What is the air-gapped backup strategy and how to implement it correctly?

The air-gapped backup strategy implies the physical or logical disconnection of backup media from any network, including the internet and the local corporate network. The term originates from the presence of an air gap between the working environment and the archive storage. Since isolated copies have no network access routes, they are immune to network attacks, remote hacking, and malware spreading through infrastructure protocols.

The implementation of a physical air gap was traditionally achieved using removable tape drives or external hard drives, which were connected only during the write process and immediately put away in a safe. In modern cloud technology conditions, the concept of logical separation is applied, where access to storage is opened strictly on schedule using automated scripts through a dedicated isolated authentication gateway.

To successfully apply this strategy, you need to build a clear maintenance routine for the equipment. Engineers must regularly check the condition of physical media, monitor the correct execution of the isolation schedule, and perform test recoveries. The human factor often becomes the weak point, so the process of connecting and disconnecting storage is automated as much as possible, minimizing manual operations.