October 24. Backups: Your Recovery Safety Net
Regular backups are the most fundamental and vital cyber security practices; they are your indispensable recovery safety net, ensuring that even if disaster strikes, valuable data can be restored.
Why are backups so crucial?
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Ransomware Protection: A robust backup strategy is your best defence against ransomware. If your files are encrypted, you can wipe your system and restore from a clean backup, rather than paying the ransom. In the UK, the government is planning to ban public bodies from paying ransoms to hackers and private companies will be required to inform authorities if they plan to pay ransoms - making robust backups even more crucial: UK to lead crackdown on cyber criminals with ransomware measures
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Accidental Deletion/Corruption: We all make mistakes. Backups allow you to recover files you've accidentally deleted, overwritten, or corrupted.
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Hardware Failure: Hard drives fail, devices get lost or stolen. Backups ensure your data survives beyond the physical device.
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Natural Disasters: Fires, floods, or other events can destroy physical devices. Offsite backups ensure your data is safe even if your premises are not.
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System Upgrades/Migrations: Backups provide peace of mind during major system changes, allowing for rollback if issues arise.
The Golden Rule: The 3-2-1 Backup Strategy
This widely recommended strategy ensures robust data protection:
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3 Copies of Your Data: Keep your original data plus at least two backup copies.
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2 Different Types of Media: Store your backups on at least two different storage types (e.g., internal hard drive + external SSD, or cloud storage + network-attached storage).
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1 Copy Offsite: Keep at least one copy of your backup in a geographically separate location (e.g., cloud storage, or an external drive stored at a friend's house or a safe deposit box). This protects against local disasters.
Key Backup Practices:
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Automate: Use automated backup solutions whenever possible to ensure consistency and reduce human error.
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Encrypt Backups: Encrypt your backup data, especially if stored offsite or in the cloud, to protect it from unauthorised access.
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Test Regularly: Don't assume your backups work. Periodically test your recovery process by attempting to restore a file or even a full system from your backup. This confirms data integrity and ensures you know how to perform a restore when needed.
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Version Control: Retain multiple versions of your files in backups, allowing you to roll back to a point before data was corrupted or encrypted.
Backups are an investment in peace of mind. They are the ultimate insurance policy for your digital life, ensuring business continuity for organisations and preserving precious memories for individuals.
💡Today's Cyber Tip: Verify Your Backup's Last Run!
Today, check the status of your backup solution (cloud service or external drive software). Confirm when the last successful backup occurred and if there are any errors. If you don't have one, research simple cloud backup options like Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive.
Backups are a critical component of cyber security because they provide a safety net in case of data loss, corruption, or cyber attacks. They are essential for safeguarding data integrity and ensuring that an organisation can recover quickly from cyber attacks, hardware failure or other unforeseen data loss events.
🛡️Consider your backup processes and methodology.
🛡️Are you able to restore the server configuration from a backup?
🛡️How relevant is the data you have backed up?
🛡️Is your backup protected from malware/ransomware?
🛡️Where are the physical locations of your backups?
For systems that you use that are cloud based, such as your MIS and your organisation's website - have you checked that they hold an appropriate and up to date backup of your data as part of their regular service?
Review the DfE Meeting Digital and Technology Standards in Schools and Colleges : which advises you to backup (specifically the Cloud Solutions Standard). The most common risk of cloud data loss is accidental or deliberate data deletion by users. Although data loss by cloud providers is uncommon, it can happen. Loss of data can lead to a data breach and mean you need to inform the appropriate authorities. It may also obstruct or prevent critical business operations. You should already be meeting this standard to help safeguard, protect and secure your data and systems. It is also a requirement for meeting data protection legislation. For further help, guidance and trackers to assess and monitor your progress: https://digitalstandardstracker.co.uk/
Review: NCSC Backing up your Data
Watch our free micro learning video about backups:
DPE Knowledge Bank Guidance and Support:
For schools and colleges, six of the DfE Digital Standards are now mandatory. We have a DfE Digital Standards Tracker tool help you track your cyber resilience and your progress:
Review our Cyber Security Best Practice Area for micro learning, support, guidance and policies:
Why not have a look at our 'specialist' trainer Harry the Hacker :
