What to Do When Backups Fail After Ransomware Hits Your Veterinary Practice

Backups are always recommended as a critical safeguard for veterinary practices. They act as a safety net against data loss, allowing a practice to restore its records, schedules, and client information when something goes wrong. For most practices, backups are considered the ultimate protection, an invisible shield that ensures patient data, diagnostic results, and financial files can always be recovered. Whether stored in the cloud or on physical drives, backups give veterinary teams confidence that they can continue serving clients even after a technical failure or cyber incident.

However, backups are not bulletproof. They can fail silently, become outdated, or capture only partial data. Worse still, some ransomware attacks are sophisticated enough to corrupt or encrypt the backups themselves, rendering them useless when they are needed most. For a veterinary practice, this scenario can be devastating. Without reliable backups, every record, lab report, invoice, and pet medical history can be held hostage by criminals demanding payment. This article explores what veterinary practices can do when that happens and how they can recover effectively.

Rebuilding After Backup Failure

Even when backups fail, recovery is not impossible. Veterinary practices can still rebuild if they take fast, coordinated action and make the right technical and communication decisions. The first step is to contain the ransomware, stop further damage, and assess what data remains accessible. Staff should also be informed quickly, as their understanding of workflows and client needs can help prioritize recovery.

1. Engage cybersecurity professionals immediately: Calling in experts should be the first response. They can help identify the ransomware strain, isolate infected systems, and prevent further spread. These specialists can also perform forensic analysis and determine whether data decryption is possible. In some cases, they may work with law enforcement or cybersecurity firms that specialize in negotiating with attackers, but they will always prioritize safe recovery without paying the ransom. This approach ensures your systems are restored securely and in compliance with the law.
   
   
2. Assess the condition of partial backups: Sometimes, not all backups are compromised. Veterinary practices should review their storage systems to find data that remains intact. Even partial data recovery can allow limited operations to continue while more comprehensive restoration takes place. Identifying clean copies of patient records, appointment lists, or billing data can provide a critical foundation for restarting services. This process may take time, but each recovered file helps rebuild the digital infrastructure piece by piece.
   
   
3. Use offline and off-site storage: Backups that are not connected to the network are less likely to be infected. Air-gapped or external backups can provide clean copies of critical data. These copies can help restore essential systems and get the practice back up and running. For veterinary practices, this may mean restoring patient databases, medical imaging archives, or point-of-sale records from hard drives or external servers. Having an off-site backup also offers protection from physical risks, such as fire or hardware damage, ensuring the data remains safe even when your main systems are compromised.
   
   
4. Prioritize mission-critical systems: Focus on restoring systems that directly impact patient care and business continuity, such as practice management software, payment platforms, and medical record databases. Fewer critical systems can follow once core functions are secure. For instance, restoring access to diagnostic data and appointment scheduling should take precedence over marketing or analytics systems. This strategic prioritization minimizes operational downtime and allows the practice to continue serving clients as restoration proceeds.
   
   
5. Maintain open communication with clients: Transparency during recovery builds trust. Clients appreciate updates on how long disruptions may last and reassurance that their data remains protected. Proactive communication helps preserve relationships even during crises. Veterinary practices can use social media, email notifications, or phone updates to inform clients about appointment rescheduling and service availability. This approach not only demonstrates accountability but also protects the practice’s reputation in the community.
   

Strengthening Future Backup Resilience

Once recovery begins, the focus should shift to preventing another disaster. Veterinary practices can learn valuable lessons from the incident and build more resilient systems that withstand future threats.

1. Implement a 3-2-1 backup strategy: Keep three copies of all important data, stored on two different media types, with one copy located offsite or offline. This approach protects against both cyberattacks and hardware failures. For example, one copy may be stored on a local server, another in the cloud, and a third on an external hard drive disconnected from the network. This strategy ensures that even if ransomware infects one source, the others remain safe for recovery.
   
   
2. Test and verify backups regularly: Backups are only as good as their last successful test. Veterinary practices should conduct frequent restoration drills to ensure backups work as expected. Testing also reveals gaps, such as unprotected data or incomplete files. Without testing, practices may assume their backups are working perfectly when in reality, the data could be corrupted or missing. Routine verification helps identify problems early, allowing corrections before a real attack occurs.
   
   
3. Adopt immutable and versioned backups: Immutable backups cannot be altered or deleted, even by administrators. Versioned backups allow restoration to a clean point in time before an attack. Both options offer stronger protection against ransomware. By using immutable backups, veterinary practices can ensure that even if ransomware breaches their main system, attackers cannot overwrite or destroy critical recovery data. Versioning provides flexibility, letting teams choose a point before infection, ensuring full restoration without reinfection.
   
   
4. Segment and secure backup networks: Backups should never reside on the same network as production systems. Isolating them prevents ransomware from spreading. Access should be limited and protected by strong authentication controls. Network segmentation also helps reduce internal risks, as unauthorized staff or compromised devices cannot easily access sensitive storage systems. Combining isolation with monitoring tools that detect unusual activity adds another layer of defense.
   
   
5. Invest in staff training: Human error is often the gateway to ransomware. Regular training helps veterinary staff identify phishing emails, suspicious attachments, and unusual system behavior. A vigilant team is the first line of defense. Cyber awareness sessions can be incorporated into routine staff meetings, using real-world examples of veterinary industry breaches. When staff members understand how cyberattacks unfold, they become more cautious and proactive in protecting the practice’s systems.
   

When backups fail during a ransomware attack, the impact on a veterinary practice can be overwhelming. But with rapid response, expert guidance, and a renewed focus on resilience, recovery is possible. Practices that learn from failure, reinforce their systems, and prioritize cybersecurity readiness emerge stronger, more prepared, and better equipped to protect both their patients and their reputation.