Immutable cloud backups are backup copies that cannot be altered, encrypted, or deleted once stored. This makes them one of the most effective defenses against ransomware, insider threats, and accidental data loss.
Despite their importance, many small and medium-sized businesses still avoid immutability because of persistent myths.
This article debunks the biggest misconceptions and explains why BackupAssist makes immutable cloud backups simple, reliable, and cost-effective to help SMBs achieve ultimate cyber resilience.
Myth 1: “Immutable cloud backups are hard to configure.”
The truth: They’re incredibly easy – especially with BackupAssist.
For cloud providers like AWS S3 and Wasabi, you simply enable Bucket Versioning and Object Lock when creating your bucket.
Then, in BackupAssist Classic, when configuring your cloud destination, you simply tick the cloud immutable backup checkbox – and you’re done.
BackupAssist automatically:
- Configures immutability correctly
- Manages the retention period for each backup file
- Removes the need for any advanced scripting or manual setup
If you can create a bucket, you can enable immutability.
Myth 2: “Immutable cloud backups are expensive.”
The truth: You get tamper-proof cloud backups at almost zero extra cost.
Many businesses worry that immutability drives up cloud storage charges, but here’s the reality:
- No extra fees from cloud providers – Cloud providers do not charge extra for enabling immutability features. Instead, they receive additional revenue from having cloud objects retained in the cloud for longer. Backups already have a retention policy concept, so applying immutability to cloud backups does not add additional cost.
- BackupAssist prevents costly misconfigurations – Incorrect retention settings can cause unnecessary storage bloat. BackupAssist avoids this by managing retention period automatically so that it matches the backup retention policy settings. This prevents files from being retained longer than they need to be.
- Temporary extra cost only happens after a cyberattack – During a ransomware event, if the attacker gains access to the cloud credentials, they may try to corrupt or delete the cloud backups. With immutability, this would result in additional versions of the files being added to the bucket, which would result in higher storage cost. This small extra (temporary) storage cost is nothing compared to paying a ransom or experiencing downtime.
- Efficient storage usage – BackupAssist Cloud Backup uses deduplication and compression to minimize storage costs. To support immutability, BackupAssist only adds less than 1% of metadata overhead to the backup storage.
Bottom line: Immutable backups deliver maximum protection without inflating your cloud bill.
Myth 3: “It’s easy to get immutability wrong.”
The truth: BackupAssist safeguards your configuration automatically.
Misconfiguring immutability can leave your backups with insufficient protection, because not all Bucket Versioning and Object Locking settings result in an immutable backup.
BackupAssist stops misconfiguration from happening by:
- Blocking invalid immutability settings
- Alerting you if something needs correction, ensuring your immutability settings meet best practice
SMBs don’t need to be cloud experts – BackupAssist makes immutability foolproof.
Myth 4: “Immutable backups only protect against specific scenarios.”
The truth: Immutability shields you from a wide range of threats.
Immutable cloud backups provide protection from:
- Targeted ransomware attacks
- Insider / malicious staff threats
- Accidental deletion
- Bucket and cloud account deletion – even with stolen access keys
When everything else fails, immutability ensures your data remains intact and recoverable.
Myth 5: “Immutable storage slows down backups and restores.”
The truth: Any performance impact is negligible.
Cloud providers’ performance guidelines (e.g. AWS S3) do not include Object Lock or Versioning as performance-impacting features.
BackupAssist’s careful internal testing shows that immutability has virtually no noticeable effect on backup or restore speed.
You get stronger protection without sacrificing performance.
Final Verdict: Immutable Cloud Backups Are a Must-Have for SMB Cybersecurity
Immutable cloud backups provide:
- Easy setup
- Low-cost cloud storage
- Automated protection
- Comprehensive defense against cyberattacks
- Fast and reliable recovery
With BackupAssist, SMBs can deploy enterprise-grade immutability with just a few clicks. There is no complexity, no hidden costs, and no risks. Instead, you get strengthened cyber-resilience for your business.
New to BackupAssist? Download our free 30-day trial today.
