The cloud backup destination for Azure Storage backups

Azure Storage Backups: Why You Need Them

In the event that the original data is corrupted, lost, or encrypted following an incident, a backup is the only dependable way to maintain control over an organization's data assets. Disasters that can affect production settings, nevertheless, also pose a threat to onsite backups. For instance, both the original data and the onsite backup data will become inaccessible in the event of a natural disaster or a power loss in your office or data center. The case still holds true in ransomware cases. Backup repositories are equally a target for hackers planning ransomware attacks as the production environment is.

Offsite backups to cloud storage, like backups to Azure Blob storage, have one undeniable advantage: they are always available. No matter how your infrastructure is currently configured, you can access backup data in the cloud. So, even if your primary site is offline, you can still restore data via Azure cloud backups.

Following, we go over the specifics, such as pricing, access levels, and backup security settings, that you might want to take into account when choosing backup storage in Azure.

Backup Azure Storage: Security Recommendations

Because it takes security seriously, Microsoft encrypts data on the server side using AES-256 and a FIPS-140 cipher. These default encryption techniques are always active by default; under no circumstances can you turn them off. The encryption by itself, however, is insufficient to guarantee the adequate security of cloud backup data in Azure Blob.

Get Account Access Keys Secured

Because it takes security seriously, Microsoft encrypts data on the server side using AES-256 and a FIPS-140 cipher. These default encryption techniques are always active by default; under no circumstances can you turn them off. The encryption by itself, however, is insufficient to guarantee the adequate security of cloud backup data in Azure Blob.

Regenerate Keys Periodically

Don't let your security precautions make you feel too at ease. You may maintain confidence in the security of your Azure account by, for instance, generating fresh access keys once a month. By doing this, you may be sure that once you receive a fresh access key, any key that has been leaked is worthless.

Apply the Principle of Least Privilege

The fundamental security principle in IT that applies to any infrastructure or company is known as the Principle of Least Privilege (also known as PoLP). Giving a user's account as much access to the environment as their job requirements demand is the idea behind the approach. Any action that a user can perform only for themselves and that won't harm their productivity should be limited.

Hence, access to backups in Azure Blob storage should only be permitted to administrators who are directly involved with data protection and recovery operations. An additional good practice to increase the security of backup copies in Azure is to create a dedicated account with distinctive credentials that are consistently updated.

Disable Anonymous Public Access

Users in Azure have the option of using anonymous access to Blobs. On Azure, anonymous public access is disabled by default, however validating the access settings twice is an effective security measure in this situation. Access may be given unintentionally or as a result of prior hostile behavior that you typically treat as countered.

Authorize Access with Azure AD

Another excellent option is to enhance the security of your cloud backups using Azure Active Directory's capabilities. Using AD, you can set up two-factor authentication, manage user identities when they visit a cloud repository, and provide role-based access to the necessary resources with adjustable timing.

Use Immutable Blobs and Versioning

Immutability functions as a ransomware deterrent by preventing data from being changed or deleted during the predetermined time frame. In the event that hackers are successful in breaching cloud storage, recovery can still be performed using immutable backups in Azure. Using versioning, you can have many recovery points for backup data that you can switch out based on the data protection requirements of your company.