Backups as both protection and risk.
WHY BACKUPS ARE BOTH
They are what saves you.
They also contain everything, in one place.
WHAT TO DO
Encrypt them Control who can access them Keep at least one copy separated from your live systems
THE SEPARATION POINT
A backup reachable from a compromised machine is encrypted or deleted along with everything else.
That is how ransomware defeats backups.
WHAT SEPARATION MEANS
Offline, or on a service the affected account cannot alter.
WHAT TO TEST
That a restore actually works.
An untested backup is an assumption.
HOW OFTEN TO TEST
Annually at minimum.
WHAT TO KEEP
Several versions from different dates.
A single recent backup may already contain a problem you have not noticed.
WHAT TO PROTECT
Access to the backup system itself.
WHAT TO CHECK
That backups are running, and that they include what you think.
WHAT PEOPLE DISCOVER
That something important was never included.
