Cybersecurity Glossary
Immutable Backup
A backup copy that cannot be changed or deleted for a fixed period, even by an administrator.
What Immutable Backup means
Immutable storage locks a backup for a defined retention window. During that window nothing can alter or remove it, regardless of the credentials presented. This directly answers the modern attack pattern, in which the intruder deletes backups before triggering encryption.
Why Immutable Backup matters for small businesses and nonprofits
If your backups are reachable with the same administrator account an attacker has stolen, you effectively have no backups. Immutability is the difference between having a copy and having a copy that survives the attack.
What to do about Immutable Backup
- Keep at least one immutable copy with a retention period longer than your likely detection time
- Store it under separate credentials, not your everyday administrator account
- Confirm with your provider that immutability is genuinely enforced, not just a setting
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