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Your backup is ready for ransomware only if attackers who compromise your devices cannot also destroy or overwrite it—and if you can restore clean, usable data from it. A completed backup job alone proves neither.
Why ransomware can put backups at risk
Ransomware operators may look for backup files and systems reachable from a compromised device, then delete or encrypt them. A backup that stays connected with the same access permissions as your everyday computer may be exposed to the same attack.
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Some attacks also involve data theft. The FBI, CISA and Australia’s ACSC describe double extortion in their Play ransomware advisory, updated June 4, 2025: attackers can steal information as well as encrypt systems. A recoverable backup helps with restoration, but it does not undo data theft.
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Ask whether an attacker using your ordinary device or account could reach, encrypt, delete or overwrite every backup copy. If the answer is yes—or you do not know—the backup is not sufficiently isolated.
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- 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.
- Offline or isolated: At least one critical copy should be unavailable to ordinary compromised devices and credentials. A disconnected drive is one simple home-user option; organizations may use offline or otherwise isolated storage.
- Protected against deletion and overwrite: Version history, retention controls, and immutability or deletion protection can help, where the service and workload support them. Check who can change those settings and whether compromised administrators could bypass them.
- Recoverable independently: Confirm that you can access the backup if the primary computer, network, identity provider, or cloud account is compromised. Protect backup credentials and encryption keys separately.
- Restorable with integrity: Test that recovered files open and that restored systems and data are usable—not just that a backup task reports success.
CISA’s #StopRansomware Guide recommends maintaining offline, encrypted backups of critical data and regularly testing their availability and integrity in a disaster-recovery scenario. Encryption protects confidentiality; it does not by itself prevent a compromised system from deleting an accessible backup.
Can ransomware encrypt my external hard drive?
Yes, if the drive is connected and writable when ransomware reaches the computer. CISA recommends disconnecting an external drive when it is not actively backing up. For personal data stored on a computer, CISA identifies an external hard drive or a properly vetted cloud service as backup options in its device data protection guidance.
For a personal computer
- Choose an external drive or a cloud backup service you have vetted for your needs.
- Back up important files, then disconnect the external drive when the backup is finished.
- Periodically restore a few files to a separate location and open them to confirm they are usable.
CISA’s concise advice is: “Frequently back up your data to reduce the risk of permanent data loss.”
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- 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.
Are cloud backups protected from ransomware?
Not automatically. Cloud synchronization and backup are not the same thing: a sync service can copy encrypted local files to the cloud, or propagate deletions and overwrite unaffected versions. Check the actual service settings rather than assuming that a cloud copy is an independent backup.
Before relying on a cloud option, verify its version history and retention period, protection against deletion or overwrite, recovery process, and how you regain access if your main account is compromised. Also consider whether backup credentials are separate from everyday credentials, where the data is stored, and whether a second provider or location is warranted. No single setting makes a cloud account invulnerable.
How should an organization compare backup strategies?
Different controls address different failure modes. Compare them against your recovery needs, not just their labels. CISA’s LockBit advisory describes the 3-2-1 strategy as guidance from Australia’s ACSC and recommends multiple copies in physically separate, segmented, secure locations; no arrangement is a guarantee.
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- 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.
| Approach | Isolation from compromise | Deletion and overwrite resistance | Recovery and operational considerations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disconnected or offline copy | Strong while genuinely offline or isolated from ordinary network access and credentials. | Not reachable for remote deletion while disconnected; handling and access still need protection. | May take manual effort to connect and restore; test access, integrity, and recovery time in your environment. |
| Versioned cloud backup | Depends on account separation, access controls, and whether compromised credentials can reach the backup. | Version history can help recover prior files; retention and deletion protections vary by service and configuration. | Check account recovery, restore workflow, retention costs, and whether the provider or identity system is also a dependency. |
| Immutable or deletion-protected storage | Depends on how it is administered and whether attackers can alter policies or credentials. | Can restrict changes or deletion for a configured period, if correctly set up and supported. | Validate permissions, retention, recovery access, cost, and compliance fit; immutability is not a universal drop-in solution. |
| Copies across separate locations or systems | Geographic or vendor separation can reduce shared-failure exposure, but only if access paths are also considered. | Protection depends on the controls at each location. | More copies and vendors can add resilience, but also add complexity, cost, and recovery coordination. |
What should an organization be able to restore?
Start with the services the organization must bring back, then identify the systems, data, people, credentials, and external dependencies each service needs. A backup plan that covers files but omits the systems needed to use them may not restore the business.
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- Inventory critical information and systems, set restoration priorities, and map dependencies.
- Keep critical copies offline or otherwise isolated from ordinary compromised credentials and network access. Encrypt backups and protect encryption keys.
- Where appropriate, configure versioning and deletion protection or immutability; validate who can change the controls and how long copies are retained.
- Maintain recovery plans and current golden images or equivalent rebuild materials. Make necessary source code, installers, licenses, and configuration documentation accessible to responders.
- Protect backup infrastructure and credentials, and ensure the people who will restore systems can access them during an incident.
CISA offers a tiered Ransomware Readiness Assessment for organizations reviewing defense and recovery practices. Legal, regulatory, retention, and recovery-time requirements differ, so align the design with your organization’s obligations and operational needs.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How do I test whether my backup works?
Test restoration, not just backup completion. CISA’s guide calls for testing backup availability and integrity in a disaster-recovery scenario. The test should show that authorized responders can obtain the data and rebuild or restore what the organization needs.
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.
- Choose a representative recovery target. Select important files, a system, or a service and identify its dependencies.
- Use the documented recovery path. Confirm responders can reach the backup and obtain required credentials or encryption keys without relying on a compromised production system.
- Restore to a safe test location. Avoid overwriting production data during a test.
- Verify integrity and usability. Check that files open, expected data is present, and rebuilt systems can perform their required role.
- Record the outcome and correct failures. Document access issues, missing materials, configuration gaps, and elapsed recovery steps; update the plan and test again after material changes.
For home users, a practical test is to restore selected files to a different folder or device and open them. For organizations, exercise recovery in a scenario that reflects how production systems, identities, or networks could be unavailable.
If ransomware is active now
This is preparedness guidance, not an incident-response runbook. If ransomware is active, do not reconnect potentially compromised systems or backups. Follow your organization’s incident-response plan and current official response guidance; reconnecting a backup to an infected device can expose it to further damage.
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