You need to back up your data, but how can you ensure its security?

Beside the strategy and due-diligence comments, I would like to emphasize on mechanics there. The simple questions like: where and what distance to the backups? whether on-premise/self-managed or in the cloud...if the distance or encryption will be throttle bottlenecks concerns. Versioning in the form of snapshots and ability to timetravel instantly which is beyond the scope of any backup solution and in the realm of storage/filesystem solutions is the second consideration. There are now NVMe+RDMA technologies that can effectively detach compute and storage and solutions on the storage side:Minio's versioning feature or ZFS snapshoting/replication among the other proprietary storage solutions are some great examples.

When thinking about backups you need to know your requirements. These are likely to include the following. RTO - Recovery Time Objective - How quickly you need to recover your data for your business needs. RPO - Recovery Point Objective - How much data can your business processes tolerate losing. Risk Appetite - What level of risk are you able to tolerate, in reference to being lost or taken by other parties. Risk mitigation - What scenarios are you trying to avoid by having backups, for example data corruption, human error, natural disasters, cyber security events etc. These metrics will help you assess different techniques, technologies and strategies. Things to note, a backup strategy is not the same as an archive strategy.

Um backup para ser seguro, n?o pode estar na mesma rede em que o backup foi realizado. Nem que a rede esteja segmentada! Isto porque a movimenta??o lateral em um ataque, como um ransomware por exemplo, tende a contaminar n?o só o computador infectado, mas sim toda a rede de dispositivos conectados a uma rede. Já presenciei inúmeros backups criptografados por ransomwares em respostas a incidentes. E infelizmente, n?o há muito o que fazer nesses a casos, a menos que o algoritmo utilizado pelo malware seja possível de revers?o, como já ocorre hoje com alguma empresas de recupera??o de dados. Fa?a a li??o de casa, movendo o backup para fora dos domínios de sua rede, ou tenha o telefone de uma empresa recuperadora de dados a m?o ( e dinheiro).

Select an offsite backup location to protect data from physical threats like theft, fire, or natural disasters. This ensures that even if the primary data location is compromised, backups remain secure. Utilize professional data centers or cloud storage services with robust security measures.

If you're using Cloud services and most companies today are then it makes sense to you the Backup Service from your Cloud provider AWS/Azure/GCP/etc. Make sure your selected service is matching your requirements, things like data protection features, ransomware recovery capabilities, automated backup scheduling, encryption, compliance reporting, WORM (write-once read many) pattern and of course IAM access control. Of course, test and verify that your backups procedures work as expected, don't wait until it's too late and perform a pentest to make sure that your backups can't be compromised by malicious actors.

Remember to ensure you encryption infrastructure isn't dependent on your backup infrastructure. IE, you need a Key Management System (KMS). If you lost your KMS server due to malware and needed to restore it, do you have the keys to unecrypt your backup? Circular dependencies is a common miss for encryption systems.

Ensure the Enterprise Encryption Key Management System or Service is quantum resistant and only phishing resistant multifactor authentication (PR-MFA) is used for access.

Implement encryption for data backups at rest to safeguard against unauthorized access. Use strong encryption algorithms and secure key management practices. Encrypting backup files prevents data exposure in case physical storage is compromised.

This is valid point @Keith. Key management system (KMS), which works as a storage for encryption keys, should be completely decoupled from the data backups.

Don't just encrypt for the sake of it, be clear on what needs encryption and why, architect your solutions to produce data destined for encryption and data for unencrypted storage. Encryption is expensive and complex and if not used sparingly in this case provides an ironic barrier that prevents people from backing up and means backups get stored uncontrolled and insecure elsewhere.

As políticas e procedimentos de backup e teste de restore precisam estar relacionadas aos processos de ITSM para tratamento de erros, gerenciamento de problemas para erros reincidentes, gest?o de mudan?as e CMDB para manter o escopo de backup sempre íntegro. Esses processos est?o muito ligados aos processos de Auditoria Interna e Externa.

Establish clear backup policies outlining the frequency, types of data to be backed up, and retention periods. Tailor policies to the organization's specific needs and compliance requirements. Ensure regular backups to minimize data loss in the event of a system failure or data corruption.

Establishing backup policies and procedures is one of the first steps to ensuring data security, as it is necessary for the responsible team, as well as data users, to know the roles and responsibilities of those involved. Furthermore, policies and procedures must be clear and objective, covering all aspects of action, especially in times of crisis. Now, there is no point if it exists only on paper, it is necessary to train everyone involved, carry out simulations at various levels of criticality, create and publicize a communication plan so that everyone understands the risks and impacts when information is lost and which recovery procedures. Backup is a continuous process that deserves constant review, updates, modernization and learning.

