Within hybrid work environments and data-driven operations, network-attached storage (NAS) devices are everywhere. They’re cost-effective and flexible, making them a popular choice for storing project files, unstructured data, and backups to media libraries and operational data.
As part of the IT stack, NAS provides external storage and serves as the file-service component of the storage tier. Though NAS devices are external components of the IT stack, they are not immune to failure, threats, ransomware, or accidental deletion. Yet, when it comes to security, many organizations fail to include their NAS devices in their data protection strategy. For managed service providers (MSPs) managing multiple environments or IT teams tasked with business continuity, that’s a risky gap to leave open.
Key takeaways
- NAS devices are not immune to threats such as ransomware, hardware failure, or accidental deletion, so backing them up is crucial for ensuring true business continuity.
- NAS backup supports compliance with regulations such as HIPAA, GDPR, and FINRA, and can improve your organization’s cyber insurance eligibility.
- The right NAS backup solution offers file-level recovery, immutable storage, and centralized visibility without disruptions.
- x360Recover, a business continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR) solution from Axcient, a ConnectWise company, makes NAS backup easy to deploy, manage, and scale, helping MSPs and IT teams protect critical data with confidence.
Who uses NAS devices?
NAS devices offer on-site storage that is relatively simple to implement and maintain. They provide file-level storage access over TCP/IP protocols (SMB/CIFS, NFS). The workloads and environments that rely most heavily on NAS include:
- Small and midsized businesses (SMBS): NAS provides a relatively inexpensive, easy-to-deploy, “plug-and-play” solution for file sharing, user home directories, and centralized backups. They are perfect storage solutions for smaller companies that don’t have a full-time IT staff.
- Departmental/work group environments: Within large enterprises, it is not uncommon for NAS to be used by departmental teams, such as marketing, design, and research, for collaborative file sharing and archiving unstructured data.
- Media, creative, and content production industries: NAS devices enable high throughput, which is often needed for concurrent file access to shared files and department-level data.
They are a popular choice because NAS devices:
- Offer high-capacity, low-cost storage.
- Have centralized file access.
- Support a variety of access protocols, including SMB, NFS, and FTP.
- Have simple expansion options as needs grow.
Another characteristic of NAS devices is that they don’t always come with native backup capabilities. And if it does, they often lack flexibility, immutability, or integration into your broader backup and disaster recovery (BDR) strategy.
The hidden risks of relying on NAS alone
Some NAS devices come with built-in redundancy. Unfortunately, many organizations assume that redundancy equals recoverability. In reality, NAS devices can become a single point of failure if they aren’t properly backed up.
Despite their benefits, relying solely on NAS for critical data storage widens your threat landscape to a range of vectors. Below are some of the most common risks that can compromise NAS devices and disrupt business continuity if no backup exists:
- Ransomware attacks: Many ransomware variants now actively scan for connected NAS systems. If these devices aren’t segmented or protected, their contents can be encrypted or deleted, rendering critical business data inaccessible.
- Hardware failures and natural disasters: Drives fail, power surges occur, and floods happen, but unlike cloud storage, most NAS devices lack geographic redundancy. A single hardware event could destroy years of data unless a separate backup exists.
- Human error: 95% of all data breaches are caused by human error. From accidental file deletions to unintentional overwrites, users pose a frequent risk to NAS data, particularly when shared folders or mapped drives are widely accessible.
- Malicious insiders or misconfigurations: Weak credentials, misconfigured permissions, and disgruntled employees can easily compromise NAS integrity, whether it’s intentional or not.
Despite the risks, NAS backup is an afterthought in many environments. Common misconceptions include:
- “Our NAS is on RAID, so it’s redundant.” RAID protects against drive failure, not ransomware, fire, or deletion.
- “We have snapshots enabled.” Snapshots help with versioning, but they’re stored on the same device and can be wiped out during a full-system compromise.
- “We only use the NAS for non-critical data.” You may not think that NAS devices contain critical data until it’s gone. Then it suddenly becomes essential, and you have no way to recover.
These assumptions can lead to costly data loss events, extended downtime, and compliance violations when NAS devices hold client records, intellectual property, or operational files.
