Managed Backups & Immutable Storage

The backup that’s never been tested is not a backup. It’s a hope.

Almost every business that loses data to ransomware or hardware failure had backups. The problem usually isn't that backups didn't exist. The problem is that the backup was stored on the same network the ransomware encrypted, or the backup job had been silently failing for three weeks before anyone noticed, or the restore process had never been tested so when someone tried to execute it under pressure it didn't work the way they thought it would.

An effective backup program has three properties that most informal setups lack: it's automated and monitored so failures are caught before they matter, it's stored in a way that can survive the incident it's meant to recover from, and it's been tested with an actual restore operation — not just a status check confirming the job ran.

We design, deploy, and actively manage your backup infrastructure so that when you need to recover, the answer is a documented procedure with a known outcome — not a scramble.

What's covered

• Backup architecture design covering all critical data sources: workstations, servers, cloud platforms, SaaS applications, and line-of-business systems
• Automated backup scheduling with monitoring — backup job failures generate alerts, not silence
• Offsite and cloud-based backup storage with encryption in transit and at rest
• Immutable backup storage — backups written to storage that cannot be modified or deleted by ransomware or an attacker with network access
• Air-gapped backup copies for critical data in high-risk environments
• Documented recovery procedures specific to your systems and your Recovery Time and Recovery Point Objectives
• Quarterly recovery testing with documented results — actual file and system restores, not synthetic validation
• Backup retention configuration meeting your compliance requirements — FTC Safeguards, HIPAA, and cyber insurance policy minimums
• Monthly backup reporting as part of your security program documentation

Why this matters for your compliance program

FTC Safeguards requires a data backup and recovery program as part of your written information security plan. HIPAA requires a data backup plan as an addressable implementation specification under the contingency plan standard. Both frameworks expect that the backup program is documented, tested, and maintained — not just running.

For ransomware specifically, immutable storage is the control that determines whether a ransomware attack is a recoverable incident or an existential one. Ransomware that can reach your backups will encrypt them. Backups stored in immutable storage cannot be touched regardless of what happens to the rest of your environment. The cost of that protection is trivial compared to the cost of the alternative.