Website backups: keep a copy the live site cannot reach
Keep a backup where the live site cannot reach it. A copy the attack can still open can be deleted or encrypted with the live files. The CISA, MS-ISAC, NSA, and FBI #StopRansomware Guide, an update of the September 2020 guide and marked September 2023, says to maintain offline, encrypted backups of critical data and to test their availability and integrity regularly.
It says many ransomware variants try to find and then delete or encrypt accessible backups so restoration is impossible unless the ransom is paid.
Does restoring a backup guarantee a clean site?
No. The same guide says care is required to identify dropper malware before rebuilding from backups, so the compromise does not continue. It also says to restore from offline, encrypted backups according to which services are critical. A backup taken after a bad write can restore the bad write, and if the older copy is bad too, the site is still bad.
Is there a cleanup price on this page?
No. This guide does not add a cleanup rate. Current hosting scope and price are on managed hosting.
Related reading
Key takeaways
- Keep a backup where the live site cannot reach it.
- Restoring a backup does not guarantee a clean site.
- This guide does not add a cleanup rate.
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