Air Gap Backups Can Save You from Fines and Frustration if Attacked by Ransomware

As COVID-19 forces businesses to rely on online systems to operate, ransomware attacks are on the rise. On October 1, the U.S. Department of Treasury issued an advisory statement to victims who may attempt to make ransomware payments.

According to the Treasury, paying cybercriminals encourages future attacks and does not guarantee that the victim will regain access to stolen data. Therefore, victims who pay the ransom to get their data back could face significant fines from the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

How Can I Protect My Business?

Typically, ransomware takes over a victim’s machine and demands money in exchange for access to stolen information. The best way to prevent ransomware attacks is to create offline data copies, also known as air gap backups. The concept is simple: devices that aren’t connected to a network cannot be attacked remotely.

Using the 3 – 2 – 1 Backup Strategy

The most common way to create air gap backups is the 3 – 2 – 1 strategy. First, the company makes three copies of their data, one primary copy and two secondary copies. Next, the data is stored in at least two different types of media. One of these types of media is then kept offsite in a secure location.

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Our comprehensive cybersecurity monitoring and compliance solution, YeoSecure, transforms the way companies detect, investigate and respond to cyber threats. YeoSecure provides 24/7/365, enterprise-grade cybersecurity monitoring and support while cutting costs and keeping your IT team from scrambling to detect and troubleshoot cyberattacks.

Learn more about how YeoSecure can help your organization detect, respond, and comply.