The creation and storage of golden copies is a key process for recovering data that has been compromised by ransomware, but many organizations are looking to improve their recovery capabilities by storing multiple copies in multiple places both on-premises and in cloud storage services.

Introduction

In our recent Voice of the Enterprise (VotE): Storage, Data Management and Disaster Recovery 2021 study, 62% of respondents had a high level of confidence (extremely confident or very confident) in their ability to recover their data after a ransomware incident. The creation and storage of golden copies is a key process for recovering data that has been compromised by ransomware, but many organizations are looking to improve their recovery capabilities by storing multiple copies in multiple places both on-premises and in cloud storage services.

451 TAKE

Ransomware has been a key concern for organizations in recent years, and in our VotE: Storage, Data Management and Disaster Recovery 2021 study, 73% of respondents claimed their organizations were increasing their spending on data protection as a result of the potential threat of ransomware. Backups and the golden copies that facilitate clean data restorations are the last line of defense when ransomware seizes control of an organization’s infrastructure and cuts off access to data.

The strategies on where and how these golden copies are stored are still up for debate. With service providers enhancing their ability to create and manage immutable storage, cloud storage is becoming a viable option for storing remote golden copies and providing customers with the benefits of elasticity and a remote recovery site.

Many end users would benefit from revamping their data protection and disaster recovery infrastructure by securing backup copies stored with a physical air gap or using immutable storage, and by adding proactive security tools to warn of potential ransomware incidents, such as suspicious file encryption activities. Organizations need to treat ransomware like other disasters, and ensure that runbooks and business continuity plans are in place and constantly tested to ensure they can facilitate a reliable and rapid recovery when the time comes. Although the majority of organizations in the study have taken steps to protect against ransomware, there is likely room for improvement, even though some have already pulled off successful recovery operations.