An immutable backup is a copy of data that cannot be altered or deleted for a defined retention period, typically enforced through write-once-read-many storage or object-lock features. It guarantees a clean, recoverable copy even if attackers gain administrative access, making it a key defense against ransomware. Data center backup and disaster recovery designs pair immutability with air-gapping to protect the last line of restore.
Category: Security & Compliance · Subcategory: Cybersecurity & Zero Trust · Part of the AIDC Technical Terminology reference.