Air Gap

An Air Gap is the physical or logical separation of data holdings so that attacks cannot spread unhindered to backups or recovery data. In the backup context, this is particularly relevant because modern ransomware specifically searches for backups in order to make recoveries impossible.

A physical air gap separates media completely from the network – classically outsourced tapes. Logical air gaps achieve isolation through separate network segments, separate credentials and connections that are only opened for controlled transfer windows. In modern architectures, this is implemented in an automated way so that isolation does not depend on manual special processes. What remains important: the protection only works if the isolated data is current, intact and quickly usable in an emergency – isolation without verified recoverability is a false sense of security.

As the distance between the production environment and the last line of defense, the air gap is a core element of Ransomware Protection and a typical property of isolated recovery environments, as provided for by Cyber Recovery.