Microsoft Offerings to Protect On-Prem SQL Backups from Ransomware

Question

What is the best approach/product and strategy that Microsoft offers to protect On-Prem SQL Backups from Ransomware?

What are the industry best practices to protect SQL Backups from Ransomware scenario?

Answer 1

Hi @Prince Rastogi ,

Welcome to Q&A forum.

We can using below tips to protect your SQL backup from Ransomware.

• The best protection against Ransomware is to backup all of your database files to a completely separate system. For example, take your backup to external hard drive or remote FTP system. Please note that take back up to the system which is disconnected from your network or internet after the backup operation is over.

• I believe we should use latest antivirus program to scan your entire network and connected system to make sure there is no malware or any entry point open for ransomware. It is extremely critical that your all system’s are updated with latest anti-virus definitions.

• Please apply the latest update patch for SQL server and Windows. Microsoft spends a lot of money to ensure the best possible security. Patches are released often for a good reason, use them.

• Do not open suspicious emails, websites and apps on your network. Make sure your firewall is blocking all the unwanted traffic and unauthorized traffic.

• Encrypt SQL server backup file.

Refer to the below blogs to get detail information.

SQL SERVER – How to Protect Your Database from Ransomware?
Ransomware and SQL Server – how to protect data

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Answer 2

Hi Cathyji-msft,

Thank you for your response. My main focus is on point #1. we want to copy our daily full SQL backups to Azure blob storage (to get benefit of soft-delete & versioning) and daily full backup size for all databases is almost 3 TB. What is the fastest and recommended way to load such data everyday?

As you mention, we can use sftp to upload backups. Is this a good approach to upload multi TB backups?

Thank you!

Answer 3

Hi @CathyJi-MSFT

Any response?

Answer 4

Hi @Prince Rastogi ,

>What is the fastest and recommended way to load such data everyday?

We can using AzCopy.

Please refer to MS document Get started with AzCopy and the blog Copying SQL Server Backup Files to Azure Blob Storage with AzCopy.

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Answer 5

Hi @CathyJi-MSFT

Thank you for your response.

currently we are using azcopy but it takes hours for 3 TB backup files to copy. Is there any other option faster than azCopy? Will "Azure Data Box Gateway" help us on this?