Cloud Storage, Ransomware Defense, and the Bigger Picture of Data Durability

Does cloud storage provide better ransomware protection than comparable on-premises solutions? The simple answer is “yes,” for several reasons, including greater flexibility and more geographic options than most organizations can afford in their own data centers. Success is not guaranteed, however, and ransomware defense and recovery depend on using the right tools while also defining and enforcing effective policies. For example, the most effective countermeasure to mitigate ransomware threats is an immutable backup, which prevents an attacker from encrypting backed-up data.  

Dealing with ransomware is also part of a bigger picture that includes backup and disaster recovery (DR) and data durability. You should consider all of these factors when assessing potential cloud storage platforms. This article explores these interlocking puzzle pieces. The goal is to provide you with a sense of how ransomware protection aligns with broader data security and business continuity priorities. 

How to design a cloud storage strategy that supports ransomware recovery 

It is possible to recover from a ransomware attack, even a bad one, without paying the ransom. Backups are critical for achieving this outcome. Cloud storage backups, in particular, offer an architecture that facilitates full, fast ransomware recovery. For a cloud storage strategy to support ransomware recovery, it must define policies for immutable backup. Wasabi Object Lock enables immutability, while Wasabi Multi-User Authentication adds an extra layer of ransomware defense by requiring multiple users to approve changes to data and policies. Read our foolproof cloud backup strategy to get an in-depth guide on how to design a ransomware-proof cloud storage strategy.

The importance of immutable backups 

Immutable backups, which prevent anyone from modifying or deleting backed-up data, offer a robust defense against ransomware. (Immutable is just another word for “unchangeable.”) With immutability, you have a surefire way to store backups so the data can never be encrypted by ransomware. Immutable backups are available in some cloud storage solutions. Wasabi’s Object Lock, for example, enables users to designate files or “objects” to be immutable. Object Lock provides data policy management that lets users set a time window during which an object is immutable, after which it can be altered or deleted.  

Can I hide my data from attackers? 

The intensity of the ransomware threat may make you wish you could hide your data from attackers. Now, you can. It is possible to make your data invisible. Hackers cannot breach what they cannot see. Wasabi Covert Copy realizes this countermeasure by enabling you to create a locked copy of your S3 bucket. It is immutable, meaning it’s impervious to attack. It’s also invisible and completely isolated from all programmatic and UI access. This feature provides a virtual air gap to protect your data. 

Selecting the right cloud object storage provider 

You have several cloud storage options for backup and DR. In general, the cloud is a better platform for backup and DR because of its infinite scalability, flexible utilization, and geographic distribution. However, the way you architect for cloud backup and disaster recovery, along with the tools you deploy, will have a big impact on how well cloud storage works for you in this use case.  

Your choice of cloud storage platform will also affect administrative efficiency, compliance, and complexity. Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage, for example, provides a cyber-resilient storage service that is well suited to the demands of backup and DR. Compatibility and integration with over 350 applications make Wasabi easy to deploy and simple to maintain. Wasabi Object Lock and Multi-User Authentication protect your backed-up data from improper access and tampering. Wasabi also complies with numerous regulations, including HIPAA, GDPR, and FERPA. 

Which storage platforms support granular retention policies for compliance data? 

Granularity can be a big source of stress for storage managers tasked with defining and enforcing data retention policies. There’s the real risk that you’ll inadvertently delete data that should have been preserved to stay in compliance with the law. Alternatively, suppose you store data beyond your policy’s stated time limit. You may be exposing your organization to legal liability, e.g., if your lawyers claim that data has automatically been deleted, and is therefore not available as evidence in a lawsuit, only to have it appear upon search later on.  

Some storage platforms make granular retention significantly easier. Wasabi Object Replication, for one, offers a solution. After configuring your data replication policies, all added objects in the source bucket will be synchronously copied to the designated bucket in the storage region of your choice within the selected geography. A best practice is to replicate new and existing objects, so all data is available in each bucket. Coupled with Wasabi Account Control Manager, Object Replication enables granular governance of data retention policies. 

How can I compare durability SLAs across object storage providers? 

How do you compare data durability SLAs across object storage providers? Assuming minimum requirements are met for cloud object storage, you would be wise to compare storage providers according to the following data durability criteria: 

• Is the solution engineered for “11 9’s” – 99.999999999 durability and 99.99% uptime? 

• Is data available even if one region of the storage provider’s infrastructure is lost, e.g., due to a natural disaster? 

• Does the provider use top-tier and redundant data centers? 

• Is data durability included in the cloud object storage provider’s service level agreement? 

Which object storage platforms provide built-in tools for data integrity and durability? 

Do object storage platforms automatically provide built-in tools for data integrity and durability? Not all platforms have the same capabilities. If you’re looking for platforms that are designed for data integrity and durability, investigate and determine if they have the following design and functionality: 

• A redundant architecture that replicates data across multiple RAID drives to mitigate data loss in the event of a drive failure.  

• Data replication across regions. 

• “11 9’s” of data durability. 

• Versioning and immutable storage make it impossible for data to be accidentally deleted or modified. 

The Wasabi solution for ransomware, data durability, and DR 

Wasabi’s cloud object storage solutions provide robust ransomware defense and recovery through immutable backups, access controls, and policy enforcement. The platform has features for data durability, including “11 9’s” and protections against accidental deletion or modification. Wasabi enables disaster recovery and, more broadly, cyber-resilient storage. By combining zero trust with immutability, covert copies, and fast, streamlined recovery, Wasabi helps you protect your data against today’s most serious threat vectors.