Why MSPs and IT teams need NAS backup for BCDR
As with the rest of your storage array, you must back up the data within the NAS if you expect to recover it. More benefits of including NAS devices when implementing a BCDR strategy include:
- Ensuring business continuity: Backing up NAS devices ensures that even if the original device is compromised, lost, or destroyed, its data can be quickly recovered, minimizing downtime and keeping businesses running.
- Maintaining compliance and retention standards: If you’re storing data governed by HIPAA, FINRA, GDPR, or internal policies, it must be recoverable, encrypted, and retained for specific time frames. NAS alone doesn’t meet these standards, but with NAS backup, cybersecurity compliance is easier.
- Supporting cyber insurance requirements: Many cyber insurers now require clear, documented backup strategies that include coverage of all business-critical storage systems. NAS backup can improve your risk profile and help secure or retain coverage, potentially leading to more favorable rates.
- Delivering value to clients or leadership: For MSPs, offering NAS backup as part of your data protection services strengthens your role as a trusted and knowledgeable advisor. For IT teams, it proves due diligence and boosts stakeholder confidence in your security approach.
What to look for in a NAS backup solution
Not all backup solutions are designed with NAS in mind. It’s important not to assume that general backup tools will cover NAS devices, because it can lead to gaps in protection. When NAS devices are securely backed up using a solution that meets the following criteria, you reduce risk, simplify operations, and improve your ability to respond to incidents without compromising performance or compliance.
- File-level recovery: NAS backup should let you restore specific files or folders, not just entire volumes. Granular recovery ensures the faster resolution of common issues, such as accidental deletions or corrupted files, without the downtime or complexity of a full system restore.
- Flexible scheduling and retention: Every organization has different data access patterns, compliance mandates, and recovery point objectives (RPOs). A quality NAS backup solution will enable you to define backup frequencies and retention periods that align with your operational and regulatory requirements, ranging from hourly snapshots to multi-year archives.
- Immutable storage: Ransomware threats increasingly target backups themselves. Immutable storage protects backups so they cannot be altered or deleted, even by privileged users or malware. This safeguard is critical for maintaining a clear recovery point and satisfying modern cyber insurance requirements.
- Cloud and local backup options: Having both on-site and off-site copies of NAS data provides a balanced approach to speed and recovery. Local backups enable faster restores, while secure cloud backups protect against site-level disasters and theft. A good NAS backup solution supports both capabilities, with the option to choose or combine them.
- Seamless integration with broader BCDR strategy: NAS backup should not live in a silo. Look for a solution that integrates with your existing BCDR tools, allowing you to manage all backups through a single pane of glass, monitor health status centrally, and report across devices and data sources.
How x360Recover simplifies NAS backup
Protecting NAS devices shouldn’t require a patchwork of tools or manual workarounds. With x360Recover from Axcient, you get a purpose-built solution that makes NAS backup simple, secure, and scalable. Whether you’re protecting a single NAS device at headquarters or dozens across remote offices, x360Recover delivers:
- Backup of generic NAS file storage using rsync across mounted SMB and NFS network shares.
- File and folder recovery of NAS-protected data via FTPS, seamlessly integrated with the Recover Manager Recovery Wizard.
- Snapshot mounting for NAS systems to support fast access and granular recovery.
- AES 256-bit encryption in transit and at rest to keep data protected at all times.
- Immutable cloud storage with built-in AirGap protection.
- Customizable retention policies for long-term retention.
- Automated verification to confirm backup integrity and bootability.
- Seamless monitoring, alerting, and reporting through centralized dashboards.
NAS devices can be backed up automatically on a scheduled basis, stored securely off-site, and restored quickly without disrupting business operations. For MSPs, this means you can expand your BCDR service offering to protect your clients’ complete IT stack. For IT teams, it’s one less blind spot in your BCDR strategy.
Start backing up NAS with confidence
NAS devices may feel like old-school infrastructure, but they often hold new and irreplaceable data. In hybrid environments, failing to back up NAS leaves a critical part of your ecosystem exposed. By integrating NAS backup into your overall strategy, you strengthen your data resilience, close security holes, and proactively ensure faster recovery in the face of a cybersecurity incident.
Whether you’re managing client systems or your internal environment, backing up NAS devices is not optional. It’s an essential part of a modern, compliant, and comprehensive data protection strategy. With x360Recover from Axcient, a ConnectWise company, you can protect NAS data with the same confidence you apply to servers, endpoints, and cloud applications.
