SpartanTec, Inc. Columbia: How Can Data Backup Defend Businesses Against Ransomware Threats

There had been nearly 200 million ransomware attacks across the world last year alone. Cyberattacks conducted by cybercriminals continue to evolve and they are no longer targeting the frontline systems but data backup and recovery solutions, too.

The results of these cyberattacks can be very devastating and that’s why agencies must take into account platforms with an integrated security and data backup and recovery methods to be ready for ransomware attacks that will target the last line of defense, which is the data backups.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency suggest that companies must backup their systems regularly, reinforce their basic cybersecurity awareness, and training, and to check their cyber incident response strategies.

IT support leaders must watch out for looming threats and create a data strategy with recovery and security performance into account to avoid system down time at all cost. Such a method will help stop the damaging effects of cyberattacks that would cut back on the productivity, cost millions, and even endanger mission critical task or interrupt important services.

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Companies can limit the effect of ransomware attacks through:

Updating the operating systems and technology so that you stay ahead of known vulnerabilities and exploits
Making investments on cybersecurity through infosec training, vulnerability training, as well as network security audits.
Regulating the access to secure data and files through privilege and admin rights management
Backing up company files through regular snapshots as well as other data protection strategies.

Importance of Data Backup

Companies must also keep essential things under consideration when considering data backup and restore methods such as the speed and reliability of the backup.

Data will not only need a backup but also need to be protected from any form of intentional deletion. The backup system must be immutable, reliable, and simple. Immutability is the system’s ability to stop the deletion or changes of an object once it’s created.

A backup system should be capable of restoring fast so that it could avoid major effects on the business operation. Just like data, time is very valuable when it comes to restoring from a cybersecurity attack. Failed data backups, slow restoration, and corrupted data will hurt companies even more. Ransomware attacks evolve and when they target backup catalogs, backup data, and even storage array snapshots would force companies to undergo reconfiguration of the backup solutions before the data recovery. A contemporary data platform with the protection for integrated backups is important.

Small businesses should evolve their expectations on the backup and then restore the speeds. Backup storage should recover immediately, and also must be performed at scale. When one database may need about 10 hours to restore, you may need several months to recover if your business suffered a widespread attack.

Small businesses that do mission critical work cannot afford having a downtime that long. Immediate restoration is important if companies are to protect themselves from the effects of cyberattacks like ransomware. Recovery time and recovery point objectives make sure that they could avoid major financial and operational effect, protect important information, and remain focused on your mission.