AirGap
Air gap backup protection for ransomware-resilient recovery
Always-on protection for backup data that helps MSPs and IT teams defend against ransomware, insider threats, and accidental deletion. AirGap preserves immutable backups and gives organizations confidence that critical data remains recoverable when it's needed most in Axcient solutions from ConnectWise.
Always-on, air-gapped immutable backups for your last line of defense
Backups are only valuable if attackers can't destroy them. AirGap safeguards backup data by preventing immediate deletion, ensuring ransomware, malicious insiders, or accidental administrator actions cannot permanently remove backups.
With AirGap you can:
- Protect immutable backups from ransomware and malicious deletion attempts
- Preserve backup data even if deletion requests are submitted
- Defend against insider threats and accidental administrative mistakes
- Strengthen cyber resilience with always-on backup protection
- Recover confidently knowing backup data remains available when needed
How does AirGap work?
AirGap works by separating a deletion request and the actual removal of backup data, ensuring that no one—including hackers, insiders, or admin mistakes—can erase protected backups.
How AirGap functions:
- Immutable backups: Backup snapshots are protected by an enforced safety archive, ensuring that deleted data remains preserved for a minimum retention period.
- Honeypot deception: When attackers attempt to delete backups, AirGap displays a “successful” result that fools them into thinking they’re done. In reality, the backups are stored in isolated storage tiers where they remain untouched and restorable.
- Human factor separation: The ability to request a deletion and the authority to fulfill it are split between different individuals so that no single insider has complete control to remove backups.
- Time-gap validation: Deletion requests are delayed, creating a buffer of time where malicious activity can be spotted and stopped before execution. Because the intervals vary, attackers can’t predict or mimic the process.
Strengthen compliance and cyber resilience
Organizations are expected to prove that backup data is protected and complies with government regulations and industry standards. AirGap helps meet those requirements by preserving immutable backup snapshots, preventing accidental or malicious deletion, and maintaining recoverable data throughout the retention period. The result is greater confidence when demonstrating cyber resilience, long-term retention, and disaster recovery readiness.
AirGap for x360Recover
Axcient x360Recover from ConnectWise is a comprehensive BCDR solution for servers, endpoints, and entire environments. In this context, AirGap:
- Protects system-level backups, including images, virtual machines (VMs), and bare-metal recoveries.
- Works alongside built-in security features, such Virtual Office with Runbooks for cloud failover and orchestrated recovery and AutoVerify for automated backup integrity testing.
- Delivers business continuity even if ransomware compromises production systems or attempts to delete backup snapshots because the immutable archive always holds a “last clean copy.”
- Provides confidence in rapid virtualization and recovery that won’t be derailed by tampered or missing backups.
AirGap for x360Cloud
Axcient x360Cloud™ from ConnectWise focuses on SaaS backup and recovery for Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. In this context, AirGap:
- Protects user-level data, including Microsoft 365 Exchange Mail, Calendar, Contacts, OneDrive, SharePoint, and Teams data, as well as Google Workspace data, such as Gmail, Calendar, Contacts, Drives, Sites, and Shared Drives.
- Immutable snapshots remain safely stored even if a malicious insider or ransomware wipes SaaS files or if Microsoft’s 30-day recycle bin is exhausted.
- Defends against common SaaS risks, including accidental deletions, insider sabotage, and compromised accounts.
- Supports compliance and long-term retention demands without any fear of gaps in SaaS protection.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is AirGap?
AirGap is a built-in backup protection capability in ConnectWise solutions Axcient x360Recover and Axcient x360Cloud. This feature prevents backup data from being permanently deleted immediately, helping protect against ransomware, insider threats, and accidental deletion.
How does AirGap protect backups?
AirGap separates deletion requests from permanent deletion using immutable storage, delayed deletion, separation of duties, and honeypot deception techniques that preserve backup data while giving organizations time to detect malicious activity.
Does AirGap work with Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace?
Yes. AirGap protects Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace backup data in x360Cloud, including Exchange, OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams, Gmail, Google Drive, Shared Drives, and other supported workloads.
How does AirGap support ransomware recovery?
Because backup data remains protected in an immutable archive, organizations can recover from ransomware attacks even if attackers attempt to delete backup snapshots.
Does AirGap help with compliance?
Yes. AirGap helps organizations maintain immutable backup data to support regulatory requirements, cyber insurance, and long-term retention policies.