Immutable Backups: The Ultimate Defence Against Cyber Attacks

Immutable Backups: The Unbreakable Shield Against Modern Cyber Threats 

The cyber security threat landscape is constantly evolving, with businesses facing new cyber threats every day. As cyber criminals wage war on the world, businesses are adapting their cyber security to protect against these latest threats. As such malicious threat actors are adapting their attacks in order to also target business backups, in an attempt to cause as much damage as possible, this is why backup security is of paramount importance to business continuity. A relatively recent advancement in this field is "Immutable Backups". But what exactly are immutable backups? And why are they crucial in the relentless battle against evolving cyber threats? 

What is an Immutable Backup?
“Immutable Backups” (also known as Fixed Backups) refer to the practice of creating a backup that cannot be altered, modified, or deleted once it has been created. This ‘set-in-stone’ solution means that even if a malicious actor gains access to your business and unleashes malware or ransomware, they cannot tamper with the data stored in these backups, ensuring that you can always restore your data. It is a new line of defence in the age of cyber warfare, and it is one that businesses can ill afford to ignore.   

Why Immutable Backups Are Essential
1. Ransomware Attacks: Even if a ransomware attack encrypts access to all of your essential files, Immutable Backups ensures you have a fixed version of your data that is untouchable. This makes paying a ransom to unlock your files unnecessary, as you can restore your system with the untouched copy. Please note that this does not protect against Data Theft Ransomware attacks where a business’ data is stolen and held to ransom demand under threat of leaking or selling the data. We always recommend a comprehensive cyber security solution to protect your business from potential cyber threats. 

2. Compliance Assurance: In many sectors, especially those dealing with sensitive data, regulatory bodies demand robust data protection measures. This includes a comprehensive cyber security strategy designed to protect your business from the latest evolving threats. However, Immutable Backups is an essential part of this chain as they offer a secure method of adhering to such regulations. 

3. Mitigating Insider Threats: Threats do not always come from outside sources; Immutable Backups are protected against changes not only from external threats but also from insiders who could potentially cause harm to your business data. It is an extra layer of security that safeguards against internal malpractice by providing a fixed copy of data to be restored. 

4. Peace of Mind: Knowing that your data is safely & securely backed up can provide immense relief if the worst happens. It means that in the face of a cyber attack, you can restore operations quickly and without significant loss of data or time. 

Integration with Existing Systems
Adopting immutable backups does not mean a complete overhaul of your existing backup solution. Many modern backup solutions offer immutability as a feature that can be integrated seamlessly, it is just like flicking a switch. This is something that we turn on by default as part of all our backup solutions to keep our customer data as secure as possible. It is just a matter of upgrading your existing solution to provide an extra line of cyber defence against emerging threats. 

How can TwentyFour IT Protect Your Business Backups?
Backup security is more than just about immutable backups, it is about data integrity, backup validation, retention periods, monitoring, alerting and much more...  

At TwentyFour we work with businesses to provide a comprehensive 321 Backup Solution to secure them from data loss and ensure that they can always restore their data in the event of a cyber attack, Data Loss, Corruption or Natural Disaster. Our Managed Backup service includes backup monitoring and alerts to ensure that you always have a complete and clean backup to be able to restore from.  

Do not wait for a crisis; act now to protect your business data security. Contact us to discover how we can safeguard your business from possible data loss, ensuring you can recover quickly and confidently.