# Which computers should be able to connect to the backup server?

As few as possible: the backup server itself, the systems it backs up during their backup window, and the administrators' management workstation. Ordinary workstations have no reason to open file shares, remote desktop or management ports on the backup server. Write this down as a short rule set and enforce it with firewall rules or network segmentation, ideally putting the backup system in its own network segment. Then check that reality matches. Network flow data shows which hosts actually talk to the backup server, on which ports and when; in NetSenX the network map shows this on every plan, so a laptop in sales that starts connecting to the backup server stands out. Such a connection is not always an attack, but it always deserves an explanation, because reaching the backups is a typical step just before ransomware encryption.

FAQ: [Backups and recovery](https://netsenx.com/en/faq/backups) · https://netsenx.com/en/faq/which-computers-should-connect-to-the-backup-server

## Read next

- https://netsenx.com/en/detect-ransomware-on-the-network
- https://netsenx.com/en/blog/2026-10-24_ransomware-protection

## Related questions

- [Can backups be infected with ransomware?](https://netsenx.com/en/faq/can-backups-be-infected-with-ransomware)
- [How do we restore from backup safely after ransomware?](https://netsenx.com/en/faq/how-to-restore-from-backup-safely-after-ransomware)
- [In what order should systems be restored after an attack?](https://netsenx.com/en/faq/in-what-order-should-systems-be-restored)
- [What are RPO and RTO?](https://netsenx.com/en/faq/what-are-rpo-and-rto)
- [Is cloud file sync, such as OneDrive or Dropbox, a backup?](https://netsenx.com/en/faq/is-cloud-file-sync-a-backup)
