Air gapped backup7/4/2023 ![]() Today, the world revolves around data and thus, even an air-gapped system needs a point of physical access so users can add, delete or modify its data. Physical air gaps also tend to lack protections against insider attacks, social engineering, and basic human nature. Indeed, many IT organizations are shocked, upon running network security scans, to discover previously unknown devices on their networks, along with accidentally connected air-gapped systems. With literally billions of devices now connected to the Internet, it is possible, or even probable, that a device thought to be air-gapped is actually on the network. One issue relates to unknown connectivity. However, this, too, is largely a myth today. ![]() It may have once been true that a physical air gap ensured the highest level of security. Myth # 1: Only a physical air gap can ensure the highest level of security ![]() They also generally provide relatively slow Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs) and Recovery Point Objectives (RPOs) because data has to be manually, and securely, transported across the air gap. They can be costly to implement and cumbersome to manage. This distinction is relevant because some air gaps exist to prevent a system breach, while others are designed to defend against damage to data or software. As such, Intrusion protection and data protection are overlapping, but pursue separate security objectives. This tapes-in-a-cave approach may be referred to as an “offsite copy” or an “offline backup.”Īir gaps defend against both unauthorized access as well as unwanted modification. No one is going to hack into an unknown secure place where they are unable to access the physical tapes. In the world of backup and restore, this might mean shipping backup tapes to a secure offsite facility. Cyber-insurance underwriters may also require an air gap as a condition of issuing a policy.Īs the name implies, the most commonly used barrier is physical separation-placing a designated system in a separate room or building, without any network connections. In fact, In certain segments, such as the military or critical infrastructure, air gaps may be mandated by a security policy. For some in the security field, an air gap is a minimum requirement in cyber defense. ![]() What is an air gap, anyway?Īn air gap protects a digital asset by placing it behind an impenetrable barrier to prevent unauthorized access and modification. The air-gapped systems of yore will never return. It can be seductive to harken back to those idyllic times, when computers sat in glass rooms, completely disconnected from the outside world. The ARPANET, which became the Internet, while ushering in fantastic benefits of connectivity, also created the security nightmare that most of us are dealing with today. To help clear up confusion, in this blog we’ll explore the different kinds of air gaps in use today and offer insights into what they offer in terms of security - debunking some of the most prevalent myths along the way.įirst though, to get at the power of air gap mythology, it’s worth asking, where did the myth of physical separation being a necessity come from? Well, it goes like this: Before 1969 and the advent of the ARPANET, there were few effective or economical ways of linking computers into networks. Are you confused by all the myths around air gaps? Does it seem odd that logical air gaps are not considered air gaps in spite of their ability to defend against attacks? If you answered “yes” to these questions, you're likely not alone. The air gap, a cybersecurity countermeasure that isolates digital assets to put them out of reach of malicious actors, is the subject of many industry myths.
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