Guidelines For Designing Security For Backup And Recovery Operations

By Author: Shirley Green
Total Articles: 129
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The elements of good backup operations are easy: back up the data MCSE 2003 exams to sound media, store it in a safe place, do these two things frequently, and audit the practice. But the elements of securing the backup process are much broader, and more choices must be made. Follow these guidelines when designing security for backup and recovery operations:
Ensure that personnel who perform backup are trained and understand their job.Audit their activity to ensure the job is being done correctly and securely.
Ensure secure storage, both off-site and on-site, for storage media.
Ensure that only authorized individuals can bring backup media on-site. This prevents a malicious or unqualified individual from using the media to restore old data over new, or from using backups to build new servers and then provide themselves access to sensitive data.
Ensure that media is transported in a comptia security+ secure fashion. Media should be permanently labeled. Media should be transported in locked containers.
Develop ...
... backup and restore strategies and test them.
Separate the user rights of backup and restore. By default, the Backup Operators group has both privileges. By separating these rights, you make sure that the person who backs up the data does not have privileges to restore the data. In this manner, you prevent a disgruntled employee from restoring old data over new.
Back up data on system and boot volumes and system state.Create an Automated System Recovery (ASR) data set backup when the operating system changes. Operating system changes include the addition of hardware and drivers and the installation of a service pack. If you have an ASR backup set,recovery will be easier. ASR protects only the system—a backup of data at th same time is required.
Create and use a backup log. Keep information on the date, media, any errors encountered, the results, and so forth.
Test backup processes by doing a trial restore. Restore to test machines in case recovery fails.
Do not disable the default volume shadow copy backup Network+ certification method. If you do, open files will not be backed up.