Immutable Backups vs Cloud Backups vs Backup Appliances: The Best Ransomware Protection Strategy

What Are Immutable Backups?

Immutable backups are copies of backups that cannot be changed, removed, or encrypted over a certain duration of time. Once data has been written, it will remain unchanged until the retention period expires. This safeguard is based on WORM (Write Once Read Many). Attackers will be unable to edit or destroy the backup even with access to the administration.

How can Ransomware be prevented with Immutable Backups?

Mutable Backups prevent ransomware because backup data cannot be deleted, modified, or overwritten. That means that ransomware cannot be used to compromise the system since backup data cannot be changed, destroyed, or overwritten. Once the ransomware invades a system, it usually encrypts files and tries to delete the backup as well, and leaves the victim with no possible way to recover.

Ransomware usually tries to:

• Encrypt production data
• Delete backups
• Disable recovery

These actions are prevented by the immutable storage since the backup is impossible to modify or delete.

What Is Cloud Backup?

In cloud backup, a remote cloud environment stores copies of your data in the cloud rather than on local storage. The typical suppliers are AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. The system has automatic backup services to remote data centers.

How can Ransomware be prevented with Cloud Backup?

Cloud backup can prevent ransomware since the data is kept in another environment in the cloud, which is safe. In most cases, a ransomware attack encrypts the local system and storage that is connected to the system. However, cloud backup ensures that the data remains secure in a different place other than the production system.

Advantages:

• External disaster mitigation.
• Scalable storage
• Built-in, automatic schedule for the backup.
• Lower hardware maintenance

What are Backup Appliances?

Backup appliances are special hardware systems that are made to store data and recover it.

They usually include:

• Backup software
• Storage disks
• Deduplication
• Compression
• Recovery tools

Appliances with Dell, HPE, and Cohesity are examples.

Ransomware: How Backup Appliances Prevent It?

Backup appliances can prevent the effects of a ransomware attack since they can be considered as a specialized backup system where copies of data are stored and not included in the production environment. Once a ransomware attack is implemented, the attackers normally seek to encrypt the main servers and any other storage that is connected to the servers. But information that is stored in backup appliances can be safe since it is in a different system.

Advantages

• Fast local backups
• Quick data recovery
• High storage performance
• Built-in management tools

Immutable backups provide the strongest ransomware defense because attackers cannot change the stored data.

Best Backup Ransomware Strategy.

You need more than one backup to defend against a ransomware attack. Better security would be achieved by implementing several backup systems in order to ensure that the information is also retrieved in the event that one of the systems becomes compromised. This method is referred to as a ransomware backup strategy.

Follow the 3-2-1 Backup Rule

• The 3-2-1 backup strategy is the most widespread way of securing against ransomware.
• 3 copies of data – 1 primary data and 2 backup copies.
• 2 distinct classes of storage – e.g., local storage and cloud storage.
• 1 offsite copy – not part of the master system.
• This strategy is conceived to offer at least one safe backup following an attack by ransomware.

Use Immutable Backups

Backups that are not subject to alteration are very effective in safeguarding against ransomware. A backup is immutable and therefore cannot be deleted, modified, or overwritten. This will ensure that an attacker cannot destroy the backup data, and the organization can recover clean data.

Maintain Cloud Backups

Cloud backup gives a copy of the data at an off-site location. In case local storage or servers are decrypted by ransomware, the information can be restored using cloud backups. It can also be backed up off-site in case of disasters and massive attacks.

Fast Recovery using Backup Appliance.

Backup appliances are dedicated systems that store backups locally. They can be used in quick recovery and fast backup, particularly in cases where an organization requires quick recovery.

Periodical Backup Recovery.

It is also important that there is recovery testing following a backup. Periodic testing also verifies that the backup files do not fail and that data can be restored after a ransomware attack.

Secure Backup Access

There should be powerful access controls to the backup systems. Multi-factor authentication, limited access by administrators, and monitoring are among the many methods that can be used to foil unauthorized access and compromise of backups.