Immutable backups are backups that cannot be altered or deleted for a defined period.

Immutable backups are backups that cannot be altered or deleted for a defined period.

• A. They can be overwritten immediately after creation.
• B. They require frequent manual verification to remain secure.
• C. They are stored on a single local device.
• D. They cannot be altered or deleted for a defined period.

Answer: (D)

The main idea here is immutability in backups: a backup that, once written, cannot be altered or deleted for a defined retention period. This property is crucial for defending against tampering and ransomware, because it guarantees there is a preserved, untampered copy you can restore from even if the original data is compromised. If a backup truly is immutable, attempts to overwrite or remove it during the retention window are blocked by policy or by the storage system, ensuring data integrity and recoverability. Choosing an option that says backups can be overwritten right after creation would defeat immutability, since the defining feature is that changes are not allowed during the defined period. Requiring frequent manual verification doesn’t define immutability itself; verification is a good practice but doesn’t determine whether the backup copy is protected from alteration or deletion. Storing on a single local device misses the point of immutability, which can be implemented across different media and locations (including cloud or tape) with write-once, read-many behavior.

The main idea here is immutability in backups: a backup that, once written, cannot be altered or deleted for a defined retention period. This property is crucial for defending against tampering and ransomware, because it guarantees there is a preserved, untampered copy you can restore from even if the original data is compromised. If a backup truly is immutable, attempts to overwrite or remove it during the retention window are blocked by policy or by the storage system, ensuring data integrity and recoverability.

Choosing an option that says backups can be overwritten right after creation would defeat immutability, since the defining feature is that changes are not allowed during the defined period. Requiring frequent manual verification doesn’t define immutability itself; verification is a good practice but doesn’t determine whether the backup copy is protected from alteration or deletion. Storing on a single local device misses the point of immutability, which can be implemented across different media and locations (including cloud or tape) with write-once, read-many behavior.