Backups are essential—but they’re not a silver bullet. Even a “ransomware-proof” backup won’t help much if you can’t recover quickly and cleanly when it counts. Here’s what solid preparedness really looks like.
Start with the 3-2-1 Backup Rule (But Don’t Stop There)
- 3 copies of your data
- 2 different storage media (e.g., local NAS + cloud)
- 1 off-site, isolated from your network (immutable if possible)
This dramatically reduces the chance you’ll lose data if attackers encrypt your environment. But it only addresses data availability, not the speed and safety of getting back to business.
Why Recovery Planning Matters
Backups are like a spare tire. Useful—but you still need a plan to:
- Fail over to your backup systems (drive on the donut).
- Fail back to production once you’ve rebuilt safely (replace the donut with a new tire).
Without a clear, rehearsed plan, both steps can become slow, costly, and chaotic—even if you never pay a ransom.
Build a Practical Recovery Plan
1) Define RTO and RPO
- RTO (Recovery Time Objective): How fast must each system be restored?
- RPO (Recovery Point Objective): How much data (time) can you afford to lose?
Prioritize applications by business impact so the right systems come back first.
2) Document Failover & Failback Playbooks
- Failover: Who triggers it? Which systems move first? How do users connect?
- Failback: Criteria to return to production, data validation steps, order of cutback.
3) Keep Backups Clean and Isolated
- Use immutable or air-gapped backups.
- Enforce separate credentials and MFA for backup consoles.
- Regularly test restore integrity (not just backup completion).
4) Prepare for Rebuild, Not Just Restore
- Golden images for critical servers/workstations.
- Application reinstall keys, licenses, and configuration baselines.
- Vendor and cloud platform contacts in one place.
5) Practice with Tabletop & Live Restore Tests
- Tabletop drills: Walk through a ransomware scenario with leadership, IT, finance, legal, and comms.
- Live tests: Restore a representative workload on a schedule to verify timing and steps match your RTO/RPO.
6) Security Controls to Prevent Reinfection
- EDR/XDR on endpoints and servers.
- Network segmentation and least-privilege access.
- Patch management and MFA everywhere (especially admin accounts).
- Email/web filtering and user awareness training.
7) Communication & Decision Framework
- Who declares an incident? Who talks to staff, clients, and (if needed) regulators?
- Pre-approved templates for internal and external updates.
- Escalation tree for executives, legal, PR, cyber insurance, and law enforcement.
The Bottom Line
Backups take the sting out of ransomware—but only a tested recovery plan turns disaster into a manageable event. Define your objectives, isolate and test backups, script failover/failback, and rehearse the playbook with the right people at the table.
Have questions about cybersecurity or other IT concerns? Contact F8 Consulting for a free consultation to review your backup posture and recovery plan so you’re ready long before you ever need that spare tire.