The Missing Piece of Zero Trust: Immutable Evidence Chains
Trust, or rather the lack thereof, is the fundamental principle behind the concept of Zero Trust. This cybersecurity model operates on the assumption that threats can come from anywhere, both outside and inside an organization. Therefore, it’s crucial to verify everything and trust nothing. However, one often overlooked piece in this security puzzle is the role of immutable evidence chains in ensuring provable integrity. This is where OpticalBackup comes into play.
Understanding Zero Trust
Zero Trust is a comprehensive approach to network security that requires strict identity verification for every person and device trying to access resources on a private network, regardless of whether they’re sitting within or outside of the network perimeter. There’s no single technology that is synonymous with Zero Trust architecture; it’s a holistic approach to network security that incorporates several different principles and technologies (source: [NIST](https://www.nist.gov/system/files/documents/2020/02/25/zero-trust-architecture-draft2.pdf)).
The Rising Importance of Immutable Evidence Chains
One critical aspect of Zero Trust that often doesn’t get enough attention is the concept of immutable evidence chains. These evidence chains, also known as audit trails or logs, provide a chronological record of system activities for the purpose of documenting and reviewing operations, transactions, and other changes that occur within a system (source: [ISACA](https://www.isaca.org/resources/isaca-journal/issues/2013/volume-4/audit-logs-and-immutable-records)).
These records are crucial for compliance, as they allow organizations to demonstrate that they’ve taken appropriate steps to secure their data. However, these records are of little use if they can be altered or deleted. To be reliable and useful, evidence chains must be immutable, meaning they cannot be changed once they’ve been recorded.
OpticalBackup: Ensuring Provable Integrity
Enter OpticalBackup, the solution to your backup and compliance needs. With OpticalBackup, you get a secure backup solution that provides long-term, offline, and immutable backup capabilities.
Unlike traditional backup systems that store data on rewritable media such as hard drives or tapes, OpticalBackup stores your data on write-once-read-many (WORM) optical discs. These discs cannot be altered or overwritten once data has been written to them, ensuring the integrity and immutability of your backup data.
Furthermore, OpticalBackup uses blockchain technology to create a cryptographic hash of each piece of data stored, which is then linked to the hash of the previous piece of data. This creates a chain of evidence that is virtually impossible to alter without detection.
The Benefits of Immutable Backups
Immutable backups provide numerous benefits for organizations, particularly those in highly regulated industries such as finance, healthcare, and government.
– Compliance: Immutable backups can help organizations meet regulatory requirements for data retention and integrity, such as HIPAA, GDPR, and SEC Rule 17a-4.
– Data Recovery: Immutable backups can be invaluable in disaster recovery scenarios, as they ensure you can restore your data exactly as it was at the time of backup.
– Security: Immutable backups can protect your data against ransomware attacks, as attackers cannot alter or delete your backup data.
– Auditability: Immutable backups provide a verifiable audit trail of data changes, supporting transparency and accountability.
OpticalBackup is not just a backup solution; it’s a crucial component of your organization’s Zero Trust security strategy. By providing immutable, long-term backups, OpticalBackup ensures the integrity of your data and the trustworthiness of your evidence chains.
To learn more about how OpticalBackup can support your Zero Trust security strategy, [visit our blog](https://opticalbackup.com/blog/) or contact us today to schedule a demo. Your search for a reliable and compliant backup solution ends at OpticalBackup.
