How Immutable Synology Backups Stop Ransomware
How Immutable Backups Protect Businesses from Modern Ransomware
Ransomware has evolved far beyond simply encrypting business files. Today’s attacks are designed to locate and compromise backup systems before targeting production data, leaving organizations with few recovery options. Recent industry research shows that backup repositories are now among the first assets targeted during ransomware attacks, making traditional backup strategies increasingly vulnerable.
For businesses of every size, the ability to recover quickly depends on more than having backups. It depends on having immutable backups that cannot be modified, encrypted, or deleted by attackers. Synology delivers a layered backup and disaster recovery strategy that combines immutable storage, backup verification, off-site protection, and centralized management to help organizations recover confidently without paying a ransom.
Why Small and Mid-Sized Businesses Are Prime Targets
Cybercriminals increasingly focus on small and medium-sized businesses because they often have fewer security resources than large enterprises.
Organizations commonly manage:
- Customer information
- Financial records
- Microsoft 365 data
- Virtual machines
- Business applications
- Shared file servers
When ransomware encrypts these systems, daily operations can come to a standstill. A secure backup strategy is often the only reliable path to recovery.
Modern Ransomware Attacks Target Backups
Attackers understand that backups are an organization’s last line of defense.
A typical ransomware attack may involve:
- Phishing emails
- Stolen credentials
- Exploiting unpatched systems
- Lateral movement across the network
- Encryption of production systems
- Attempts to delete or encrypt backup repositories
If backups are compromised, recovery becomes significantly more difficult and expensive.
Cloud Synchronization Is Not Backup
Many organizations mistakenly assume cloud synchronization protects their data.
Services such as:
- Microsoft OneDrive
- SharePoint Online
- Google Drive
- Dropbox
are synchronization platforms rather than true backup solutions.
If ransomware encrypts synchronized files, those encrypted versions can quickly sync to the cloud, replacing healthy copies. True backup solutions maintain independent, versioned copies that remain available for recovery.
Protect Microsoft 365 with Synology
Microsoft secures its cloud infrastructure, but organizations remain responsible for protecting their own Microsoft 365 data.
Synology Active Backup for Microsoft 365 provides centralized protection for:
- Exchange Online
- OneDrive
- SharePoint Online
- Microsoft Teams
Organizations maintain independent backup copies that can be restored even if Microsoft 365 data is accidentally deleted, corrupted, or encrypted by ransomware.
Build Immutable Backup Protection
A complete ransomware strategy requires backups that attackers cannot modify.
Synology helps organizations strengthen backup security through:
- Active Backup for Business
- Active Backup for Microsoft 365
- Snapshot Replication
- Hyper Backup
- Immutable (WORM) snapshots
- Logical air-gap protection
Immutable snapshots prevent backup data from being altered or deleted during the configured retention period, even if administrator credentials are compromised. Protect data with immutable business backup solutions.
Follow the 3-2-1-1-0 Backup Strategy
Modern cyber resilience goes beyond maintaining a single backup.
Organizations should implement the 3-2-1-1-0 backup strategy, which includes:
- Three copies of data
- Two different storage media
- One off-site backup
- One immutable or offline backup
- Zero backup errors confirmed through recovery testing
Synology supports this strategy through Snapshot Replication, Hyper Backup, secondary Synology NAS systems, and Synology C2 cloud storage.
Protect Off-Site Backups
Off-site backups protect organizations from disasters that affect an entire location.
Synology Hyper Backup enables organizations to replicate backup data to:
- Remote Synology NAS
- External storage
- Synology C2 Storage
- S3-compatible cloud platforms
- Rsync servers
Multiple backup destinations improve business continuity while supporting disaster recovery planning.
Detect Threats Earlier
Early detection can reduce the impact of ransomware.
Synology Active Insight helps administrators monitor:
- File activity
- Storage health
- Backup status
- System performance
- Security events
- Unusual file modification behaviour
Administrators receive alerts when abnormal activity is detected, allowing faster investigation and response before widespread encryption occurs. On supported systems, suspicious activity can also trigger automatic snapshot creation to preserve a clean recovery point.
Verify Recovery Before Disaster Strikes
Backups should be tested regularly to ensure they can be restored successfully.
Organizations should routinely verify:
- Backup integrity
- Recovery procedures
- Disaster recovery plans
- Virtual machine recovery
- Microsoft 365 recovery
- Recovery time objectives
Testing recovery procedures helps eliminate uncertainty during real incidents.
Reduce Backup Costs Without Per-Seat Licensing
Many backup platforms charge recurring fees based on users, virtual machines, or protected workloads.
Synology includes many of its enterprise backup capabilities within Active Backup Suite, allowing organizations to protect:
- Windows devices
- Linux servers
- Virtual machines
- Microsoft 365
- File servers
- Synology NAS
This licensing model helps businesses reduce long-term backup costs while simplifying infrastructure management.
Best Practices for Ransomware Resilience
Organizations can strengthen their ransomware defenses by:
- Deploying immutable backups
- Protecting Microsoft 365 independently
- Following the 3-2-1-1-0 backup strategy
- Replicating backups off-site
- Monitoring systems continuously
- Testing disaster recovery regularly
- Reviewing backup security policies
Together, these practices improve cyber resilience and reduce downtime after an attack.
Why Organizations Choose Synology
Synology combines Active Backup for Business, Active Backup for Microsoft 365, Snapshot Replication, Hyper Backup, Synology C2, and Active Insight into a comprehensive data protection platform. Organizations benefit from centralized backup management, immutable storage, secure off-site replication, automated monitoring, and fast recovery capabilities that strengthen ransomware resilience while simplifying IT operations.
About Epis Technology
Epis Technology helps organizations design and implement secure Synology backup environments through infrastructure assessments, ActiveProtect deployment, backup architecture design, Microsoft 365 backup implementation, disaster recovery planning, cybersecurity consulting, storage optimization, and ongoing managed support. With deep Synology expertise, Epis Technology helps businesses build resilient, scalable backup strategies that improve cyber resilience, protect critical data, and support long-term business continuity.