What are the risks in data backup?
Today, the amount of data stored and transmitted by organizations and individuals around the world has skyrocketed. Data is ubiquitous. As the file size increases, the rate of doubling is increasing rapidly, and more data needs to be backed up than ever.
All along, data protection has become a bigger challenge that people face, and it has become the headline of the news media and the main topic of corporate boards. Just last summer, the United Kingdom ’s National Public Security Bureau and the United Kingdom ’s National Cybersecurity Agency joined forces to address the significant and growing risks ransomware poses to businesses. Today, data security has become more complex, and data backup is a key way to avoid becoming a victim of ransomware. Through effective backup management, the severity of ransomware attacks can be significantly reduced.
Data is very important for enterprises, and backup measures must be considered. Data can be said to be one of the most important pillars for a successful business operation of an enterprise, and if the network is affected or destroyed by a certain disaster, the backed up data will also be a safe place for enterprise data and operations. Unfortunately, many people put data loss prevention and data backup maintenance in a secondary position and opened the door to various threats outside the network, including threats to data backup. After examining the main security threats of the data and its backup data, one should keep in mind the following 7 greatest risks and avoid them at all costs.
(1) The recycle bin is not a sustainable method of data backup
According to a recent survey, nearly 66% of Office 365 managers use the recycle bin as a form of data backup. But this approach allows malicious attackers to easily access "backup" data on their local computer desktop. Since the recycle bin is not equipped with the same security features as the backup system, it is very unsafe.
(2) 81% of managers do not regularly back up their data
Similar to using the recycle bin as a data backup, this threat is user-based. As a secure platform for real-time company data and processes, backups should be implemented online and ready to be accessed in the event of a violation or natural disaster. If the data backup is not tested, the organization may not be able to completely rely on technology for recovery after a disaster.
(3) Neither operational data nor backups are safe under ransomware attacks
In view of the company's efforts to strengthen the backup maintenance process, cybercriminals are improving their strategies for backup processes and tools, such as shadow copies (Microsoft OS) or time machines (Mac OS). Even if the victim pays the ransom, the cyber attacker may not decrypt the backup data or disrupt the backup process.
(4) The backup system located in the same network operating environment may be too simple, but not smart enough
If data backup and data run on the same server, as the entire network operating environment, the defense needs to be hardened and strengthened to ensure the complete security of the data backup, so you need to avoid being in the same operating environment. The same approach applies to on-premises backup options. Although this is still the first choice of many organizations, in the event of a natural disaster or malicious attack, the local server may not be accessible.
(5) Frequently visited websites may increase the risk level
Malware may be hidden on websites frequently visited by employees, waiting for the opportunity to attack. This strategy is for an attacker to spread malware to a target through a malicious website. For example, local Internet cafes or websites may be attacked. Attackers can embed threat programs in downloadable menus or send emails about takeaway orders. In addition to implementing appropriate WAF and e-mail security tools, enterprises must also carry out training and foster employee awareness of the threat of phishing, especially on frequently visited websites.
(6) Advanced persistent threats are long-term “fraud” that can be rewarded
Many types of malware are lurking for a long time, so people need to pay attention to advanced persistent threats (APT). After these attacks are successful, criminals can be allowed to monitor and obtain business data for a long time. Through some searches, attackers can find the most critical data for the enterprise. Once the attacker makes this decision, they can copy the data and destroy the original copy on the network. Therefore, it is very important for enterprises to track, update and clean up this behavior.
(7) Home networks and mobile devices may pose a threat
Not everyone can achieve the same security measures from the office to the home network. Today's corporate employees have the ability to work in any place, any equipment, any time. Although this is convenient, these mobile devices and external networks do not always have the same level of security as offices. Threats to mobile devices and wearables are ubiquitous in the network, and corporate employees should not apply corporate security to their personal devices, as this will make any device connected to the corporate network a suitable target for attackers.
With the rapid development of security threats, the reality is that zero-day attacks will come whether people like it or not. Cyber attacks will inevitably come in, but the number of attackers and the complexity of their use are different. Although people can do their best to prevent it, they cannot naively think that it can always be effectively prevented and resisted.
All organizations need to find a reliable backup solution that enables them to restore business-critical data to meet shorter recovery time objectives (RTO) and recovery point objectives (RPO), and frequently test data backup. If they do become a victim of an attack, they can simply restore from the most recent backup set, restart as quickly as possible, and run with minimal interruption time.
The reality is that no one is invincible, and anyone can be a victim of high-level threats at any time. However, by avoiding these threats and providing correct solutions and procedures, the risk and severity of being attacked can be greatly reduced.
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