Falling victim to a cybercrime can cause damage beyond repair as organizations and customers most sensitive information can be lost or even worse, leaked. As we become ever-further reliant on technology, the risk of cyber threats also increases in-tandem. It is essential for organizations to have a robust process for backing up and protecting essential data and digital files.
We asked John Fung, Director of Cybersecurity Operations for MorganFranklin Consulting, to share his perspective on how organizations can build a robust data backup system:
Strong Procedures: To ensure backups are made regularly, which minimizes potential data loss, they should be automated and performed regularly. Organizations should also include backups in compliance policies and procedures.
Focus on Location: Ransomware commonly targets backups to prevent companies from restoring them rather than paying a ransom. That is why backups should be stored offline or in a read-only format. Ideally, backups should also be geographically distributed. That way if a natural disaster, power outage, etc., knocks out an organization's primary systems, the backups provide immense benefits.
Comprehensive Testing: Backups and restoration procedures should be tested regularly to identify technology and security issues. This ensures that both the backups and the primary database are secured. Cybercriminals will search for "low-hanging fruit," and an unprotected backup is easier to steal and just as valuable.
###