The Backup Wrap-Up

Building a cyber security team isn't optional anymore; it's the difference between recovering from ransomware and going out of business. In this episode, Curtis and Prasanna explain why hardening your backup infrastructure is only half the battle. You need professionals who know how to configure XDR systems without drowning you in false positives, blue teams to defend your environment, and red tea...

Want to know how to build an resilient backup system that protects from ransomware attacks? In this episode, Curtis and Prasanna go beyond the basics to discuss four critical security features every modern backup system needs. Building on feedback from their previous episode about backup fundamentals, they cover multi-factor authentication (and why SMS doesn't cut it anymore), secure remote access...

Every backup system needs certain design elements to actually work when disaster strikes. In this episode of The Backup Wrap-up, W. Curtis Preston (Mr. Backup) and Prasanna Malaiyandi break down the 10 non-negotiable components your backup system must have. They cover the 3-2-1 rule, automated scheduling, recovery testing, defined RTOs and RPOs, backup security, SaaS protection, documentation, ret...

The 3-2-1 rule is dead. Long live 3-2-1-1-0. For decades, the 3-2-1 rule has been the gold standard for backup strategies - three copies of your data, on two different media, with one copy somewhere else. But ransomware killed it. Not because the fundamentals were wrong, but because threat actors learned to target backups specifically. In this episode, Curtis and Prasanna explain why the tradition...

Want to know how much data you're really willing to lose? We're breaking down recovery point objective RPO - the agreement about how much data loss you can accept, measured in time. Most organizations have RPOs that are pure fantasy, claiming they can only lose an hour of data when they're backing up once a day. Curtis and Prasanna discuss why RPO matters, how ransomware scenarios can force you to...

Most IT teams can't meet their recovery time objective—and they don't even know it. In this episode of The Backup Wrap-up, Curtis and Prasanna explain why your RTO is probably fantasy, who should actually be setting it (hint: not you), and what recovery time actual really means. We cover the critical difference between objectives and reality, why testing is non-negotiable, and how to have honest c...

Many organizations believe that Microsoft 365 backup is handled by Microsoft. That's a dangerous misconception. In this episode, W. Curtis Preston (Mr. Backup) and Microsoft 365 expert Vanessa Toves explain why you own your data and are responsible for protecting it—not Microsoft. They discuss the limitations of the recycle bin, why retention policies aren't backups, and what can go wrong when org...

Ransomware detection is more complex than most organizations realize. In this episode, cybersecurity expert Mike Saylor breaks down the real-world signs of ransomware attacks—from users complaining about slow computers to smart devices acting strangely. We explore polymorphic malware that changes based on its target, the risks posed by managed service providers using shared credentials, and why mi...

This episode examines a sophisticated ArcGIS hack that remained undetected for 12 months. The threat group Flax Typhoon compromised an ArcGIS server by exploiting weak credentials and deploying a malicious Java extension that functioned as a web shell. The attack highlights critical failures in traditional security approaches: the malware was backed up along with legitimate data, signature-based d...

Deepfake attacks are exploding, and your company is probably not ready. In this episode of The Backup Wrap-up, we dive into how cybercriminals are using AI to clone voices and create fake videos to authorize fraudulent wire transfers and reset credentials. With nearly 50% of businesses already experiencing deepfake attacks, this isn't a future problem – it's happening right now. We break down the...

When cyber attack notification goes wrong, companies face a disaster worse than the original breach. This episode dives deep into the critical mistakes organizations make when communicating about security incidents - and why transparency beats secrecy every time. We examine real-world failures like LastPass and Rackspace, where poor communication strategies amplified the damage from their cyber at...

Insider threats represent one of the most dangerous cybersecurity risks facing organizations today - and they're way more common than you think. In this episode of The Backup Wrap-up, we explore the three main types of insider threats: compromised employees who get extorted or have their credentials stolen, disgruntled workers who want revenge after getting fired, and outside attackers who infiltr...

Advanced persistent threats represent one of the most dangerous cyber security challenges facing organizations today. These long-term, stealthy attacks allow hackers to maintain undetected access to networks for extended periods. In this episode, we analyze multiple APT scenarios from Mr. Robot, including the Evil Corp hack, Ollie's compromised laptop, and the Dark Army's infiltration of Allsafe....

