Page 123 - Cyber Defense eMagazine RSAC Special Edition 2025

Because of these weaknesses, it’s crucial to implement additional security measures tailored to the
unique challenges of backup environments.

Enter the Zero-Access Model

Zero access is an advanced security approach for backup environments that surpasses traditional zero-
trust methods. It prioritizes automation over access, significantly reducing the risk of human error and
malicious intent in data breaches.

Key Features of Zero Access:

1. Automation-centric design: Zero access emphasizes automation as the cornerstone of its security
strategy. By eliminating unnecessary human interaction with backup components and operations, it
enhances security while improving system efficiency and effectiveness.

2. Comprehensive protection: This approach provides all-encompassing security for the entire backup
infrastructure, safeguarding all components — including servers, software, databases, and storage
systems — by removing access points for operational activities. In this way, zero access fills security
gaps left by traditional zero-trust approaches.

3. Elimination of manual management: Zero access revolutionizes backup management by removing
traditional login capabilities, preventing account takeovers and unauthorized access. It replaces manual
management with automated systems, ensuring consistent and secure operations. [Perhaps replace the
2nd sentence with – Elimination of various component log-ins eliminates most of the attack vectors that
bad actors typically exploit. I would like to eliminate automation here as it sounds like we are duplicating
#1]

Zero access incorporates a specialized management interface that gives administrators visibility and
control over the backup environment without direct access to the infrastructure. It implements robust
zero-trust mechanisms, including multifactor authentication, to ensure only authorized personnel can
interact with the system.

If there’s ever a legitimate reason to delete a full backup, like when decommissioning a system, the zero-
access approach would follow defensible data deletion protocols that require auditable, multifactor
approval for any data removal, thereby preventing administrators from unilaterally deleting data. And in
rare instances when an admin would need to access backup devices in a true emergency, it would require
multiphase security approval from both company admins and the service provider. These stringent
processes ensure that even in emergencies, security remains intact.

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