Back up and encrypt data

Small and Medium Organizations: Back up and encrypt data

If your organization backs up its data, you can recover quickly from cyber incidents or attacks (e.g. ransomware attacks).

How should my organization back up and encrypt data?

We recommend that all essential business information is backed up regularly to an external secure location. Additionally, your organization should encrypt back-ups and restrict access to individuals who are responsible for testing and restoring functions.

Your organization should also have clear procedures on how to restore data from back-ups and regularly verify that mechanisms for restoring data operate as expected.

Recommendations for your organization:

• Back up systems that contain essential business information
• Ensure that recovery mechanisms effectively restore information from back-ups on a regular basis
• Encrypt back-ups
• Store encrypted back-ups at a secure off-site location

For more information:

• Baseline Cyber Security Controls for Small and Medium Organizations
• Global Cyber Alliance Defend Against Ransomware
• Center for Internet Security Data Recovery Capability Control