Net Friends uses immutable backups as part of their regular backup strategy. An immutable backup is a copy of your data that, once written, cannot be modified, encrypted, or deleted for a predefined period of time. The word "immutable" literally means "unchangeable."
How Does It Work?
Immutable backups achieve this protection by using technologies that apply a temporary "lock" or use a Write Once, Read Many (WORM) model on the backup file.
WORM technology ensures that once the data is saved, it can be read and recovered as many times as needed, but it is physically or logically impossible to overwrite or delete it until its retention period expires. The standard retention period is 1 year.
The "lock" is typically enforced by the backup software or the underlying storage system (like cloud object storage), making the backup tamper-proof, even from users with administrative privileges.
Why Does this Matter?
Immutable backups are considered the last line of defense in modern data protection, primarily against ransomware.
- Ransomware Protection: Sophisticated ransomware often targets and encrypts or deletes traditional backups to prevent recovery and force a ransom payment. Since an immutable backup cannot be changed, it provides a clean, guaranteed recovery point to restore your systems without paying the criminals.
- Protection Against Insider Error: It safeguards against an accidental action by an employee or administrator.
- Compliance: The unchangeable nature of the data helps organizations meet strict regulatory requirements that mandate keeping records in an unalterable format for a specified duration.
In simple terms, an immutable backup guarantees you always have an untouched copy of your critical data, regardless of what happens to your live systems or other backups.
