Data backup has been a critical need since the era of floppy disks, owing to data loss caused by viruses, hard drive crashes, and other mishaps. It is a common experience for most technology users to have encountered data loss at some point.
In the US alone, there are approximately 140,000 hard drive crashes weekly, and every five years, 20% of SMBs suffer data loss from a significant disaster. This has led to the growth of a robust cloud backup market that is continuously growing.
However, in recent years, data backup has evolved to become data protection, with security taking centre stage. Merely backing up data to avoid loss is no longer sufficient.
What does this imply?
It implies that backups require additional cybersecurity protection, as they are susceptible to sleeper ransomware and supply chain attacks. Cloud-based backup is a convenient, efficient, and accessible option. Still, users must consider security concerns when employing an online service.
Companies must factor in data protection when developing a backup and recovery strategy. The tools utilized must safeguard against the ever-increasing range of cyber threats.
Data backup faces several contemporary threats, including:
Data Center Outage: The term “cloud” refers to data stored on a server accessible via the Internet. However, these servers can crash, and data centres housing them can experience outages.
Sleeper Ransomware: This ransomware infects a device and remains dormant, intending to infect all backups. The victim cannot restore their system with a clean backup when activated.
Supply Chain Attacks: Supply chain attacks have increased, with cloud vendors being targeted. The attack can spread to their clients when such vendors suffer a cyberattack.
Misconfiguration: Misconfiguration of security settings can pose a risk, allowing attackers to access cloud storage and manipulate files by downloading or deleting them at will.
To ensure robust data protection, remaining aware of these risks and implementing mitigation measures is crucial.
What to Look for in a Data Protection Backup System
Simply backing up data is no longer sufficient. It is crucial to ensure that the application used for backup provides adequate data protection. Here are vital factors to consider when evaluating a backup solution.
Ransomware Prevention
Ransomware is dangerous malware that can spread throughout a network and infect all existing data on computers, servers, mobile devices, and even cloud platforms that sync with these devices. Shockingly, 95% of ransomware attacks also target data backup systems. Ensuring that any data backup solution employed has protection against ransomware is critical. This feature must prevent automated file changes that could compromise essential documents.
Continuous Data Protection
Continuous data protection is a critical feature that backs up files as users make changes, unlike systems that only back up on a schedule, such as once per day. By capturing the latest file changes, continuous data protection reduces the risk of data loss if a system crashes before the next backup. In today’s fast-paced data generation environment, losing a day’s worth of data can be incredibly expensive. Thus, continuous data protection is crucial to ensure that data is not lost due to unforeseen system failures.
Threat Identification
Data protection encompasses proactive measures designed to safeguard files. When evaluating a backup service, looking for threat identification features is essential. Threat identification is a malware and virus prevention tool that detects threats in new and existing backups. By detecting and preventing sleeper ransomware and other malware from infecting all backups, threat identification is a valuable addition to any backup solution. This feature ensures that data is adequately protected against modern cybersecurity threats.
Zero-Trust Tactics
Zero-trust security measures, such as multi-factor authentication and application safe listing, are being promoted by cybersecurity experts worldwide. The zero-trust approach posits that continuous authentication is necessary for all users and applications. Being logged into the system today does not make a user completely trustworthy. When evaluating zero-trust features, it is essential to consider the following: Multi-factor authentication Distinct file and folder permissions Contextual authentication Verification of permissions for file changes These features can enhance data protection by ensuring that users and applications are constantly authenticated and that file and folder permissions are secure.
Backup Redundancy
Backing up files to a USB drive or CD provides only one copy of the data. If this copy is lost, the result can be data loss. Cloud backup providers should implement backup redundancy to avoid this risk. Backup redundancy means that the server holding the data creates a mirror copy of the data on another server. This approach helps prevent data loss in a server crash, natural disaster, or cyberattack. When evaluating cloud backup providers, it is essential to ensure that they have a backup redundancy system to protect against data loss. This feature can help ensure that your data is safe and accessible at all times.
Air Gapping for More Sensitive Data
Air gapping is a security measure that involves keeping a copy of your data offline or separated from the main network. This requires creating a second backup copy of your data and storing it on a server disconnected from external sources. If you handle highly sensitive data, air gapping can provide an extra layer of protection by ensuring you have at least one additional copy of your backup that is isolated from common internet-based attacks. It is a feature worth considering when choosing a backup solution for sensitive data.
Need Help With Secure Backup & Data Protection Solutions?
Are you prepared to protect your data from modern threats? Contact Qamba today to schedule a consultation about updating your backup process and enhancing your data protection.