Typically its a good practice to include meta data about application that you are within your backup policy or output, applications gets changed and upgraded and data compitability might gets impacted, its important to ensure that your backup policy include both target applications and its data to ensure smooth restore when needed, whether a drill or an actual disaster recovery.

Periodic IS audits, along with Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT), play a crucial role in strengthening IT systems by identifying and addressing potential security vulnerabilities. IS audits help assess the overall compliance of an organization's information systems with established standards, policies, and regulatory requirements. VAPT focuses specifically on identifying and exploiting vulnerabilities in the system through simulated attacks. The combined approach of IS audits and VAPT provides a comprehensive understanding of the security posture of IT systems. This allows organizations to: 1.Identify Weaknesses 2.Prioritize Remediation: 3. Compliance Assurance 4. Continuous Improvement 5. Risk Mitigation

Provide comprehensive security awareness training to staff involved in the backup process. Educate them on security best practices, the importance of data protection, and recognizing potential threats. Staff awareness contributes to a security-conscious culture, reducing the risk of human errors.

Die Schulung der Mitarbeiter im Umgang mit Backups ist entscheidend, um die Integrit?t und Verfügbarkeit von Unternehmensdaten zu gew?hrleisten. Mitarbeiter sollten über das Verfahren zur Sicherung von Daten sowie über die Bedeutung regelm??iger Backups informiert werden. Schulungen sollten auch die Identifizierung kritischer Daten und die Festlegung angemessener Sicherungsrichtlinien umfassen. Es ist wichtig, den Mitarbeitern beizubringen, wie sie auf die Backup-Systeme zugreifen und im Notfall wiederherstellen k?nnen. Schulungen sollten regelm??ig aktualisiert werden, um neue Technologien und Sicherheitsbest Practices zu integrieren.

Vamos refletir sobre a importancia de capacitar e confiar na equipe para proteger nossos dados. Eles s?o a linha de frente no processo de backup e precisam estar bem preparados. Precisamos garantir que eles entendam as políticas, os procedimentos e os riscos de seguran?a envolvidos. Investir em treinamento regular é essencial para que saibam como lidar com os backups, usar as ferramentas certas e manter a seguran?a dos dados. Além disso, ao promover uma cultura de conscientiza??o e responsabilidade, estamos construindo uma equipe confiável e comprometida em seguir as regras e relatar qualquer atividade suspeita. Juntos, podemos garantir a prote??o eficaz de nossos dados.

Cette étape d'écouler de la création de la politique et des procédures. Il faut que l'ensemble des équipes s'approprient ces enjeux et se sentent acteur et non tributaire. La sécurité ne peut exister sans l'adhésion et la compréhension de chacun.

Der bekannte Ausspruch "A fool with a tool is still a fool" unterstreicht die Bedeutung fachgerechter Schulungen für Mitarbeiter im Bereich Backup und Restore. Wir haben es wie folgt gel?st: - Erstellung einer detaillierten Backup- und Restore-Anleitung in Confluence - Zus?tzliche Ressourcenseite für L?sungsans?tze bekannter Probleme - Ziel: Mitarbeiter sollen im Notfall gesch?ftskritische Wiederherstellungen routiniert durchführen Gleiche Gelassenheit bei Notf?llen wie bei Testwiederherstellungen angestrebt - Erreichung dieser Kompetenz durch regelm??ige Schulungen und Praxisübungen

Regularly update backup software and hardware to patch vulnerabilities and ensure compatibility with evolving technologies. Implement timely upgrades to benefit from improved features, performance, and security enhancements.

Regelm??ige Software-Updates auf Backup-Servern sind unerl?sslich, um die Sicherheit und Leistungsf?higkeit zu gew?hrleisten. Diese Updates beinhalten oft wichtige Sicherheitspatches, die vor neuen Bedrohungen schützen. Durch regelm??ige Aktualisierungen wird auch die Stabilit?t der Backup-Server verbessert, was Ausfallzeiten minimiert. Es ist ratsam, Updates zeitnah durchzuführen, um Sicherheitslücken zu schlie?en und potenzielle Angriffspunkte zu minimieren. Vor der Durchführung von Updates sollten jedoch stets Sicherungskopien der Daten erstellt und m?gliche Auswirkungen auf die Backup-Prozesse sorgf?ltig geprüft werden.

To update and upgrade the backup system, first Identify any weaknesses or limitations in the existing backup system. Consider factors such as backup speed, storage capacity, and overall reliability.Second ,look for backup solutions that address the shortcomings of the current system. Consider options such as cloud-based backup services, dedicated backup software, or hardware-based backup solutions.Third,determine the amount of storage needed to safeguard the data effectively. Take into account factors such as data growth, retention policies, and any regulatory requirements.Fourth, If necessary, upgrade the hardware components such as storage devices, servers, or networking equipment to support the new backup system's requirements.

