A backup is only useful if you can recover from it. Ransomware can encrypt live files, connected drives and poorly protected backup systems, which means simply having a copy of your data is not enough. A resilient backup strategy assumes that an attacker may gain access to part of your environment and plans around that possibility.
Keep backup copies separated
Backups should not all depend on the same login, device or network path. The National Cyber Security Centre advises keeping safe copies of important data and making sure removable backup devices are not left permanently connected. Cloud backups should also be protected with strong authentication.
Know what must be recoverable
Identify the information and systems that would stop the business operating if they disappeared: documents, finance data, customer records, email, line-of-business applications and configuration data. This gives you a recovery priority instead of simply backing up everything without a plan.
Test restores, not just backup jobs
A successful backup notification does not prove that recovery will work. Schedule restore tests so you know how long recovery takes, whether permissions are preserved and whether the files are usable. Recovery testing is where many hidden problems are discovered.
Link backups to an incident plan
Backups are one part of business continuity. Your plan should also cover who makes decisions, who contacts customers or suppliers, how staff work while systems are unavailable and which services must return first.
A simple next step
If you are unsure whether your current backup setup would survive ransomware or a major system failure, Kazzoo can review it and help build a recovery plan.
Useful Kazzoo services: IT disaster recovery · IT security
The NCSC small organisations guidance also recommends keeping reliable backups and knowing how to restore them.
Talk to Kazzoo
If you would like practical advice based on your current setup, contact Kazzoo. We support businesses across Leicester and Leicestershire with day-to-day IT support, infrastructure, security and technology planning.