Many companies already moved from paper-based management systems to digital systems. There is a clear trend towards digitalization and relying on electronically stored data. This creates a data dependency where a company can no longer function if it loses access to its data. This shows the importance of a working backup system. However, having a working backup system is only one part of preparation against data loss. The ability to recover the data within a reasonable time is also an important part of the preparation, hence the need for a well put together backup solution.

The paper is mainly based on peer-reviewed literature and dedicated websites and blogs about ransomware and backup systems. To keep the content current and relevant, mainly literature after 2015 is included, with a few exceptions where timeliness is not critical. Furthermore, some impulses and ideas from Dr. Christopher Scherb were also integrated.

The first part of a successful defense is to understand a potential threat. Therefore, understanding the capabilities of ransomware is helpful. The evolution of ransomware shows how criminals have adapted to new security measures. Understanding how ransomware acts and that it may encrypt backup systems can make a backup strategy more efficient. Separating the backup system from the live system, can for example increase security. However, this requires a robust backup plan, to be able to use such a system. Knowing the attack methods through which ransomware can infect an organization's system can help close such attack surfaces. Different defense mechanisms, such as “Zero Trust Architecture” or “DeepRay” can further increase security. However, a good backup strategy is the last defense against ransomware. Finding the right backup solution for a business, need to be assets individually. Factors like location or storage medium have different advantages and disadvantages that influence the decision of what works best for the business. Having a working backup solution can help to get all the valuable business data back in case of a successful attack.