`Ransomware <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ransomware>`_ is a type of malware
that encrypts files until a ransom is paid. Proxmox Backup Server includes
-features to mitigate ransomware attacks by offering easy restoration from backups.
+features to mitigate ransomware attacks by offering easy restoration from
+backups.
As a best practice, you should keep multiple backups, including outside of your
network and on different media. Proxmox Backup Server provides the tools to do
-both. It is possible to create :ref:`remote sync jobs <backup_remote>`; by
-setting up a remote Proxmox Backup Server you can take advantage of the sync job
-feature and create off-site copies of your backups. This is recommended, since
-offsite instances are less likely to be infected by the ransomware in your local
-network. It is also possible to create :ref:`tape backups <tape_backup>` as a
-second storage medium. This way you get an additional copy of your data which
-can easily be moved off-site.
-
-Proxmox Backup Server does not rewrite data for existing blocks. This means that
-a compromised Proxmox VE host, or any other compromised system using
-the client to back up data, cannot corrupt existing backups.
+both.
+It is possible to create :ref:`remote sync jobs <backup_remote>`; by
+setting up a remote Proxmox Backup Server you can take advantage of the sync
+job feature and create off-site copies of your backups.
+This is recommended, since offsite instances are less likely to be infected by
+the ransomware in your local network. It is also possible to create :ref:`tape
+backups <tape_backup>` as a second storage medium.
+This way you get an additional copy of your data which can easily be moved
+off-site.
+
+Proxmox Backup Server does not rewrite data for existing blocks. This means
+that a compromised Proxmox VE host, or any other compromised system using the
+client to back up data, cannot corrupt existing backups.
Furthermore, comprehensive :ref:`user management <user_mgmt>` is offered by
-Proxmox Backup Server. By limiting a sync user's or an access token's right to
-only write backups, not delete them, compromised clients cannot delete
-existing backups. Following this best practice, backup pruning should be done
-by the Proxmox Backup Server using prune jobs.
+Proxmox Backup Server.
+By limiting a sync user's or an access token's right to only write backups, not
+delete them, compromised clients cannot delete existing backups.
+Following this best practice, backup pruning should be done by the Proxmox
+Backup Server using prune jobs.
-While your Proxmox Backup Server can still be compromised, if your backup is
+While your Proxmox Backup Server can still be compromised, if your backup is
encrypted by ransomware, the SHA-256 checksums of the backups will not match
the previously recorded ones anymore. Hence, restoring the backup will fail.
-To detect ransomware inside a compromised guest, it is recommended to frequently
-test restoring and booting backups. Make sure to restore to a new guest and
-not to overwrite your current guest. In the case of many backed-up guests, it is
-recommended to automate this restore testing or, if this is not possible, to
-restore random samples from the backups.
-
-In order to be able to react quickly in case of a ransomware attack, it
-is recommended to regularly test restoring from your backups. Make sure to
-restore to a new guest and not to overwrite your current guest. Restoring
-many guests at once can be cumbersome, which is why it is advisable to
-automate this task and verify that your automated process works. If this is not
-feasible, it is recommended to restore random samples from your backups. While
-creating backups is is important, verifying that the backups work is equally
-important. This ensures that you are able to react quickly in case of an emergency
-and keeps disruption of your services to a minimum.
+To detect ransomware inside a compromised guest, it is recommended to
+frequently test restoring and booting backups. Make sure to restore to a new
+guest and not to overwrite your current guest.
+In the case of many backed-up guests, it is recommended to automate this
+restore testing or, if this is not possible, to restore random samples from the
+backups.
+In order to be able to react quickly in case of a ransomware attack, it is
+recommended to regularly test restoring from your backups. Make sure to restore
+to a new guest and not to overwrite your current guest.
+Restoring many guests at once can be cumbersome, which is why it is advisable
+to automate this task and verify that your automated process works. If this is
+not feasible, it is recommended to restore random samples from your backups.
+While creating backups is is important, verifying that the backups work is
+equally important. This ensures that you are able to react quickly in case of
+an emergency and keeps disruption of your services to a minimum.
Other Prevention Methods and Best Practices
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-It is recommended to take additional security measures, apart from the ones offered
-by Proxmox Backup Server. These recommendations include, but are not limited to:
+It is recommended to take additional security measures, apart from the ones
+offered by Proxmox Backup Server. These recommendations include, but are not
+limited to:
* Keeping the firmware and software up-to-date to patch exploits and
vulnerabilities (such as