Formerly known as "Restore it All," The Backup Wrap-up podcast turns unappreciated backup admins into cyber recovery heroes. After a brief analysis of backup-re...
In this eye-opening episode of The Backup Wrap-up, W. Curtis Preston and Prasanna Malaiyandi unpack crucial disaster recovery lessons from major events like 9/11. They discuss how companies lost both primary and backup data centers when both World Trade Center towers fell, highlighting why geographic separation is non-negotiable. The hosts break down the technical aspects of disaster recovery, comparing hot sites versus cold sites, and the realities of synchronous versus asynchronous replication across distances.Beyond the technical, Curtis and Prasanna share often-overlooked disaster recovery lessons about human factors—where recovery teams will sleep, eat, and work during extended outages when infrastructure is destroyed. They examine a real case from a hurricane-stricken island where teams converted conference rooms to sleeping quarters and relied on satellite communications. Whether you're planning for natural disasters, power outages, or ransomware attacks, these disaster recovery lessons will help ensure your organization can recover when—not if—disaster strikes.
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35:54
How to Choose the Best Password Manager: Security Features That Matter
In this episode of The Backup Wrap-up, Curtis and Prasanna discuss how to choose the best password manager in light of recent security breaches. They examine the LastPass hack that resulted in $150 million of stolen cryptocurrency and what that teaches us about password manager security.The hosts break down the critical security features to look for in the best password manager, including encryption strength, iteration counts, multi-factor authentication options, and passkey support. They emphasize that even with the LastPass breach, using a password manager is still far safer than not using one at all.This episode provides practical guidance on evaluating password manager security beyond the standard feature comparisons, with specific recommendations for cryptocurrency users and insights into the technical aspects of password vault protection.Here are some references for today's episode:https://www.rubrik.com/blog/company/25/rubrik-information-security-team-updatehttps://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/ransomware-gang-encrypted-network-from-a-webcam-to-bypass-edr/https://krebsonsecurity.com/2023/09/experts-fear-crooks-are-cracking-keys-stolen-in-lastpass-breach/https://krebsonsecurity.com/2025/03/feds-link-150m-cyberheist-to-2022-lastpass-hacks/
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41:08
Is Tape Backup Dead? Why This Technology Still Matters
Tape backup isn't dead – but it's glory days are gone. In this episode, W. Curtis Preston and Prasanna Malaiyandi discuss why tape backup remains relevant despite its diminished role in operational backups. They reveal how cloud giants have become the biggest consumers of tape technology while explaining common misconceptions about tape's performance.The hosts break down four core advantages tape backup still maintains: unbeatable cost (one to two orders of magnitude cheaper than alternatives), superior speed for bulk transfers, better data integrity with lower bit error rates, and built-in protection against ransomware through true immutability. Whether you're considering your disaster recovery strategy or looking for cost-effective long-term storage, this episode offers valuable insights into why tape backup continues to play a crucial role in modern data protection architectures.Here are some related episodes we talk about in the show:https://www.backupwrapup.com/ovhs-backup-service-didnt-work/https://www.backupwrapup.com/back-in-my-day-backups-were-really-hard/https://www.backupwrapup.com/tape-drive-designer-schools-mr-backup-on-tape/
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56:25
Hide Your Backup Disk from Ransomware
In this episode of The Backup Wrap-up, W. Curtis Preston and Prasanna Malaiyandi discuss critical strategies for securing your backup disk against cyber threats. They explain why the default configuration of storing backups in easily accessible directories makes your backup disk vulnerable to threat actors who specifically target backup systems before launching attacks.The conversation covers several effective methods to protect your backup disk, including using proprietary protocols like OST and Boost, implementing Virtual Tape Libraries (VTLs), leveraging dedicated backup appliances, and utilizing object storage both on-premises and in the cloud. Curtis emphasizes that keeping your backup disk out of user space is essential for maintaining security against increasingly sophisticated attackers.This episode provides practical advice for anyone using disk-based backup systems who wants to ensure their backup disk remains secure and recoverable when needed most.
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33:26
Your 4-Hour Recovery Time Objective is Fantasy
Ever wonder why your recovery time objective seems impossible to meet? In this episode, we challenge the common assumption that a four-hour RTO is achievable for most organizations. Host W. Curtis Preston and guest Prasanna Malaiyandi discuss why these aggressive recovery time objectives often exist only on paper.From ransomware attacks to natural disasters, we examine the real-world factors that make rapid recovery more complex than most realize. We break down the differences between recovery time objectives (RTOs) and actual recovery times (RTAs), exploring why organizations need to be more realistic about their recovery capabilities. Whether you're managing backups, planning disaster recovery, or responsible for business continuity, this episode will help you understand what's actually possible when disaster strikes.Check out these older episodes about how a real disaster unfolds:https://www.backupwrapup.com/real-life-hurricane-disaster-recover-story/https://www.backupwrapup.com/disaster-recovery-after-a-hurricane-a-first-hand-account/
Formerly known as "Restore it All," The Backup Wrap-up podcast turns unappreciated backup admins into cyber recovery heroes. After a brief analysis of backup-related news, each episode dives deep into one topic that you can use to better protect your organization from data loss, be it from accidents, disasters, or ransomware.
The Backup Wrap-up is hosted by W. Curtis Preston (Mr. Backup) and his co-host Prasanna Malaiyandi. Curtis' passion for backups began over 30 years ago when his employer, a $35B bank, lost its purchasing database – and the backups he was in charge of were worthless. After miraculously not being fired, he resolved to learn everything he could about a topic most people try to get away from. His co-host, Prasanna, saw similar tragedies from the vendor side of the house and also wanted to do whatever he could to stop that from happening to others.
A particular focus lately has been the scourge of ransomware that is plaguing IT organizations across the globe. That's why in addition to backup and disaster recovery, we also touch on information security techniques you can use to protect your backup systems from ransomware. If you'd like to go from being unappreciated to being a cyber recovery hero, this is the podcast for you.
Brasil