About this episode

This episode discusses how to protect backups from ransomware and the importance of immutability in backup systems.

How to protect backups from ransomware starts with a hard truth: attackers aren't just encrypting your data anymore, they're stealing it first — and no backup system on earth undoes an exfiltration. In this encore episode of The Backup Wrap-Up, Curtis and Prasanna dig into what real immutability looks like versus the marketing version, why root access quietly undermines most "immutable" storage claims, the difference between virtual and true physical air gaps, and the exact questions you should be firing at your backup vendor before you trust them with your last line of defense. This one's an encore for a reason — it was one of the most listened-to episodes in the show's history, with listeners sticking around for the full runtime and then some. That's the kind of signal that tells you it's worth a second run. Along the way, they cover S3 object lock and what actually happens if your account gets deleted or your credit card stops working, why compromised admin credentials are involved in the majority of attacks and what your vendor should be able to undo, and why bit rot — rare, but nasty when it's silent — still belongs on your checklist. If you manage backup or DR for a living…

People in this episode

Host: W. Curtis Preston

Guest: Prasanna

Topics covered

• backup protection
• ransomware
• data security
• immutable storage
• backup vendor questions
• disaster recovery

Keywords

• backups
• ransomware protection
• immutable storage
• data exfiltration
• air gaps
• backup vendors
• bit rot

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: S3, Ransomware

More episodes of The Backup Wrap-Up

• Ransomware Response Checklist: Prevent It, Slow It, Survive It · July 20, 2026 · 36 min
• What Is Data Deduplication? (Encore) · July 6, 2026 · 46 min
• The REDCap Attack that Phishing-Resistant MFA Could Have Stopped · June 22, 2026 · 34 min
• California Election Fraud? (Pt 2) · June 15, 2026 · 36 min

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