You’ve probably heard a lot about ransomware attacks — when hackers take over a computer’s data with encryption and will only unlock it when the victim has paid the “fee.” It’s not as uncommon as you might think, especially in recent times: both the number of attacks and the amounts hackers are seeking are on the rise.
So how are you supposed to protect against this? Well, one way is to always have a backup of all of your data to turn to in the case of an attack. However, hackers have even found their way around this measure too. And even if you have an off-system backup — such as a tape, for example — it could take a long time (and therefore, a lot of lost productivity) to restore it.
The answer that you may not yet heard of is to create an immutable file system. Sam Tenorio, the President of Seamless Advanced Solutions, takes a closer look at what this means and how it can protect your data from prying eyes.
More Backing For Your Backups
This solution is meant to protect backup data, which can also be the target of ransomware attacks — essentially rendering the user helpless until they comply (and even in that case, maybe not so much).In short, if your backup data is as vulnerable as your primary data, then there’s not much point in having it, notes Sam Tenorio.
The backup data in an immutable files system cannot be altered or deleted (or even read for that matter). Basically, it makes the backup data untouchable by anyone on your network, unless accessed by a user through authenticated APIs, which are independent of existing user permissions.
When adding new data to the backup, the system can be designed so it doesn’t overwrite any existing data — therefore not vulnerable to corruption or even accidental deletion.
Protection Even During Recovery
If you’re using an immutable files solution and you’re the subject of a ransomware attack, you can quickly restore the files from the most recent usable version (which are time-stamped), whether they’re stored on-site or in the cloud, notes Sam Tenorio.
This eliminates the need to wait for time-consuming restorations from another source, while your operations grind to a halt. Immutable files provide protection to data that is stored or is being transferred through encryption. Even when accessing backup data, the files are never presented in a read/write state to users.
Final Thoughts
The bottom line, so to speak, is to weigh the time and cost to recall stored data compared to that of having immutable file solutions in place (or doing it yourself manually), says Sam Tenorio. With the right approach, immutable data can be recalled in an instant, meaning you can continue to do business without interruptions (or paying a ransom for that matter).
Having safeguards in place such as software that can detect ransomware is only one layer of protection. If someone with bad intentions gets through, immutable files are an iron defense.
