Backup: Is your Business Vulnerable?

Have you heard about ransomware? This is when scammers lock away and ‘hold for ransom’ your critical files. This is a growing threat for all businesses and can mean that your business completely grinds to a halt. What’s worse is that even if you pay the ransom, there is no guarantee that you will actually get your data back.

This is where a good strong backup system is one of the best safety nets that you can have. A backup is a copy of your most important files and systems. It is stored completely separately from your main network, therefore is something goes wrong, your backup is not affected. Plus if you become victim to a ransomware attack you can use your backup to restore your data and keep your business running.

Backups are essential for businesses of all sizes however, it is important to note that not all backup systems are created equal. Recent research shows that many businesses are using outdated backup systems and technology. This leaves them open to risks.

Older backup systems were not created to handle the more modern and sophisticated ransomware attacks. thus leaving business vulnerable. Here are the 3 main ways that these older systems could be an issue:

1. Backup Data is a Target – Cyber criminals are getting smarter, they know that having a backup is your last line of defence, so they target it. If your backup system isn’t designed to protect against these attacks it can be a serious issue.
2. Lack of Encryption – Encryption is a way of scrambling your data so that only authorised people can access it. If scammers can see your data then they can tamper with it.
3. Failed Backups – With older systems it can be difficult to restore data and they can even fail. Imagine recovering from attack and then realising that your backup actually didn’t work. Pretty bad right?

So what can you do?

We would suggest rethinking your approach to backups. Think about modern solutions such as immutable storage that is designed to offer the strongest protection. IT makes sure that your backup data cannot be altered or deleted. This technology is built on the Zero Trust model. This means that it assumes nobody and nothing can be trusted. Every access request is validated and permissions are limited.

Ransomware attacks are just going to keep getting more sophisticated and clever – now is the time to make sure your backup is secure. Don’t let your business be vulnerable.

Need any help or advice on backups? Get in touch today.

Here is our guide all about Backups!

Here is our previous blog article about the best ways to help your employees keep your business protected!