Making Backups Failproof to Mitigate Ransomware Attacks

In light of the growing threat of ransomware, many companies are re-evaluating their backup processes and acknowledging the need for more robust solutions. The problem is that ensuring failproof backups is easier said than done.

Having an effective backup strategy means that a company's data can be restored quickly and securely. This requires a multi-pronged approach that involves regular testing and validation of backups and implementing multiple layers of data protection from the cloud to on-premise solutions.

A backup strategy is essential for any organization that wants to have a fighting chance against ransomware. But backups can be vulnerable to attack, too—and it’s essential to understand what your backup procedures are missing.

Before you start designing your backup strategy, consider your recovery objectives and priorities. In other words, answer the following questions:

What do I want to protect?

What’s the maximum data loss I can tolerate?

How long can my systems be offline?

Who needs access to the data?

How often should I test my backups?

An ideal backup solution needs to have several key features:

Ransomware protection – To prevent malicious encryption from spreading to your backups, your backup software should be able to detect and block ransomware attacks before they can target your business-critical data.

The ability to restore quickly – If you are hit with a ransomware attack, it’s very important that you are able to recover quickly so that you can return to business as usual as soon as possible. To do this, look for a solution that can take snapshots of your system and files at regular intervals.

The ability to recover effectively – It’s not just important that you are able to restore quickly; it’s also important that you are able to recover all the right data in order for your business operations to continue without interruption.

The following are the most important considerations for building a failproof backup strategy to mitigate ransomware attacks.

1. Backup Audit and Assessment

First, assess your backup needs by determining your business continuity objectives and how they fit your backup strategy. The most important aspect of backup is the ability to recover data in the case of an attack.

Therefore, you must consider implementing a backup strategy that enables you to achieve just that. A full audit can help you determine what information you need to protect, who needs access to it and how quickly, and what will happen if that data becomes inaccessible.

2. Centralized Backup Strategy

In an age when many companies are adopting hybrid cloud infrastructures, centralized cloud backups make it easy for businesses to back up their on-premises workloads as well as their off-premises workloads.

Cloud service providers can automatically provision and launch new virtual machines in the event of an attack or outage. Having a centralized system can help you to maintain complete control of your backup infrastructure.

If all your data is backed up in one place, it's easier and faster to recover the entire system when the time comes. You still need to ensure that you have good security protocols and keep employees well informed on common ransomware signals; this generally helps you manage your backups more effectively and efficiently.

3. Consider Scalability and Flexibility 

The right backup solution should be able to scale up or down with the ever-changing needs of your business. Given the unpredictability of the current COVID situation, this is more important than ever.

In other words, it adapts to changing needs without disrupting business continuity. As demands increase it will be important for your backup solution to scale with those changes to meet the demand for recovery capacity, too.

4. Use Automation Whenever Possible

Automation doesn't only save money; it also makes things more efficient and secure by reducing human error and speeding up time-consuming tasks such as encryption, decryption, or data processing.

If your team is already understaffed or inexperienced with security measures, automation becomes even more critical. However, a skilled IT staff remains paramount.

5. Regular Reporting

Some of the things that businesses can monitor using reporting include storage requirements, download frequency, and file access by date.

A good backup solution should provide real-time reports on your operations so you can make informed decisions about storage usage and file access in the future.

6. Immutable Backups

Immutable backups cannot be modified or deleted for any reason. The goal here is to take human error out of the equation by removing the ability for someone to accidentally delete a backup or overwrite it with an infected version of something important.

Conclusion

An effective backup strategy isn't just about making sure your files are there when you need them; it's also about minimizing the time between data loss and recovery and minimizing the impact on your business.

In all these, keep in mind, though, that the last line of defense against ransomware attacks is the human element. Make sure that all employees are aware of the risks and how to spot them.