SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/tech-isolated-backups

Why should at least one backup be isolated from production systems?

Isolation helps stop ransomware from reaching the backup.

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  1. To block ransomware spread ✔
  2. To make files larger
  3. To replace access controls

Why: A continuously reachable backup may be encrypted or deleted by the same compromised credentials or malware. Isolation creates a recovery copy outside that attack path.

Huh, didn't know that: Isolation may be physical, logical, or enforced through immutable storage controls.

The dad joke
The backup took a quiet vacation where ransomware had no address.
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References

Answer: To block ransomware spread. A continuously reachable backup may be encrypted or deleted by the same compromised credentials or malware. Isolation creates a recovery copy outside that attack path.

  1. NIST Ransomware Tips and Tactics www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2021/05/nist-releases-tips-and-tactics-dealing-ransomware
    make sure that backups are kept isolated so ransomware can’t readily spread to them
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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