Impact: Google Cloud Backup and DR remove appliance

This document describes a threat finding type in Security Command Center. Threat findings are generated by threat detectors when they detect a potential threat in your cloud resources. For a full list of available threat findings, see Threat findings index.

Finding description

Audit logs are examined to detect the removal of a backup and recovery appliance. A backup and recovery appliance is a critical component for backup operations.

Step 1: Review finding details

  1. Open the Inhibit System Recovery: Google Cloud Backup and DR remove appliance finding, as detailed in Reviewing findings. The details panel for the finding opens to the Summary tab.
  2. On the Summary tab, review the information in the following sections:
    • What was detected, especially the following fields:
      • Appliance name: the name of a database or VM connected to Backup and DR
      • Principal subject: a user that has successfully executed an action
    • Affected resource
      • Resource display name: the project in which the appliance was deleted
    • Related links, especially the following fields:
      • MITRE ATTACK method: link to the MITRE ATT&CK documentation
      • Logging URI: link to open the Logs Explorer

Step 2: Research attack and response methods

Contact the owner of the service account in the Principal email field. Confirm whether the legitimate owner conducted the action.

Step 3: Implement your response

The following response plan might be appropriate for this finding. Carefully evaluate the information you gather in your investigation to determine the best way to resolve findings. 1. In the project where the action was taken, navigate to the management console. 2. In the App Manager tab, find the affected applications that are no longer protected and review backup policies for each. 3. To create a new appliance and reapply protections to unprotected apps, navigate to Backup and DR in the Google Cloud console and select the Deploy another backup or recovery appliance option. 4. In the Storage menu, configure each new appliance with a storage target. After you configure an appliance, it appears as an option when you create a profile for your applications.

What's next