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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →A backup plan is ransomware-resilient only when you can retrieve a clean copy, rebuild the systems it depends on, and verify that the restored service works. Keep encrypted copies of critical data, isolate at least one copy from routine production access, and practice recovery in a separate environment. CISA’s #StopRansomware Guide puts the core requirement plainly: “Maintain offline, encrypted backups of critical data, and regularly test the availability and integrity of backups in a disaster recovery scenario.”
Start with what must recover
Build the plan around business services, not just folders or backup jobs. A service may depend on identity systems, network configuration, applications, databases, licenses, or specific hardware. If those dependencies are unavailable, having the service’s data files may not be enough to bring it back.
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- List critical services and the data and systems each requires.
- Map dependencies, including identity and access systems, software, configuration, and hardware.
- Set a recovery order based on business priorities, and identify who can authorize and carry out each step.
- Keep asset inventories, recovery instructions, and other essential documentation available through a path independent of the production environment.
CISA recommends prioritizing recovery around critical services and their dependencies. Its guide also advises keeping asset and recovery documentation safely available offline.
Keep a copy ransomware cannot readily reach
Maintain multiple copies of critical data, with at least one offline or otherwise isolated from routine production access. Backups reachable through the same accounts, endpoints, or network paths as production may also be exposed if those systems are compromised. CISA, the FBI, and partner agencies recommend multiple copies in physically separate, segmented, secure locations in their Play ransomware advisory.
#1 Best Overall
- Easily store and access 2TB to content on the go with the Seagate Portable Drive, a USB external hard drive
- Designed to work with Windows or Mac computers, this external hard drive makes backup a snap just drag and drop
- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition no software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
For cloud backups, consider separate accounts or providers where appropriate, along with version history and controls that restrict deletion or overwriting. Cloud-to-cloud backups and immutable or object-lock storage can add useful layers, but they do not guarantee recoverability: account configuration, access control, retention settings, and restore procedures still matter. CISA cautions that immutable storage can be misconfigured, costly, or unsuitable for some compliance requirements.
Use these questions to compare approaches:
- Isolation: Are backup accounts and network paths separated from production identities and routine access?
- Deletion resistance: Can compromised credentials delete, overwrite, or shorten retention?
- Separation: Is there a physically separate location or independent account/provider?
- Coverage: Do backups include the systems and data needed for each critical service?
- Recovery: Can you retrieve copies and restore them at a speed and in a format your business can use?
- Access: Can authorized staff recover credentials and encryption keys without relying on the affected environment?
- Operations: Can your team maintain the configuration, retention, and testing process, given its cost and compliance obligations?
Protect backup data, credentials, and keys
Encrypt backup data and restrict backup-system privileges to the people and processes that need them. Keep recovery keys and access instructions protected, but make them available through a recovery path that does not depend on potentially compromised production systems. A 2022 joint advisory from CISA and partner agencies recommends keeping backup keys offline.
If you use an external hard drive or other removable device for offline backups, disconnect it when it is not actively backing up. CISA warns that an attached external drive may be exposed to ransomware; its device-data guidance also advises keeping recovery keys and passwords safely available.
Rank #2
- Easily store and access 5TB of content on the go with the Seagate portable drive, a USB external hard Drive
- Designed to work with Windows or Mac computers, this external hard drive makes backup a snap just drag and drop
- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
Save what you need to rebuild, not just the data
Keep current golden images for critical systems, along with version-controlled infrastructure-as-code templates stored offline. Preserve applicable software or executables, licenses, escrow agreements, configuration settings, and recovery documentation. These materials can be as important as the backed-up data when you need to rebuild a service.
Do not assume an image will work on every replacement platform. Account for hardware and platform compatibility, and retain alternate rebuild materials where needed. CISA’s guide identifies golden images, offline infrastructure-as-code templates, and related recovery dependencies as part of preparation.
Rank #3
- Easily store and access 1TB to content on the go with the Seagate Portable Drive, a USB external hard drive.Specific uses: Personal
- Designed to work with Windows or Mac computers, this external hard drive makes backup a snap just drag and drop. Reformatting may be required for Mac
- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition no software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
Run a restore exercise that proves the plan works
Schedule exercises at an interval your organization defines according to system criticality and how often systems change. CISA calls for regular tests but does not set a universal cadence in the cited guidance. A restore exercise should show not only that a backup exists, but that people can access it, rebuild dependencies, and use the recovered service.
- Choose a representative target. Select critical data and a system or service whose recovery matters to the business.
- Prepare an isolated recovery environment. Keep the exercise separate from production and use clean systems so malware is not reintroduced.
- Retrieve the backup independently. Test the access path without relying on production credentials; confirm that the required recovery keys and instructions are available.
- Restore and verify. Check backup integrity, open or use the restored files, and rebuild a representative system or service with its required configuration and dependencies.
- Record the outcome. Log what was restored, what failed, elapsed time, missing dependencies, and access-control problems. Assign an owner and due date to each corrective action.
- Update and repeat. Revise the plan after the exercise, and retest after significant changes to systems, accounts, or backup arrangements.
Use clean recovery systems and take care not to reintroduce malware. CISA’s guide recommends regular availability and integrity tests in a disaster-recovery scenario and advises recovery teams to avoid reinfecting clean systems. The steps above turn those recommendations into a practical exercise; they are not a CISA-prescribed test script.
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Rank #4
- Easily store and access 4TB of content on the go with the Seagate Portable Drive, a USB external hard drive.Specific uses: Personal
- Designed to work with Windows or Mac computers, this external hard drive makes backup a snap just drag and drop
- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition no software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
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