MSPs: Why Immutable Storage Matters When It Comes to Your Customers’ Data Protection

Your customers are all facing similar data protection challenges because we now live in a digital world. For businesses, both large and small, data is precious. As an MSP, you already know that keeping data safe from external threats is a never-ending battle. But there’s one threat that stands out because your customers see it in the headlines every day: ransomware. In Sophos’s The State of Ransomware 2021 report, 37 percent of respondents’ organizations were hit by ransomware last year. With ransomware attacks still increasing, that means at least one-third of your customers will likely be victimized this year—and probably more. With the same report listing the average cost of an attack at $1.85 million, it's not a tough hill to climb, making the case to your customers that they need to invest in stronger data protections.

For MSPs, there are some crucial reasons why you need to offer leading-edge data protection. First and foremost, the damage to your reputation if one of your customers is hit by ransomware—and can’t recover its data—can be substantial. And ensuring you've got your current customers' data protection needs covered goes a long way toward keeping their business. That starts with putting backup best practices into place for every one of your customers willing to make this highly critical investment.

Put 3-2-1-1 to Work for Your Customers

In a recent 2021 report, tech market analyst IDC says that preparing your customers for inevitable breaches takes a new mindset that includes helping them get back in business as quickly as possible. IDC goes on to say that the old “3-2-1” backup rule is outdated and that it’s time to follow the new “3-2-1-1” rule. As with the old rule, your customers should have three copies of their data, one primary and two backups. Two copies should be stored locally on two formats (NAS, tape, or local drive), and one copy should be stored offsite in the cloud or secure storage. The extra "1" is the wrinkle in the rule that makes it so valuable.

“1” Means Immutability

When you help your customers implement the 3-2-1-1 rule, you can be much more confident that both their data and your reputation are protected. That extra "1" makes all the difference in the world because it stands for immutability. Immutability is when data is converted to a write-once, read many times format. It can't be altered or deleted, and unlike data encryption, there is no key, so there shouldn't be any way to "read" or reverse the immutability. An immutable copy of your customer's data is impervious to ransomware infections.

Immutable Storage for Ransomware Protection

One way MSPs can deliver on the promise of immutability is with StorageCraft OneXafe. OneXafe’s file system is based on an immutable object store, with every object written only once and never modified. Any modification you or your customers make to the file system always results in creating new objects. OneXafe also offers continuous data protection (CDP) by taking low-overhead snapshots every 90 seconds. These snapshots are a view of the file system at the instant when the snapshot was taken. That means your customers can go back to specific points in time and recover entire file systems in minutes.

Choosing Immutable Storage

There are plenty of options when it comes to data protection, so it’s important to find solutions that will best protect your customers’ data and your reputation. Network-attached storage (NAS) that includes immutability’s write once read many capabilities should be at the top of your list. For cloud storage, Google Cloud—a StorageCraft Partner—offers Bucket Lock, while Amazon Web Services (AWS) offers Object Lock, both of which provide immutability. Immutable backups are an important component of data protection and compliance, and, most important, they ensure that your clients’ backups are secure, accessible, and recoverable. 

Stand Out from the Competition

Differentiating your company from the competition can be challenging for any MSP. By delivering best-in-class data protection—including immutable storage—you can open new conversations that open new doors. Find out more about becoming a StorageCraft partner so you can make an even more significant difference for your customers.