Backup strategies protect against increased threat of zero-day attacks

IT managers must combine backup and recovery strategy with their security policies

22 October 2008 - Acronis is urging IT managers to merge their security policies with their backup and recovery procedures in the wake of the increasing threat of zero-day attacks.

As hackers get smarter, the strength of threats such as zero-day attacks (essentially when unknown or unpatched vulnerability is exploited in the window between a vendor identifying a virus and when the vendor patch is issued) means that security vendors are struggling to offer adequate protection to companies meaning business critical applications, such as ERP and database servers, are vulnerable to downtime.

The speed and complexity of such threats means that the parameters of security are shifting outside of its traditional realm. As such, Acronis is strongly advising companies to consider how they backup and recover their files, operating systems and applications in tandem with their security policies. In essence, having the constant ability to roll back to an uninfected state guarantees security even when anti-virus systems aren't installed.

'Many presume that their chosen security vendor will protect them, but unfortunately by the time antivirus / security companies have provided a patch for a security breach, it is often too late,' comments Kevin Moreau, general manager UK and Ireland. 'If they are affected by a zero-day attack, IT managers need to be able to roll their IT systems back to the last known good state before the attack took place. This is a fundamental part of any backup and recovery strategy, and one that should be tightly integrated within a company's broader security policy to ensure business as usual, as quickly as possible.'

Acronis offers these tips to IT managers:

• Be prepared for a zero-day attack by employing a backup and recovery solution which allows you to roll back to the last know 'good' state before your systems become corrupt;
• Take a holistic approach and consider your backup and recovery policy as an extension of your existing security strategy;
• It's all too easy to forget the recovery aspect of backup and recovery solutions. In fact, 89 per cent of companies only test their DR systems once a year or less. Speak to your provider to see how they can help you recover if you fall victim to a zero-day attack.