MSPs can make backup and recovery more resilient by separating protected copies from production systems and routine administrator access, keeping at least one offline or isolated copy, protecting encryption keys and deletion controls, covering the systems needed to rebuild, and regularly testing real restores. The service also needs customer-specific recovery targets and written agreements about who protects what. A successful backup job is not proof that a usable system can be recovered.
Why an MSP’s backup design affects every customer
An MSP is part of its customers’ threat surface: an attacker who compromises a provider’s administrative environment may be able to reach multiple customer environments or the backups connected to them. NIST’s MSP-focused guide puts the risk plainly: “When an MSP is vulnerable its customers are vulnerable as well.” NIST NCCoE’s guide to protecting data from ransomware and other data loss addresses this shared exposure.
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That makes backup resilience an operating capability, not simply a storage purchase. Copies help only if they include the right data and configurations, remain accessible after a compromise, and can be restored by the people responsible for recovery.
Separate backup copies from production access
If routine production credentials can alter or delete every backup, a compromise of those credentials can undermine recovery. CISA recommends offline, encrypted backups and regular checks of their availability and integrity. Its joint advisory for MSPs and customers specifically recommends offline backups with separate offline encryption keys. CISA’s StopRansomware guide and the 2022 CISA, FBI, and NSA advisory for MSPs and their customers describe these safeguards.
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- Keep an offline or isolated copy. Ensure at least one recovery copy is not continuously reachable through ordinary production systems and routine administrator access. External media can serve as a separate copy if it is encrypted, disconnected when not in use, stored securely, and incorporated into restore procedures.
- Separate keys and administrative paths. Protect encryption keys independently from the systems and credentials used for everyday administration. Restrict who can access backup infrastructure and who can delete or change protected copies.
- Use deletion protection deliberately. Immutability, object lock, versioning, and other delete-protection controls can make it harder to erase recovery points. Validate the actual configuration, permissions, retention behavior, and recovery process rather than assuming that a storage service’s label guarantees protection.
Immutability is not a replacement for isolated credentials, complete coverage, or restore tests. CISA also cautions that immutable storage can create significant costs or conflict with compliance requirements when it is misconfigured. Match retention and deletion controls to the workload, applicable obligations, and cost model.
Choose backup frequency from each customer’s recovery needs
Agree on recovery point objectives (RPOs)—how much recent data a customer can afford to lose—and recovery time objectives (RTOs)—how quickly priority systems need to be restored. Then set backup frequency, retention, recovery order, and service expectations to fit those targets. The joint MSP advisory links backup frequency to RPOs; there is no single cadence that fits every customer or workload.
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Write down which systems are covered, how much data loss is tolerable, how quickly restoration is expected, and which systems take priority. A target is useful only if the backup schedule and a tested recovery process can support it.
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Include the components needed to rebuild, not just files
Start with an inventory of customer data, systems, configurations, identities, and dependencies. Identify the services that must return first and the prerequisites they rely on. CISA recommends asset inventories, identification of critical assets, secure documentation, and offline copies of key records.
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- Protect system configurations and the data required to restore priority services.
- Keep recovery documentation, configuration records, and key procedures separate from the systems they describe, with protected offline copies where appropriate.
- Preserve golden images and the software or code required to rebuild systems.
- Plan for recovery hardware or a credible alternative when the original equipment may be unavailable or unsuitable.
- Include identities, access paths, encryption keys, and dependencies in recovery planning; a data copy alone may not be enough to bring a service back.
Test restoration as an end-to-end operation
A completed backup job confirms that a process ran; it does not demonstrate that the resulting data is intact, that keys are available, or that the restored service works within the customer’s recovery targets. NIST advises organizations to carefully plan, implement, and test backup and restoration, while CISA calls for regular checks of backup availability and integrity. See NIST’s ransomware recovery tips.
- Select a priority workload and its recovery target. Use the customer’s agreed RPO, RTO, and recovery order to define what the exercise must demonstrate.
- Restore from a protected copy. Use the copy and access path intended to remain available if production or ordinary administrative credentials are compromised.
- Exercise the dependencies. Confirm that authorized people can obtain the necessary credentials and keys, access a clean recovery environment, follow the documentation, and communicate with the customer.
- Verify usability and integrity. Check that restored data is usable and that the priority system or service operates as expected, not merely that files were copied.
- Record timings, gaps, and corrective actions. Compare the result with agreed recovery targets, assign owners to failures, and retest changes that affect recovery.
The exercise should cover the people and processes around the technology as well as the restore itself. A plan with no clear roles, unavailable keys, or inaccessible recovery documentation can fail even when backup data exists.
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Limit the reach of compromised MSP credentials
Segment provider and customer environments, apply least privilege to MSP access, and separate duties where practical. An account used for routine administration should not automatically have unrestricted rights to delete every protected copy across every customer. CISA’s guidance calls for least privilege and separation of duties for MSP access. These controls make isolation more meaningful by limiting what a compromised account can reach.
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Make the MSP-customer boundary explicit
The MSP and customer should agree in writing on the scope and operation of the service. The joint CISA, FBI, and NSA advisory says MSPs should back up provider data and customer data where contractually appropriate, and that customers should require backup services aligned with their resilience and disaster-recovery needs.
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- List covered data, systems, configurations, and exclusions.
- State who owns backup administration, monitoring, retention decisions, keys, and restore authorization.
- Document RPOs, RTOs, backup frequency, retention, and recovery priorities.
- Define how restoration is tested, how results and failures are recorded, and who is responsible for remediation.
- Specify incident notification, escalation, customer participation, and recovery communications.
- Ensure service agreements and incident plans explain responsibilities on both sides, including customer obligations for access, approvals, and recovery decisions.
Clear boundaries prevent a gap in which each party assumes the other is protecting a system or holding the key needed to restore it.
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