Backup Ransomware Protection

5 Tips to Protect Backup Against Ransomware Attacks

While backup and recovery solutions are intended to protect your company, sophisticated malware such as Locky and Crypto ransomware can now target your backup data. Given the increase in ransomware attacks’ frequency and breadth, it is not surprising. Around 1989 was the first ransomware payment. This set the scene for hackers to start locking data from unsuspecting victims and holding it up until the owners pay.

Ransomware Key Facts

  • Global cybercrime damage predicted to hit $10.5 trillion annually by 2025 (Source: Cybersecurity Ventures)
  • The cost of recovery can be 10 to 15 times more than the ransom (Source: Gartner)
  • Over 66% took 15 to 30 days to recover and were only able to recover 25% to 49% of their data (Source: Forrester)

According to Cybersecurity Ventures, “business will fall victim to a ransomware attack every 11 seconds by 2021, up from every 14 seconds in 2019. Ransomware is the fastest-growing type of cybercrime. This is why you need to be aware of these five factors when strategizing how to prevent your backup data from being a target and detect ransomware attacks.

1. Ransomware Attacks: Backups are a Liability

Shadow copies backup data is being targeted by cybercriminals to gain complete control or even destroy what was once considered your insurance policy for business continuity. They attack the primary environment via an endpoint and then head straight to your backups. This is where 80 percent of enterprise data is stored.

A multi-layered defense is required to stop ransomware from attacking your backup. Backup jobs should be kept in an immutable form and not accessible to external systems. Also, multi-factor authentication (MFA), write once read many (WORM) capabilities for the snapshot, and a modern air-gap are must-have features.

2.  Expanding Attack Surfaces Identify Backups for Ransomware Attacks

IDC estimates 175 zettabytes of data will exist by 2025. This exploding data growth and mass data fragmentation — the growing proliferation of backup data across different sprawling silos — have combined to widen your organization’s attack surface. Your backup data is now more easily accessible to cybercriminals.

Reduce your enterprise attack surface, know what data you have, and where it is located. This will prevent ransomware from ever succeeding. Your organization is protected against ransomware when you have a unified solution to connect infrastructure, workloads, backup locations, and other data.

3. Intermittent Monitoring makes it easier to attack backups

Cyber threats can not always be sourced from outside an organization. They can also be launched within the company. Imagine a disgruntled employee trying to modify or delete large amounts of data. It is not enough to rely on backup data-ingest rate change rates to detect such behavior. Your organization must be able to detect an attack immediately.

A solution that continuously monitors and detects smaller changes by analyzing files and audit logs is what’s required. A backup solution that protects your company from cyber attacks will keep you safe every minute of every day.

4. Ransomware Criminals can use the public cloud entry points

Global pandemics have increased the popularity of cloud computing and working from home. Cybercriminals are profiting from this, and the cloud is fast becoming a point for cyber attacks. This puts your backup data at risk. In fact, a recent IDC survey confirmed, “80% of the companies surveyed had experienced at least one cloud data breach in the past 18 months, and nearly half (43%) reported 10 or more breaches.” The bottom line is this: data in the cloud is not immune to ransomware. While the public cloud is cheaper for backups, it can also lead to less data visibility.

A single dashboard is essential to ensure you stay ahead of ransomware attacks. Your organization will be protected from ransomware attacks if it can quickly see, manage and take action on all of its backup data, whether they are on-premises or in public clouds.

5. Ransomware pain is exacerbated by long backup and recovery cycles

Your IT team may spend many days, if not weeks, restoring your business’ legacy backup. In recovery mode. A recent Gartner report confirms the cost of recovery and the resulting downtime in the aftermath of a ransomware attack, as well as the reputational damage, can be 10 to 15 times more than the ransom. A backup and recovery solution is needed that protects your last line of defense, your backup environment, from ransomware attacks. It also helps to quickly recover your data worldwide — including public clouds/BaaS. Instant mass restores capabilities are also needed to recover hundreds of virtual machines at once, on a large scale, and at any time.

Ransomware Attacks: Protect, Detect, and Quickly Recover

Your organization wants to avoid data loss due to cyber-attacks. They also want the ability to decline ransomware payments. A comprehensive solution can help you protect your data.