IT advice - backing up

[Markymark]

I know 2 businesses from work who've been hit from a crytpovirus (ransomware) and I need to up my security.

We are careful with what we open and screen attachments for macros etc but I know we're only one click away from being hit. I have created scripts for backups which was designed for computer failure more than anything. It backs up everything daily to a NAS. My understanding though is the the crytpovirus will also encrypt all mapped drives. Cloud backup is not really feasible due to typical days handling 10Gb+ files.

My understanding is the safest backup is still rotating USB sticks. As I like automating everything, is there a hub that can automatically switch? I have seen many hubs but my worry is that a virus will encrypt on all plugged in leaving us with nothing safe. Is there anything that can be set to rotate say daily? I can do manually, but again, I prefer to automate rather than replying on people remembering which could leave us vulnerable.

 

[Crackle]

Tape or a separate data centre and the pipe to do it. Cost is proportionate to your business cost. What would such a scenario do to your business and what would it cost you. I have no idea what you do or what your IT setup is but don't be half arsed about it. And yes I've done it for real when I had to move a whole call centre from Manchester to Birmingham overnight.

 

[Tin Pot]

If you're using scripts, then unmap the drive and have them write the backup to the IP share instead.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

As above. How much is your data worth to you at the end of the day?
Tapes (dependent of size DLT/LTO2 etc) a proper off site backup routine (companies will come and collect your tape/s daily) or just piped off site are all option.

the question is how big is the company, what are you prepared to spend and who is doing the back up. Is your data even on a server or just on local machines scattered around an office?

 

[Tin Pot]

Tape or a separate data centre and the pipe to do it. Cost is proportionate to your business cost. What would such a scenario do to your business and what would it cost you. I have no idea what you do or what your IT setup is but don't be half arsed about it. And yes I've done it for real when I had to move a whole call centre from Manchester to Birmingham overnight.

I'd agree here - figure out the value of the data, and spend accordingly.

How much of that 10Gb generated daily is creative effort as opposed to data copied in from elsewhere, what's the impact to daily operations and revenue generation etc.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Tape; at least three sets of rotating media - though I'm a fan of keeping daily backups Mon-Thu on a two week cycle, Fri backups on a four/five times a month cycle and monthly backups kept for 13 months. Ideally the only tapes to be kept onsite being the ones in the drive.

Plus a second tier of backup for any/all mission critical stuff.

 

[Crackle]

Small business, get a couple of big drives, sort out an incremental back up and a rota, so one of the drives is always off site. More drives more flexibility. Medium business, more users, set up a tape backup etc... to scale.

 

[Profpointy]

and do a recovery test from time to time. There is the concept of "write only backups" ...

A number of people have found to their cost, the backups they were religiously taking were blank, or otherwise unrecoverable

 

[Markymark]

Ok thanks all. Value of data not huge, mostly convenience. 3 day old data won't be a massive problem.

Currently backup to NAS daily. Backup to off site memory stick weekly.

Data are from 3 pcs. No server. Scripts I wrote are powershell and it works fine. But backups are to mapped drives.

Is backup to unmapped drives secure from crypto virus?

 

[Tin Pot]

Ok thanks all. Value of data not huge, mostly convenience. 3 day old data won't be a massive problem.

Currently backup to NAS daily. Backup to off site memory stick weekly.

Data are from 3 pcs. No server. Scripts I wrote are powershell and it works fine. But backups are to mapped drives.

Is backup to unmapped drives secure from crypto virus?

From the ones I've seen as they are quite simply only looking for mapped drives.

It's conceivable that malware could scan the network you're on for any IPs you have access to, so I would look to limit network access permissions and logon as a non-admin user as well.

I would have one place for resilience (script the unmapped backup there) overwritten daily, then another 'archive' from there to a second location for a longer period.

However - bear in mind that you are focussing all your effort on one specific type of attack, when a multitude are possible.

 

[mybike]

I found Carbonite quite good, sadly I've moved away from MS Windows so I can't use them any more. They do services tailored to all sizes of businesses.

If anyone has a foolproof way of backing up Linux to a NAS I'd appreciate any ideas. What I've tried hasn't worked.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

If anyone has a foolproof way of backing up Linux to a NAS I'd appreciate any ideas. What I've tried hasn't worked.

My husband suggests you use the tar command (zip file) and look at this site http://www.tldp.org/LDP/lame/LAME/linux-admin-made-easy/server-backup.html
Hope it helps. SNSSO

 

[Markymark]

My husband suggests you use the tar command (zip file) and look at this site http://www.tldp.org/LDP/lame/LAME/linux-admin-made-easy/server-backup.html
Hope it helps. SNSSO

Ta(r)!

 

[mybike]

My husband suggests you use the tar command (zip file) and look at this site http://www.tldp.org/LDP/lame/LAME/linux-admin-made-easy/server-backup.html
Hope it helps. SNSSO

Unlike someone I won't say the obvious, but thank him on my behalf. I'll read it when I can keep my eye open.

 

[Tin Pot]

Ta(r)!

Bear in mind (there are a lot of bears in IT), that you need the space to extract the tar ball before you execute the restore...

And that your backup is as good as the last test restore you did(!)