Backup "my computer" to local storage
Hello!
I run Acronis 2018 on a computer with two disks: one for the OS, applications and data, and one only for backup with ATI 2018 (and 2019 on newer computers). The backup disk has two partitions, one with a FAT32 FS (holding an Acronis Restore environment), and a Acronis Secure Zone.
When configuring Acronis TrueImage, I can choose to backup my entire computer or only a selected device. I ask myself what would happen if I chose to backup "my computer" to the secondary disk, which is part of "my computer". Will Acronis spare out any Acronis Secure Zone? Or will it try to backup the contents of the secure zone into ... the secure zone???
Thank you for your valuable input, Steve.
I'd like to use ASZ because it's hidden from the OS, and processes can't access it. I use Acronis for two reasons: first, backup in case of a primary disk failure, and second Ransomware protection.
If for some reason ransomware attacks my server, I want to keep my backup inaccessible for a quick restore. So in my case, ASZ fits well, I think.
Processes can use ASZ. It's just an unmounted partition. You can easily assign a volume letter to it or wipe it out with diskpart and so could malware. It really is not protected and storing backups in the original drive isn't the best plan. If the drive is corrupted or does, you've just lost everything... Original data and the backups.
Peter Bauer wrote:If for some reason ransomware attacks my server, I want to keep my backup inaccessible for a quick restore. So in my case, ASZ fits well, I think.
There have been numerous discussions about ransomware protection on the ATI 2018 and 2019 fora. It's tricky. As Bobbo said, ASZ is no protection from ransomware.
Aconis Active Protection protects local backup files from ransomware.
In ATI 2019 and beyond, AAP supposedly protects NAS-based backups from ransomware attacks, but AAP does not protect NAS-based backup files from simple deletes or renames.
There was a claim that an SMB connection between ATI and a NAS could be exploited by other processes (including ransomware). I don't recall that anyone was able to confirm or refute that. If the connection cannot be exploited, then a simple backup to a NAS is fairly good proof against ransomware.
Backups using FTP are pretty much invulnerable to ransomware attacks; they have a connection between two processes that cannot be exploited by any other process. However, regular FTP connections are not encrypted, and ATI does not support SFTP or FTPS. In addition, while ATI does support backups via FTP (which many of the other popular backup products do not), the ATI FTP support is not very robust.
The bottom line: ransomware is problematic. I think your best current solution is to take backups to an external drive that you discnnect between backups. Another solution - not a very practical one - is to take backups to a NAS device and keep that device offline when not taking a backups. Or take backups to a NAS and hope that the risk of exploitation is exaggerated.
The ultimate backup solution is to take backups to multiple destinations, some of which are offsite.