The Zero Trust model has emerged as a game-changing approach to data backup and security. With the proliferation of cyberattacks in recent years, traditional security measures are no longer sufficient. In 2023 alone, it is projected that cybercrime will cost businesses around the world over $8 trillion. This staggering figure underscores the urgent need for companies to adopt a more comprehensive approach to data protection.
Backup and recovery solutions are critical components of any organization's data protection strategy. Traditional backup solutions that rely on perimeter-based security measures are no longer safe enough to help organizations face today's threat landscape.
Limitations of the Traditional Security Model for Backup Strategies
Organizations that use a traditional security model for their backup strategy will face the constant risk of emerging cyberthreats. This is due to insufficient capabilities such as lack of encryption, weak access controls, limited monitoring, vulnerable backup storage systems, and slow recovery times.
Without strong access controls in place for backup data, unauthorized users may be able to view or modify backup data. Organizations need to continuously monitor their backup data for security threats, including unauthorized access and data exfiltration attempts.
On top of this, backup data is often stored on physical media without proper encryption, making it vulnerable to theft or damage. If the physical media containing the backup is lost or damaged, it may become inaccessible or unusable. Most organizations depend on a single backup storage system, which creates a single point of failure. If this storage system is compromised, all the backup data may be lost.
How does a Zero Trust Approach Benefit Data Backup Strategies?
A data-centric approach that protects not only data but the network as well is what organizations need, and that's exactly what Zero Trust technology does. The basic principles of Zero Trust include: verify explicitly, limit access controls, assume a breach, segment the network, and monitor continuously. Let's look in depth at how each of these principles can be applied to a data backup strategy.
Verify explicitly: With Zero Trust, all users and devices are authenticated before being granted access to backup data. Further, implementing multi-factor authentication helps prevent unauthorized access.
Limit access control: The Zero Trust model follows the principle of least privilege. The backup operators are given the lowest access permissions required to perform their tasks. Backup solutions should be configured to give access to data on a need-to-know basis, reducing the risk of data breaches, which in turn makes the security model more resilient.
Assume a breach: Zero Trust assumes that a security breach has already occurred or will occur in the future. Similarly, a comprehensive data backup solution should recognize the risk of compromise and offer mitigation strategies to plan data protection accordingly. It is ideal to follow the 3-2-1-1 backup rule, which recommends keeping three copies of your data, with two copies stored locally in two formats, one copy stored offsite, and one copy in an immutable state.
Segment the network: Segmentation is the best way to stop the spread of an attack, as it divides the entire network into smaller compartments. The traffic between these compartments is controlled using strict access controls and firewalls. When attackers infiltrate the backup infrastructure, security teams can quickly act to quarantine the attack.
Monitor continuously: All backup network activity, including users, devices, applications, and data, is continuously monitored. The Zero Trust model uses analytics and automation to detect new patterns of user behavior and automatically block or restrict access. The backup and recovery schedules are regularly tested to ensure their effectiveness and reliability.
The bottom line is injecting the trust factor into your security systems. In the 2022 Uber breach, an attacker successfully invaded Uber's internal servers performing an MFA fatigue attack. With a Zero Trust approach and continuous monitoring of user actions, admins can spot suspicious patterns and block accounts showing unusual behavior.
Similarly, in January 2023, the FAA suffered an outage reportedly caused by a contractor who deleted files while working to correct synchronization between the live primary database and a backup database; with strict access controls and least privilege implemented, the risk of outages caused by accidental deletions is far lower.
It is time you analyze your organization's current backup strategy, evaluate the risks involved, and implement a suitable approach that best protects your data.
Apart from these, it is equally important to consider a few other capabilities in conjunction with the Zero Trust security model to secure your backups, one of those being immutability. Let's take a closer look at immutability and see how it connects to Zero Trust.
Immutability as Part of Your Zero Trust Strategy
Immutable storage, also referred to as write-once-read-many storage, prevents any changes or deletions to data once it has been stored on an immutable storage medium. By leveraging immutable storage in a Zero Trust environment, organizations can create a more resilient data backup strategy. Here are some reasons why immutable storage should be a part of your Zero Trust initiative.
First, since data in immutable storage cannot be tampered with, even if an attacker gains access to it, they won't be able to alter or delete the data in it. This makes immutable storage an effective mechanism against ransomware in which attackers attempt to encrypt data and demand payment to decrypt it.
Second, immutable storage provides an audit trail of all changes made to data, helping with compliance requirements from regulatory mandates such as the GDPR and HIPAA. It helps organizations demonstrate that data has not been modified or deleted without proper authorization.
Third, it enhances data privacy, as sensitive data remains intact. It also supports data integrity by preventing accidental or malicious changes or deletion, which is a critical component of compliance and regulatory standards in sectors like finance and healthcare.
However, as mentioned earlier, immutable storage should be implemented in conjunction with other Zero Trust principles like multi-factor authentication, single sign-on, and role-based access control to provide a comprehensive defense against cyberthreats.
With its advanced approach, a Zero Trust security model solves many of an organization's security challenges. Adopting the Zero Trust model is a critical step in safeguarding business continuity and reputation in the digital age. As more and more organizations adopt a Zero Trust model, backup and recovery solutions need to evolve to meet the rapidly changing needs of the security landscape.