How do you protect backups from ransomware?

Protect backups from ransomware with layered controls: separate backup administration, phishing-resistant MFA, least-privilege access, network isolation, immutable or offline copies, encryption, monitoring, and regular restore testing. These controls reduce the chance that attackers can delete, alter, or misuse recovery copies.

Protection should also include integrity validation. A preserved backup can still contain encrypted, corrupted, or malicious data, so teams need evidence that the recovery point itself is clean before they restore it.

Last updated May 27, 2026