Backups & Disaster Recovery
Ransomware Data Recovery
Ransomware on hosting infrastructure encrypts websites, databases, and backups it can reach, then demands payment for keys that may never work. Recovery without paying means immutable offline backups, rebuilt clean systems, and closed entry vectors, executed fast enough to outrun customer churn.
Key points
- Isolate affected systems immediately; pull network before pulling plugs.
- Never pay first, assess clean backups and decryptor availability.
- Rebuild on fresh systems; never decrypt in place on compromised hosts.
- Restore from immutable/offline copies attackers couldn't reach.
- Close the entry vector (RDP, VPN, phishing, unpatched service) before reconnecting.
- Rotate every credential in the environment, not just admin passwords.
- Preserve forensic images for law enforcement and insurers.
- Document lessons and convert them into monitoring and backup changes.
Field note
The immutable copy you test twice a year is worth more than the backup software license. Ransomware only respects copies it cannot touch, on credentials it cannot reach.
Frequently asked questions
Should we pay the ransom?
Almost never as a first move, payment funds crime, often fails to decrypt fully, and marks you for repeat attacks.
How do you prevent backup encryption?
Immutable, offline, and credential-separated copies that ransomware processes cannot modify or delete.
How long does recovery take?
With tested offline backups: hours to a day. Without them: weeks, if ever.
Does cyber insurance cover this?
Often partially, and insurers increasingly require the immutable-backup and MFA controls we deploy.
How Kinetikatech helps with backups & disaster recovery
Honestly, most teams come to us after trying it themselves first: Automated daily backups, off-site copies, integrity testing, and practiced restore procedures, so failures become maintenance windows. Our Backups & Disaster Recovery and Server Management service exists so you don't have to learn backups & disaster recovery the hard way, we handle the setup, the watching, and the 3 a.m. surprises.