Penta has gone immutable – ultimate ransomware protection, at no extra cost

Penta has completed the transition towards using immutable backups for all client data. All Penta backup jobs are now in an immutable state, guaranteeing that our hosted clients will always have the benefit of an untampered duplicate of their data that cannot be deleted or modified. Immutable backups are the best protection against ransomware attacks and other types of malicious activity.

These immutable backups can be quickly restored in the event of data loss caused by accidents or cyberattacks. Penta offers this feature to all our hosted clients as an added guarantee to current service agreements, at no extra cost.

What are immutable backups and how do they work?

Immutable backups are a special form of data backup that are performed on hardened repositories. They work on the WORM principle of data storage, which stands for ‘write once, read many’. This means that data can only be written once but can be read many times. This method of data storage prevents any modifications to the backed-up data, including editing, overwriting  or deleting.

Why is it important to have immutable backups?

In the past, ransomware attacks primarily targeted live systems and data. Businesses who had recent backups in place were best positioned to recover quickly with little downtime. However, in recent years, there has been a surge in targeted ransomware attacks going after backup storages. 

When a business loses its last line of defense against such attacks, the damage can be irreparable. Immutable backups are the most effective way to protect backups from any deletion or modification, whether the result of an accident or malicious activity.

Backup Retention

In the UAE, businesses are required to retain records and data for a period of 10 years, with strict sanctions for non-compliance depending on the industry. In this respect, data loss can have serious consequences. That is why backup protection is a priority for businesses, especially in sensitive industries like banking, financial services, and healthcare.

At Penta, backup protection through immutable storage is now a standard component of the managed private cloud offering. Penta clients can rest easy, knowing that their data is in good hands and protected against any ransomware attacks or malicious activities.