Summary
From the 3-2-1-1-0 framework to indelible data to faster threat detection, cyber resilience best practices can help organizations safeguard their operations and recover quickly and confidently when the worst happens.
Cyber threats have evolved. What started as opportunistic ransomware has escalated into destructive wiperware and nation-state attacks. Traditional backup strategies—periodic snapshots, offsite tapes, or manual workflows—no longer offer sufficient protection.
In this environment, backup without resilience is just a copy. To safeguard operations and reputation, organizations must embrace a cyber resilience strategy—fast, secure, layered, and verifiable.
Here are six best practices—proven by Pure Storage customers—that combine modern data protection with frameworks like the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) model.
1. Start with the 3-2-1-1-0 Framework
This NIST-aligned approach remains the gold standard:
- 3 copies of data
- 2 different media types
- 1 offsite copy
- 1 immutable, air-gapped copy
- 0 backup errors after verification
Pure Storage enables this model with SafeMode™ Snapshots, multi-site replication, object lock, and policy-driven protection.
Adventist HealthCare put this into action by modernizing its radiology storage system with Pure Storage. The organization achieved secure, uninterrupted access to life-saving imaging data—meeting the 3-2-1-1-0 best practice while reducing costs and eliminating unplanned downtime.
2. Recovery Is the New RPO
Recovery point objective (RPO) defines how much data you can afford to lose. But if it takes days to recover, even a perfect RPO falls short. The new focus? Speed of recovery.
- DATIC restored a 30TB database in seconds.
- DXC Technology achieved near-zero RPO with RTO under 60 minutes.
With Pure Storage, backup becomes a launchpad—not a bottleneck.
3. Immutability Isn’t Enough—Make Data Indelible
Immutability protects data from changes. Indelibility ensures it can’t be deleted, even by compromised insiders. Pure Storage® SafeMode Snapshots do both—locking down backups with enforced retention that attackers can’t override.
Cloud Magna bases 80% of its cyber defense strategy on this protection.
4. Design Recovery Paths for Strategic Flexibility
Not all incidents are created equal—and neither are recoveries. A localized outage requires a different response than a full-scale ransomware event. That’s why Pure Storage empowers organizations to design flexible, fit-for-purpose recovery paths based on data type, urgency, and business impact.
This includes:
- Rapid rollback using SafeMode Snapshots for mission-critical systems
- Isolated access to preserved copies for forensics or investigation
- Recovery of less-critical workloads from backup or secondary sites
With the Pure Storage Evergreen//One™ storage-as-a-service (STaaS) solution, organizations experiencing a cyber incident can immediately create a secure isolated recovery environment (SIRE) to recover with confidence in a clean, controlled space.
And because we know you already have experience and expertise with incumbent backup and recovery products, Pure Storage leverages your investments by integrating with best-of-breed solutions from our partners Commvault, Rubrik, and Veeam.
Pure Storage gives you the agility and flexibility to respond based on context—not just infrastructure.
HealthEdge used this approach to cut recovery time from 14 hours to under 4.
5. Bridge Storage and Security for Faster Threat Detection
Cyber resilience isn’t just about recovery—it’s about detection. With Pure1® AIOps, storage becomes part of your security ecosystem.
By integrating with SIEM, SOAR, and XDR platforms, Pure1 enables anomaly detection based on activity patterns—like unusual snapshot behavior or data spikes—helping security teams act faster and contain threats before they spread.
COCC, a fintech company serving community banks and credit unions, uses Pure1 integrated with Splunk to reduce security response time and strengthen cyber defenses, allowing their SOC team to focus on protecting clients rather than managing infrastructure.
6. Make Resilience Cloud-Ready
Your data lives everywhere—your protection strategy should too.
With Pure Storage, you can extend resilience across on-prem and cloud environments using:
- Pure Cloud Block Store™ for enterprise-grade storage and snapshots in AWS and Azure
- Pure Protect™ //DRaaS for orchestrated disaster recovery across sites and clouds
Perdoceo Education Corporation cut recovery time from eight hours to five minutes using these tools.
Real-world Resilience: What Success Looks Like
Cyber resilience isn’t a buzzword—it’s a business advantage. Cyber-conscious organizations across all industries and regions are proving that with Pure Storage:
- The Mississippi Department of Revenue has experienced zero unplanned downtime in eight years.
- The Motion Picture Industry Pension and Health Plans (MPI) cut recovery time from weeks to hours.
- AC Milan achieves near-zero RPO/RTO to power global digital operations.
These examples show what’s possible when backup meets true resilience.
Final Word: Don’t Just Back Up—Recover with Confidence
With Pure Storage, your data isn’t just protected—it’s always recovery-ready.
Fast recovery. Indelible protection. Hybrid support. Built-in intelligence.
Because in today’s world, recovery is everything.
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