IT managers must combine backup and recovery strategy with their security policies
22 October 2008 - Acronis is
urging IT managers to merge their security policies with their
backup and recovery procedures in the wake of the increasing threat
of zero-day attacks.
As hackers get smarter, the strength of threats
such as zero-day attacks (essentially when unknown or unpatched
vulnerability is exploited in the window between a vendor
identifying a virus and when the vendor patch is issued) means that
security vendors are struggling to offer adequate protection to
companies meaning business critical applications, such as ERP and
database servers, are vulnerable to downtime.
The speed and complexity of such threats means
that the parameters of security are shifting outside of its
traditional realm. As such, Acronis is strongly advising companies
to consider how they backup and recover their files, operating
systems and applications in tandem with their security policies. In
essence, having the constant ability to roll back to an uninfected
state guarantees security even when anti-virus systems aren't
installed.
'Many presume that their chosen security vendor
will protect them, but unfortunately by the time antivirus /
security companies have provided a patch for a security breach, it
is often too late,' comments Kevin Moreau, general manager UK and
Ireland. 'If they are affected by a zero-day attack, IT managers
need to be able to roll their IT systems back to the last known
good state before the attack took place. This is a fundamental part
of any backup and recovery strategy, and one that should be tightly
integrated within a company's broader security policy to ensure
business as usual, as quickly as possible.'
Acronis offers these tips to IT managers:
- Be prepared for a zero-day attack by employing a backup and recovery solution which allows you to roll back to the last know 'good' state before your systems become corrupt;
- Take a holistic approach and consider your backup and recovery policy as an extension of your existing security strategy;
- It's all too easy to forget the recovery aspect of backup and recovery solutions. In fact, 89 per cent of companies only test their DR systems once a year or less. Speak to your provider to see how they can help you recover if you fall victim to a zero-day attack.
About Acronis:
Acronis is a leader in AI-native cyber protection, unifying data protection, cybersecurity, IT operations and hybrid infrastructure to deliver business continuity, security and compliance with less cost and complexity. More than 21,000 service providers trust Acronis to protect over 750,000 businesses in 150 countries. Acronis is headquartered in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. For more information, visit www.acronis.com.