Immutable backup

The difference between an information disaster, and a slight hit in the wing.

We all know that data backup is an essential procedure in any organization. But, when sophisticated ransomware attacks manage to damage the backup system of organizations every day in a way that prevents them from restoring the information, normal data backup is no longer enough - and this is where Immutable backup solutions come into play.

What is the difference between "data backup" and "immutable data backup"?

A backup routine that keeps copies of the data provides protection against data loss. Therefore, attackers whose goal is to demand a ransom or disrupt data, make every effort to reach the backup system. In this way, they ensure that the attacked organization will not have the ability to recover the data, until it pays the ransom or meets all the attackers' demands.

Immutable backup, marketed by a variety of suppliers, is a solution that combines software and hardware to protect backups, which changes the rules of the game by creating an immutable backup that prevents the attacker from making changes to the backed up information, or tampering with it.

The benefits of immutable backup

Applying and implementing a backup that cannot be used in your organization may turn any information disaster into a light blow in the wing and provide you with a higher level of security and peace of mind in a variety of areas:

1. Protection against cyber attacks
Immutable storage, provides strong protection against ransomware and other malicious attacks. Once the data is written, it cannot be changed or deleted.

2. Completeness and authenticity of the data
Since the stored data cannot be changed, its authenticity, integrity and reliability are preserved.

3. Compliance with regulatory requirements
Many industries require compliance with regulatory standards. Immutable storage helps organizations meet these compliance requirements by ensuring that data cannot be tampered with.

4. Protection against accidental deletion
Accidental deletion of critical data can be a significant failure. Immutable storage prevents such loss and maintains the integrity of the data stored.

5. Improved data security
Immutable backups ensure the constant availability of a clean and unaltered copy of the data and improve the level of data security and integrity.

Integrating immutable storage into your data protection strategy will significantly improve organizational resilience against cyber threats and data loss and the ability to ensure business continuity, even during an information incident.

The author: Idan Zabri, VP of expert services and information security at Genie