Ransomware is a leading cause of downtime today and can affect any industry at any time. For this reason, it is important to be prepared and implement the proper precautions to ensure the recoverability of your data. In order to protect your business from Ransomware, it is important to employ these 6 tactics.
1. Follow the 3-2-1 Rule
Not only is it important to back up your data, but the way it’s backed up is also crucial. You’ve probably been told to always save your files and to replicate them on external hard drives in case your computer crashes or files are accidentally deleted. This same concept applies to your critical business data, and it’s called the 3-2-1 rule. Think of it as the magic math equation for cloud data backup.
The 3-2-1 rule is a best practice of data backup, outlining that your company should maintain three copies of data, on two different forms of media, and host one copy offsite. Should ransomware attack your company, you’ll be at ease knowing your data is safe, and you can still operate business as usual thanks to cloud redundancy and offsite storage.
- 3 copies of your data
- 2 different media
- one offsite
- one offline
- with zero errors after backup and recoverability verification
When Ransomware hits, the million-dollar question is how do you get your data back so that you don’t have to pay? The answer is, hopefully, you paid for the right backup solution. Let’s look at a scenario where we successfully navigate a Ransomware attack.
Let’s say for example Ransomware infects a few VMs, maybe a file server and an exchange server. There are several ways to make sure the data is recoverable, but also that you can achieve granular restoration.
2. Isolate the Infected Machines
The first thing you want to do when you are hit with a Ransomware attack is to take the infected VMs off of your network so that the virus cannot spread.
3. Alert the Authorities
When you are infected with Ransomware, it is urged to report these attacks to the proper authorities. The FBI has set up an Internet Crime Complaint Center in order to help with Ransomware and other Cyber attacks.
4. Check your Backups
Verify that you know your backups are recoverable before you start sending them offsite. To do this, Veeam allows you to spin up an On-Demand Sandbox.
This sandbox acts as a fenced-off isolated network that does not affect production, IPs, or DNS. Within the sandbox, you can locate and test the last known backup copy by leveraging:
- Non-disruptive storage snapshots
- Secure deduped backup target
- other copies using the 3-2-1 rule
5. Leverage Sure Backup
Veeam Sure Backup allows you to automatically test and verify backups. SureBackup allows you to power on VMs and make sure they are not only bootable but that they respond the way they need to. SureBackup can then provide you with an audit trail report, this allows you to know at what specific point in time your backup is recoverable. This way, you can move this backup offsite and know with certainty that it has zero errors.
6. Begin the Recovery Process
Choose your Restore Option
With Veeam, granularity is not a challenge. As long as you have a backup and you have verified it and you know that it is valid, there are several ways to restore.
Restore the whole VM
Restore full VMs in minutes using your onsite backups.
Restore just what was infected
Go inside your VMs and crack open specific workloads that were affected by Ransomware. As granular of a restore as you need.
The Bottom Line
When it comes to Ransomware, data protection is important, but is only a piece of the puzzle. In order to have complete protection from a Ransomware attack, you need to have recovery. Veeam and Cyber Sainik offer total protection from Ransomware with both Backup and Recovery. Ensure the safety of your data and prevent unnecessary downtime by investing in a solution you can trust. Contact us for more information
