IBM i has long been celebrated for its reliability, performance, and unique features. Its architecture offers inherent advantages that have made it a trusted platform for mission-critical workloads across industries. However, as cyber threats grow more sophisticated and hybrid IT environments become the norm, even the most secure systems must evolve.
Today, backup is a critical component of an organization’s cybersecurity defense, offering more than just a recovery mechanism. And while IBM i provides a strong foundation, backup environments — especially when managed separately — can introduce vulnerabilities if not properly aligned with modern security practices.
In fact, ransomware attacks are increasingly targeting backup data to cripple recovery efforts. Unauthorized access remains a risk when access controls are weak or multifactor authentication (MFA) is absent. Misconfigured or outdated backup processes may fail silently, leaving dangerous gaps in protection. These risks are not flaws in IBM i itself but rather signs that backup strategies must evolve to combat and prevent growing threats.
To stay ahead, organizations must adopt a more proactive, layered approach — one that includes automation, Zero Trust principles, and analytics-driven intelligence.
Top Backup Security Challenges
1. Legacy Practices and Inaction
Outdated scripts, unused but active permissions, forgotten scheduled tasks, and static configurations can introduce hidden vulnerabilities. Attackers often exploit these so-called “dead man’s scripts” to maintain persistence on the system without detection. Relying on legacy practices can leave organizations exposed to modern threats.
This is especially concerning in industries like manufacturing, where IBM i is widely used and where attackers are increasingly targeting outdated technologies. According to the IBM X-Force 2025 Threat Intelligence Index, manufacturing was the most targeted industry for the fourth consecutive year.
Solution: Automation is essential for overcoming these challenges. Cobalt Iron Compass® is a perfect example of how intelligent automation can eliminate security vulnerabilities, streamline policy enforcement, and automate regular reviews, enabling organizations to modernize their backup environments.
2. The Need for Layered Security (Zero Trust)
Zero Trust is a security model that assumes no user or system is inherently trustworthy. For IBM i environments, this means implementing strong password policies, enforcing multifactor authentication, and maintaining continuous monitoring — not only for production systems, but for backup infrastructure as well.
This is particularly important considering the rise in phishing and infostealer malware, up 84% year-over-year, that’s used to harvest credentials and silently compromise systems, including backup environments. Meanwhile, identity-based attacks, where valid credentials are used to move laterally, now make up 30% of intrusions, highlighting the need for stronger access controls and continuous monitoring.
Solution: Cobalt Iron’s Cyber Shield® delivers built-in backup security — no add-ons required. It goes beyond zero-trust principles with the exclusive Zero Access® model, which eliminates all login capability into the backup infrastructure. This hands-free architecture ensures your IT resources and data are protected from unauthorized access and attack vectors.
3. Ransomware and the Role of Immutable Backups
Ransomware remains a top concern for organizations of all sizes, with backup data frequently in the crosshairs. In fact, IBM’s 2025 X-Force Threat Intelligence Index reports that ransomware still accounts for 28% of malware-related incidents.
Immutable backups — copies that cannot be altered or deleted — are essential for ensuring reliable recovery after an attack.
Solution: Cobalt Iron Compass delivers immutable, encrypted, and deduplicated backups by default, providing a robust safety net and helping organizations recover quickly and confidently. Compass also supports advanced techniques like air-gapping and encryption at rest, ensuring that backup data is both secure and recoverable, even in the face of sophisticated attacks.
Why Automation and Intelligence Matter in Modern Backup
While IBM i provides a secure and stable platform, many organizations still rely on manual or DIY backup strategies. These approaches can be difficult to scale, audit, or secure consistently, especially as environments grow more complex.
Compass is designed to automate and secure the protection of IBM i data, bringing simplicity, improved visibility, and lowered risks to an already resilient platform. Cobalt Iron Compass offers a modern alternative with:
- Rapid and flexible deployment capabilities
- Simplified backup operations
- New recovery options for IBM i
- Immutable, policy-driven backups
- Zero Access architecture
- Centralized visibility and control
But what truly sets Compass apart is its analytics-driven automation. Imagine a smart irrigation system equipped with a rain sensor: Rather than just watering on a schedule, it adapts in real time to changing conditions. This proactive, analytics-driven approach minimizes human error, enhances compliance, and ensures that your backup strategy remains aligned with your evolving business needs.
That’s the approach Compass brings to backup and security policies. By leveraging analytics, Compass can:
- Detect anomalies in backup behavior
- Predict operational issues
- Alert administrators to risks before they escalate into incidents
With Compass, organizations can go from zero to backup in under 30 minutes — without requiring a massive services engagement.
This intelligent automation not only improves operational efficiency but also ensures that backup strategies evolve in lockstep with business and compliance requirements. Whether you are a small IT team or a global enterprise, Compass augments your IBM i environment with automation and intelligence, reducing operational risk and administrative burden.
Backup as a Strategic Asset: A Smarter Way Forward
Too often, backup is viewed as a sunk cost — an insurance policy you hope never to use. Forward-thinking organizations are shifting this mindset, recognizing that backup and recovery are foundational to resilience, agility, and digital transformation.
A well-architected backup solution can:
- Reduce cyber insurance premiums
- Shorten recovery times and anxieties
- Improve audit readiness
- Accelerate cloud adoption
- Strengthen your overall security posture
IBM i remains a cornerstone of enterprise IT. With the right tools and partners, it can also lead the way in cyber resilience.
Cobalt Iron Compass is available through the IBM Cloud catalog and offers a 30-day free trial — whether you're new to IBM Power Virtual Server, already running workloads in the cloud, or still running IBM i on-premises. See Secure Automated Backup with Compass in the IBM Cloud Catalog.
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