This episode of The Backup Wrap-up examines cybersecurity situational awareness through the lens of Mr. Robot's prison break episode. Curtis and Prasanna analyze the technical accuracy of USB stick attacks, Bluetooth car hacking, and social engineering tactics. The hosts discuss real-world defenses including USB port management, network segmentation, and employee training. They explore WPA2 encryp...

Learn the ins and outs of honeypot server deployment and management in this episode of The Backup Wrap-up. We break down the cybersecurity concept using examples from Mr. Robot episodes 1.6 and 1.7, showing how these deceptive systems can catch both external attackers and insider threats. A honeypot server works by creating an enticing target that looks valuable but contains no real business data....

Privilege escalation attacks represent one of the most dangerous cybersecurity threats facing organizations today. In this episode of The Backup Wrap-Up, we analyze how threat actors use initial access to gain higher privileges and compromise entire networks. Through examples from Mr. Robot, we explore both vertical privilege escalation (exploiting vulnerabilities for admin access) and horizontal...

This episode examines cybersecurity in the workplace through the lens of Mr. Robot's "Exploits" episode, where social engineering takes center stage. Curtis Preston and Prasanna break down how Elliot infiltrates Steel Mountain data center using badge cloning, psychological manipulation, and fake identities. The hosts analyze real-world implications of these attacks, from coffee shop badge theft to...

Social engineering attacks are becoming more sophisticated, and this episode of The Backup Wrap-up explores real-world tactics through our Mr. Robot series analysis. Curtis and Prasanna examine how social engineering works, from Instagram stalking to phone compromise, and discuss actual ransomware groups like Scattered Spider who use social engineering to impersonate employees and reset passwords....

Reconnaissance in cyber security isn't just about scanning networks; it's about understanding your entire attack surface, including the human element. In this episode, Curtis and Prasanna analyze Mr. Robot season one, episode two, (AKA ep 1.1) to explore how sophisticated threat actors conduct reconnaissance before major attacks. Learn how F Society mapped Evil Corp's infrastructure, identified ba...

Learn how social engineering attacks really work by analyzing the cybersecurity lessons from Mr. Robot's pilot episode. Curtis Preston and Prasanna Malaiyandi break down real-world social engineering tactics used by cybercriminals to manipulate victims into revealing sensitive information. This episode covers social engineering phone scams targeting even cybersecurity professionals, the dangers of...

The insider threat represents one of the most dangerous and overlooked cybersecurity challenges facing organizations today. In this episode of The Backup Wrap-up, W. Curtis Preston and Prasanna explore the three distinct types of insider threats that can devastate your organization from within. From malicious employees seeking revenge to careless workers who fall for social engineering, insider th...

This episode explores surprising cyber security lessons hidden within Mission: Impossible's latest blockbuster. We analyze how Hollywood's depiction of AI threats, immutable backups, and air-gapped storage actually reflects real-world data protection challenges. Curtis and Prasanna dissect the movie's central premise: an AI entity altering digital reality, making it impossible to distinguish truth...

The EU cloud exit movement is reshaping how European organizations think about data storage and sovereignty. Companies across Europe are moving away from US-based cloud providers like Microsoft 365, AWS, and Google Workspace due to concerns about the Cloud Act and data privacy regulations. In this episode, Curtis and Prasanna explore the backup implications of this major shift. They discuss the ch...

Air gap has become one of the most overused and misunderstood terms in backup and recovery. In this episode, W. Curtis Preston and Prasanna explore what air gap really means, tracing its origins from the days when everyone used tape storage to modern virtual implementations. They discuss how true air gap required physical separation - tapes stored offsite at facilities like Iron Mountain - and why...

The largest data breach in recent memory has exposed 16 billion login credentials across multiple databases, and we're here to help you understand what it means for your security. This massive exposure involves data stolen primarily through infostealer malware rather than a single company breach. Join W. Curtis Preston, Dr. Mike Saylor, and Prasanna Malaiyandi as they break down this complex secur...