This sounds good, but I've always found n-1 to be the sweet put. patchwise unless it's a critical security patch. Latest greatest tends to be buggy and kinks must be worked out. Hardware should always be kept in peak condition, but be prepared to stockpile.old parts and keep that ebay account active as your company tries to stretch that last dollar of value out.of your backup solution, or contracts/compliance require long term backups.

Manter o sistema de backup atualizado e aprimorado é essencial para garantir que os dados sejam protegidos de forma eficaz. Com as constantes evolu??es tecnológicas e as novas amea?as surgindo, é importante garantir que o sistema esteja equipado com as últimas atualiza??es de seguran?a. Além disso, é importante realizar manuten??es regulares no hardware e substituir componentes danificados ou desatualizados. A melhoria da capacidade e largura de banda da rede de backup também é fundamental para garantir que os backups sejam realizados de forma rápida e eficiente. Estar atualizado com as melhores práticas e tecnologias de backup ajuda a garantir a integridade e disponibilidade dos dados em caso de necessidade de restaura??o.

Conduct regular security audits of the backup system. Evaluate access controls, monitor user activities, and review configurations to identify and address potential security weaknesses. Audits help maintain the integrity of the backup environment.

Realize auditorias regulares para avaliar a eficácia das práticas de seguran?a de backup. Isso inclui a verifica??o da integridade dos backups, a revis?o das políticas implementadas e a identifica??o de áreas de melhoria. A adapta??o contínua é crucial para enfrentar novos desafios de seguran?a.

A quest?o mais importante de um backup, é a restaura??o. Assim, n?o tem sentido ter uma cópia de um arquivo, se n?o podemos recuperar numa situa??o da originalidade da informa??o. Ora, tudo que podemos fazer para mantermos a integra??o dos dados em backup, devemos proceder: local seguro de guarda, criptografia, frequência, testes etc…

Periodically assess your backup security measures. Conduct audits to identify weaknesses and address them promptly, enhancing your overall data protection strategy.

Conduct periodic audits of your backup processes and security. This includes checking for vulnerabilities, ensuring backups are complete and recoverable, and updating policies as needed.

Here's what the team needs in addition to focusing on backup strategy: 1) Identification of crown jewel - in terms of data assets 2) Knowing what to backup and when to backup and for how long in terms of retention and archival adhering to 3-2-1 principles 3) creating immutable copies of your back-up on at least two media storage technologies 4) Backup the critical crown jewel from Cyber resiliency on a offsite location preferably air-gapped from rest of the enterprise 5) Automate the backup operation and leverage cloud as per fitment 6) Leverage machine learning capabilities to trigger alerts for anomalies in system backup and folders 7) Regularly test back-up and measure the efficiency for resumption on a grounds level scenario

Testing and Restoration: Regularly test the restoration process to verify the integrity of backups and the organization's ability to recover data. Conduct simulated recovery drills to assess the effectiveness of backup and restoration procedures. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Implement multi-factor authentication for access to backup systems. This adds an extra layer of security by requiring users to provide multiple forms of identification. Data Classification: Classify data based on sensitivity and importance. Prioritize the security measures based on the classification, ensuring that critical data receives the highest level of protection.

A secure backup strategy is important. Consider employing encryption to protect data in transit and at rest. Implement MFA access and authentication controls to restrict unauthorized access. Frequently test backup and recovery processes. To bolster security further, establish a comprehensive backup policy outlining procedures, retention periods, and roles/responsibilities. Implement data masking or anonymization techniques to protect sensitive information. Utilize off-site storage (air gap from the backup process) and redundant backups to mitigate risks of data loss due to disasters or system failures and consider utilizing immutable storage or versioning to prevent unauthorized modifications to backups.

Data security during backup involves several practices. The 3-2-1 Backup Rule means having three copies of data, stored on two different storage types, with one copy off-site. Disconnect backup when not in use and keep an offline backup to protect against malware or ransomware. Store backup at an offsite location to safeguard against physical damage. Use unique login credentials and two-factor authentication to minimize ransomware-related risks. Encrypt data when transferring sensitive information. Please make sure your computer has regularly updated anti-virus and firewall software. Regular review and updates are essential for effective data security.

As an enterprise we need a living catalog of sensitive data that requires special handling with ownership and accountability. The means to securing data starts with minimizing (unless there is an absolute need) the need to save sensitive data in this transforming space of global data privacy and security.