No need to hide your backups; air gapped and immutable storage does the job

There was a time in the history of computing when computers had no direct links to the outside world. In many cases, there was a batch system that handled offline tasks sitting alongside a system designated as the online system. The only connection between the batch and online systems was via tape or removable disks. Such was the environment that even here, online systems supported a mix of dumb terminals and even paper tape created offline. Primitive as this seems in comparison to what we have today, it was a reflection of the capabilities afforded by these early iterations of computers.

For those living alongside Boston’s Route 128, a parallel to what we now know as Silicon Valley a full continent away from Boston, computer companies lined up on both sides of the highway. One of those sites belonged to Honeywell and it was during a conference in the late 1970s that Honeywell management unveiled a computer that supported no comms links. Ideal for deploying in a cupboard, out of site and siloed, it was believed to be supporting dumb control units directly connected. After all, who could possibly want a computer deployed in each and every control unit? They simply couldn’t be shrunk to such a size. Totally unreasonable request!

Whether this actually took place or not, it is a story that continues to this day among those working along Route 128. Embellished over time, perhaps, it highlights how some computer companies wanted to leverage a lack of capability turning, what today is affectionally known as, a bug into a feature. However, it does illustrate that back in the early days of computing, not every vendor was thrilled to equip their computers with access to phone lines. What didn’t take long to become a requirement was the need to backup critical business data and this became one of the mandatory processes assigned to that separated batch computer.

Much has changed in the intervening years but the need to backup files remains a prerequisite to ensuring the most basic level of resilience. Where this has taken us to is that today, protection has evolved to where simply backups no longer fulfill the mission they were given. Correct the source, copy it to the backup, and an enterprise becomes vulnerable to criminal behavior. Whether inside or outside the enterprise, bad actors have become adept at targeting the backups whenever ransomware attacks are initiated. Perhaps that server in the cupboard makes sense after all.

Regulatory authorities have become aware of such vulnerabilities and in Europe, it has been the passage of the Digital Operational Resilience Act, or DORA, that comes into effect in January 17, 2025 when regulations will fully apply to financial institutions within the European Union. It will likely see the US and other countries follow suit at some point but for now, it’s a major wake-up call for all enterprises to perform a deep dive into the steps that they initiate to ensure resilience levels sufficient to ward of bad actors initiating ransomware attacks. What has become an elevated priority has been the rule of 3:2:1 and even 3:2:1:x as a means of layering in additional protection.

“With DORA, Europe has pivoted regulations away from mere suggestions to where companies must act,” said Mike Mitsch, ETI-NET Director, Business Development. With a 3:2:1 backup strategy, an enterprise should have 3 copies of their data (i.e. production data and 2 backup copies) on two different media (i.e. disk and tape) with one copy off-site for disaster recovery. Of late though, industry analysts specializing in resilience have begun to add a fourth 1 to the 3-2-1 rule, which stands for immutable.

With this extension to support immutable backups that are saved in a format that can be read but never altered or deleted. Not by anyone, whether admins or operators, such that with 3:2:1:1 that includes a target that is immutable, enterprises can be assured that data corruption can be minimized if not eliminated. Adding an x, replacing the fourth 1, simply implies that there are multiple options available to the enterprise that may include tapping into cloud resources where there are multiple options available to an enterprise in support of both air-gapping and immutable storage.

Air-gapping brings with it the ability to store data offsite. A good practice, as air-gapping will keep stored data offline. Keeping it offline makes it so much more difficult for a ransomware infection to spread to your backups. As these industry security specialists note, “You may be protected even before your IT team realizes they’ve been hit by malicious code.” Immutable storage, whether air-gapped or not, means that you can’t change data and, in so doing, the data is more securely protected. No network connections; no access whatsoever; siloed in relative obscurity; the last step taken to doubly or more precisely triply protect your enterprise.

With ETI-NET’s product suite, NonStop customers can implement strategies that benefit their operations in support of an enterprise. “For example, with BackBox® and QoreStor®, NonStop customers can secure data before it leaves the VTC (Virtual Tape Controller), and realize immutable retention periods, transparent to the NonStop DSM/TC catalog which meet and exceed compliance standards verified through independent 3^rd Party Data Immutability Compliance Assessment.” said Mike Mitsch

“For ETI-NET, compliance with this new European legislation has seen an increased interest in ETI-NET BackBox®, with QoreStor®, to implement and demonstrate backup data immutability utilizing advanced object locking techniques supported by clearly defined separation of duties,” said Mike Mitsch. The response we have seen to DORA and the review of backup rules, including implementing the 3-2-1-x rule (in accordance with current operational standards), has not gone unnoticed at ETI-NET. Working directly with HPE NonStop customers, ETI-NET’s support for various immutable data protection models, these NonStop customers can be assured that they are well on their way to demonstrating compliance with DORA. You can never execute too deep a defense when the data you create is of the highest quality for would be bad actors.”

We may no longer look longingly back at the days when computer systems were deployed with absolutely no connections to the outside world. We may even smile at the idea of deploying a server that is not only air-gapped and is immutable and effectively siloed in an out of the way service cupboard. But such strategies of the past now don’t seem that different to what is now being mandated. Yes, different but in many ways, achieving the same end result. “The good news here is that with ETI-NET, you don’t have to do it yourself as the product ETI-NET delivers today brings these strategies into he twenty-first century, keeping at bay all those bad actors prepared to destroy the integrity of any enterprises’ daily operations.

Establishing immutable storage silos; ever watchful of internal as well as resources including staff and services providers. It’s all part of extending resilience whereby ensuring there’s no compromising of data and if you would like to learn more about the ETI-NET product portfolio and would like to reach out to ETI-NET you can always find us through the use of the contact information, below.

Web – http://etinet.com
Phone – (514) 395 1200