The need for data backup has been around since the days of floppy disks. Data loss can occur due to viruses, hard drive crashes, and other unfortunate incidents, and most people using technology have experienced it at least once.
In the US alone, there are approximately 140,000 hard drive crashes each week, and every five years, 20% of SMBs experience data loss due to major disasters. This has fueled the growth of a thriving cloud backup market.
However, one significant change in data backup in recent years is the increased emphasis on security. Simply backing up data to avoid loss is no longer enough. Data backup has evolved into data protection, encompassing robust security measures to safeguard against cyber threats and other risks.
What does this mean?
Companies must prioritise data protection when devising their backup and recovery strategies. The tools and services used for backup must be equipped to mitigate the growing array of threats in the digital landscape. This includes implementing robust security measures to safeguard against potential cyber attacks and other security breaches.
Data Centre Outage
The term “cloud” essentially refers to data stored on servers that are accessible through the internet. However, these servers can experience crashes, and data centers that house these servers can also encounter outages.
Sleeper Ransomware
This type of ransomware is designed to stay dormant after infecting a device, silently spreading to all backups. When activated, it leaves victims without a clean backup to restore from, exacerbating the impact of the attack.
Supply Chain Attacks
Supply chain attacks have been on the rise, targeting cloud vendors used by companies. When these vendors suffer a cyberattack, it can spread across their client base, amplifying the scope of the breach.
Misconfiguration
Misconfiguration of security settings can pose a significant problem, as it can enable attackers to gain unauthorized access to cloud storage. This can allow them to download and delete files at will, leading to potential data breaches and loss.
What to Look for in a Data Protection Backup System
Merely backing up data is not sufficient; it is crucial to ensure that the backup solution you choose provides robust data protection. Here are some key factors to consider when evaluating a backup solution.
Ransomware Prevention
Ransomware can spread across a network and infect data on various devices, including computers, servers, mobile devices, and cloud platforms synced with those devices. Shockingly, 95% of ransomware attacks also target data backup systems. Therefore, it is imperative to select a backup solution that offers ransomware protection, which includes features like restricting automated file changes that can occur to documents.
Continuous Data Protection
Continuous data protection is a crucial feature that ensures files are backed up in real time as users make changes, in contrast to scheduled backups (e.g., once per day). This helps capture the latest file changes, minimising the risk of data loss in case of system crashes before the next backup. Given the rapid pace of data generation today, losing even a day’s worth of data can result in significant costs. Hence, look for a backup solution that provides continuous data protection.
Threat Identification
An effective data protection solution should also proactively detect and prevent malware. Look for backup services that offer threat identification features, which scan for malware in both new and existing backups. This helps prevent sleeper ransomware and other malware from infecting all backups, safeguarding your data from potential breaches.
Zero-Trust Tactics
Cybersecurity professionals worldwide advocate for zero-trust security measures, including multi-factor authentication and application safelisting. A zero-trust approach posits that all users and applications need continuous authentication, regardless of their current logged-in status.
Look for backup solutions that offer zero-trust features such as multi-factor authentication, distinct file and folder permissions, contextual authentication, and verification of permissions for file changes. These measures enhance the overall security of your backup solution.
Backup Redundancy
Backing up data to a single USB drive or CD leaves you with only one copy of the files, which can result in data loss if that copy is compromised.
Reliable cloud backup providers should have backup redundancy in place, meaning that your data is mirrored to another server. This helps safeguard against data loss due to server crashes, natural disasters, or cyberattacks. When evaluating a backup solution, ensure that it provides backup redundancy for added data protection.
Air Gapping for More Sensitive Data
Air gapping is a security measure that involves keeping a copy of your data offline or separated from external sources. This entails creating a second backup copy of your data and storing it on a separate server that is disconnected from the internet.
This feature can be valuable for highly sensitive data, as it ensures you have at least one additional copy of your backup that is walled off from common internet-based attacks. Consider a backup solution that offers air gapping for enhanced security of sensitive data.
Need Help With Secure Backup & Data Protection Solutions?
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