How does Compass prevent ransomware breaches?

Compass uses Zero Access® architecture — no human logs in to the backup infrastructure, so there are no credentials for ransomware to steal, and even a stolen Commander login can't delete data, which can only be expired by policy.

Security & Cyber Resilience

You can't steal a login that doesn't exist.

Q: What is Cyber Shield?

Cyber Shield is Compass's built-in cyber resilience layer with analytics-driven anomaly detection and immutable WORM storage for guaranteed clean recovery points.

Ransomware groups attack backup systems first. Compass removes the thing they attack: administrative access. Zero Access® means no one — not your admins, not attackers, not even Cobalt Iron — can log in to your backup data.

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Why It's Secure

What makes Compass the most secure enterprise backup?

Ransomware breaches backups through stolen credentials — Compass has none into the backup infrastructure. Admins use Commander only to set policy; even a stolen Commander login can't delete your backups, which can only be expired by policy.

Zero Access®No logins to steal, no consoles to compromise, no privileged credentials to phish.
Cyber Shield™Analytics-driven anomaly detection flags ransomware behavior in backup patterns.
Immutable, encrypted copiesRecovery points that can't be encrypted or deleted.
Isolated recoveryClean-room Compass Vault recovery for cyber and disaster events.
Built in, not an add-on SKUSecurity is part of the platform, not a separate purchase.

How It Works

Zero Access eliminates the logins hackers target

Zero trust just gates the logins with MFA — the access still exists. Zero Access removes it: no human ever logs in to the backup infrastructure, so there are no credentials to steal.

How Zero Access works: in traditional zero-trust backup every component — backup software, server and OS, catalog database, storage, and tools — keeps an admin login reachable with shared production credentials, so one stolen credential exposes the whole environment. Compass Zero Access puts a Compass Analytics Engine and Accelerator behind a 'no human access' line, with users only logging in to Commander, so no login into the backup infrastructure exists to steal.

The Architecture

Three layers competitors sell separately. Compass includes all of them.

Zero Access®

No administrative access to backup data — by design. The attack surface competitors defend with MFA and monitoring simply does not exist in Compass.

Cyber Shield™

analytics-driven anomaly detection watches backup patterns for signs of ransomware. Immutable, encrypted copies guarantee a clean recovery point.

Continuously current

Compass patches and upgrades itself automatically. Unpatched backup software is a common hacker entry point — Compass removes it.

How Compass Wins the Security Comparison

Cohesity, Commvault, Rubrik, and Veeam all market "Zero Trust" and immutability. The difference is architectural — and in the record.

	Compass	Typical enterprise backup vendors
Attack surface	✓ No logins to the backup infrastructure to steal	✗ Multiple vendors have disclosed incidents and critical vulnerabilities
Admin attack surface	✓ Zero Access® — no logins to backup data exist	✗ Zero Trust — admin access still exists, defended by controls
Immutability / vaulting	✓ Included in the platform	✗ Often a separate SKU or SaaS vault subscription
Patching	✓ Continuously current, automatic	✗ Customer-managed upgrade projects

Recovery Readiness

Security is only half the story. Recovery is the proof.

Automated, validated recovery points — know your backups restore before you need them
Second-site DR copy available — single- or dual-copy pricing
Replication to cloud or secondary site for cyber incident recovery
Full audit history and automated compliance reporting for regulators and boards
Isolated Vault Services™ — network-isolated clean-room recovery after a cyber event

Compliance & Audit

Frequently asked questions

What is Zero Access® architecture?

Zero Access® architecture is Cobalt Iron Compass's security model that removes human access to the backup infrastructure. Administrators log in only to Compass Commander — the user interface for setting policies and managing operations — never to the backup software, backup catalog, operating system, or backup storage beneath it, so there are no infrastructure credentials for ransomware to steal.

How does Compass keep backups safe from ransomware?

Zero Access® architecture removes administrative access to the backup infrastructure, and immutable WORM storage plus Cyber Shield anomaly detection keep backups isolated from attack — there are no infrastructure credentials for ransomware to steal, and even a stolen Commander login can't delete data, which can only be expired by policy.

Is Compass security an add-on or extra cost?

No. Zero Access®, Cyber Shield, and immutability are included. There are no security add-on costs.

What is Cyber Shield?

Cyber Shield™ is Compass's built-in cyber resilience layer: analytics-driven anomaly detection that identifies ransomware behavior in backup patterns, plus immutable and WORM storage options that guarantee clean, unalterable recovery points.

Ask your current backup vendor one question: "What happens when an admin login is stolen?"

Then ask us. The answers will be different.

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