Why do so many companies that have a backup end up needing to pay a ransom when hit with ransomware?
In the case of the two large ransomware attacks on Colonial Pipeline and JBS, both companies had backed up their data but also ended up paying millions in ransom to the attackers.
An astonishing 68% of companies attacked with ransomware in 2020 paid the ransom to the attackers. This is the main cause of ransomware getting worse over the last few years and the cost of remediation skyrocketing.
You would think that having a backup would protect a company. Unfortunately, many companies back up their data but never check to verify that the backup is working properly. An emergency like a ransomware infection or server crash happens and then they rush to their backup only to find that it is not working as they had expected.
Reasons Why It Is Vital to Regularly Verify Backups
If you are just backing up your data and assuming all is going well, you could be in for an unpleasant surprise should you need to restore that data in the future. It can feel like the safety net you thought you had has evaporated and left you exposed.
Here are some of the key reasons that regularly verifying your backups is an important part of the backup/recovery process.
Backups Can Run Out of Space
If you are not properly monitoring your backup, it can run out of space and leave you with months of data that was never captured. If you have an external hard drive as your backup, this can mean additional costs because you need to purchase one with more capacity.
A benefit of cloud backup systems is that they are easily expandable when you need more space and you will not need to start your full backup all over again.
Users Can Accidentally Turn Off Backups
Users don’t always know what backup software on their devices looks like. It typically will run in the background. However, if a user is having a computer issue and turning things off in their task manager to try to “unstick” an application, they could inadvertently turn off their backup without knowing it.
Unless you regularly verify your backups, you may not realize this until you need to restore that data and find several files/folders missing.
All Backups Don’t Have Fast Restore Capabilities
One reason that many companies will pay millions in ransom to an attacker (even if they have a backup) is to save time. They never check their restoration capabilities in advance and then find that their backup system will take days to put their data back into place. This means that days can go by without being able to access files that employees need to keep working. So, they make a calculated decision based upon the high cost of having their systems down and opt to pay the attacker with the hope that it brings their systems up faster.
Doing a regular full system restoration is an important part of any business continuity and disaster response plan. This helps you to ensure that you have a backup system with fast restore capabilities. It also gets your employees familiar with the process so that in a real emergency it can resolve smoothly.
Backups Can Suffer Software/OS Glitches
If you’re not regularly verifying that your backups are working as expected, you can find that they have stopped copying data or that data is corrupted due to a software glitch.
When systems are updated or if an older server or PC is problematic, it can cause a problem for a backup system. You need to know about these as soon as possible after they occur instead of at the moment that you need to restore your data in the aftermath of a data loss incident.
Backups Can Become Corrupted
You may see all “green lights” on your system backup application and assume everything is going fine. However, it can become corrupted and you won’t find out unless you do a backup verification.
Backup corruption can happen for a variety of reasons:
- The log backup chain is corrupt.
- Something goes wrong with the I/O subsystem.
- The backup set instructions have a coding error.
- The data backed up ok but the storage database was corrupted.
Users Can Leave Folders Out
When setting up a backup for the first time, users will typically need to designate what is being backed up. A full system is the best backup strategy. However, some users will choose specific folders to back up instead.
If a user misses a vital folder in their backup, it can mean that a large part of their hard drive wasn’t included in the files being copied. If you’re not verifying your backup regularly, this could be completely missed until it is too late.
Securely Share & Back Up Your Company Data with Our Cloud Interface
Sound Computers can help your Connecticut business avoid common backup and verification problems. Our affordable cloud backup service ensures your files are protected and can be restored quickly.
Contact us today to schedule a free consultation. Call 860-577-8060 or reach us online.