• automatically identify a virtual machine not associated with a backup policy in an information management cell;
• for one or more categories where each category is associated with criteria and a backup policy, automatically determine whether backup characteristics of each virtual machine not associated with a backup policy meet the criteria associated with any category;
• for each virtual machine, automatically identify the virtual machine as unprotected when its backup characteristics do not meet the criteria associated with any category;
• retrieve a default backup policy;
• automatically associate the default backup policy to the unprotected virtual machines;
• and
• automatically back up according to the default backup policy the virtual machines associated with the default backup policy.