Title

AWS re:Invent 2023 - Reckoning with ransomware: How to recover (SEC108)

Summary

Dante Orsini from 11.11 Systems, Avi from AWS, and Tim from Veeam discussed the rising threat of ransomware and the importance of cyber resilience and data protection.
They presented research showing a 42% year-over-year increase in cyber threats, with many organizations experiencing multiple compromises.
The speakers emphasized the critical role of data protection strategies in ransomware recovery and the common target of backups by attackers.
They highlighted the importance of social engineering awareness and the need for both preventative measures and post-event recovery plans.
Veeam's encryption and immutability features, AWS's S3 object lock, and 11.11's managed backup services were discussed as key tools in protecting and recovering data.
The partnership between Veeam, 11.11, and AWS was announced, focusing on leveraging AWS infrastructure for data protection and recovery.
The managed backup use case was illustrated, emphasizing the benefits of storing backup data on AWS S3 for its resiliency and security.
The importance of protecting Microsoft 365 data was also discussed, with the solution leveraging AWS for storage and management.
The session concluded with a call to action for organizations to ensure they have a robust data protection and recovery strategy, offering help from the presenting companies.

The increasing frequency and sophistication of ransomware attacks necessitate a multi-layered approach to cybersecurity, including both preventative measures and robust recovery strategies.
The concept of "dwell time," the period during which an attacker is present in a network before detection, is a critical factor in understanding the extent of a breach and the importance of early detection mechanisms.
The partnership between Veeam, 11.11 Systems, and AWS represents a strategic move to integrate data protection solutions with cloud infrastructure, providing customers with scalable and secure backup and recovery options.
The use of AWS's S3 object lock and immutability features in conjunction with Veeam's backup solutions highlights the trend towards leveraging cloud-native features for enhanced data protection.
The session underscored the importance of having a separate recovery environment, or "clean room," to facilitate the forensic analysis and recovery process without impacting the primary infrastructure.
The discussion on Microsoft 365 data protection reflects the growing recognition of SaaS applications' vulnerabilities and the responsibility of customers to secure their data within these platforms.
The emphasis on consulting, tabletop exercises, and understanding vital data assets indicates a shift towards more proactive and strategic planning in cybersecurity, beyond just technical solutions.