How secure are your orgs?

Backups are a crucial part of any security strategy; giving you a path to recovery when something is lost, corrupted, or compromised. But if they’re poorly managed, they can introduce risks of their own like misconfigurations, weak access controls, or exposed exported data. And if you do experience a data loss event, a backup is only as useful as your ability to restore from it securely, without creating new vulnerabilities in the process.

In this article, we’ll explore how to secure your backup process, restore metadata and data safely, and embed security throughout your DevOps lifecycle. Because a truly resilient Salesforce org doesn’t just recover from threats — it works to stop them before they start.

Backups: a safety net, not a security plan

To truly protect your org, you need a proactive approach to backups that minimizes security risks like misconfigurations, excessive permissions, and potential data exposures. This proactive stance reduces the likelihood of incidents that result in data restoration.

The hidden dangers of data exports 

Exporting Salesforce data, especially in formats like CSV, can inadvertently introduce security vulnerabilities. Once data leaves your Salesforce org, it no longer benefits from built-in security measures like profiles, permission sets, or encryption. That increases the risk of unauthorized access and accidental exposure. 

Secure storage

Your backup is only as safe as the environment it lives in. Encrypt backups at rest and in transit, and store them in a secure, access-controlled location. Don’t use personal drives or shared folders. Access should be limited to those who need it, with logging in place to monitor activity.

Versioning and retention 

Backups should capture more than just a snapshot. Use versioning to track changes over time so you can restore to a known good state when needed. Implement automated retention policies to reduce the risks that come with holding onto sensitive data longer than needed.

Keep an eye on your backups.

Don’t set and forget. Set up automated monitoring and alerts to confirm backups are running successfully and on schedule. Investigate failures, track anomalies, and test your recovery process regularly to ensure it works as expected.

Plan and test your recovery process

A reliable backup is not enough on its own; your team needs to be ready to use it under pressure. Create a clear, documented recovery plan that outlines the steps, tools, and responsibilities involved in restoring your org. Test that plan regularly in realistic scenarios to make sure it works as expected and that your team is confident in executing it. 

Restore securely 

Your recovery process should keep security controls like profiles and permission sets intact so you’re not accidentally granting access where you shouldn’t. Restore only what is necessary to avoid reintroducing outdated or unnecessary configurations. 

It is also essential to keep data and metadata in sync during the restore. Restoring one without the other can lead to broken dependencies or the loss of critical security settings, undermining the integrity of your org. In the case of a large-scale incident, restoring in stages can reduce risk and complexity. Start with metadata to re-establish the structure and security model of the org, then layer in data once access controls are in place. 

Beyond backups: stay ahead with proactive security

Now that your backups are as secure as they can be, it’s time to think bigger. A strong backup strategy is essential, but backups alone won’t prevent security incidents, they just help you recover from them. The next step is to reduce the risk of incidents happening in the first place.

Security isn’t a one-time setup, it’s an ongoing process. To stay ahead of threats:

• Run regular security audits: Review permission changes, API access, and metadata modifications to catch security gaps before they become problems.
• Follow the principle of least privilege: Give users only the access necessary for their roles. Avoid assigning system administrator privileges indiscriminately, as this can lead to potential security breaches.
• Train your team on secure practices. Make sure everyone involved in your release process understands how their work affects security. Regular training helps prevent avoidable mistakes and keeps security top of mind across the team.

By making security a fundamental part of your DevOps lifecycle, you move from simply reacting to issues to actively preventing them. This makes your Salesforce org not just recoverable, but resilient. 

Embedding security into the DevOps lifecycle with Gearset

A complete DevOps approach ensures that security isn’t an afterthought but a fundamental part of every stage of the development lifecycle. With Gearset’s backup and restore solution for Salesforce, teams can confidently integrate best practices for both backup and security into their workflows, reducing risk while improving operational resilience.

Gearset’s automated, daily backups of both data and metadata provide full visibility into changes, helping teams spot and resolve potential security risks before they escalate. Integrated monitoring helps detect permission and metadata changes that could introduce vulnerabilities, allowing for proactive management rather than reactive recovery.

When restoration is necessary, Gearset enables teams to recover data and metadata selectively, preserving security settings and minimizing unnecessary risk. By aligning backup and security within a DevOps framework, Gearset ensures that organizations are not just prepared to recover but are actively preventing issues before they arise.

From safety net to strategy: seeing the full security picture 

Backups should be part of a broader security strategy, not the strategy itself. Keeping permissions tight, reviewing changes proactively, and ensuring continuous monitoring help teams avoid threats before they become incidents. A strong security posture means you’re not just prepared to recover, you’re working to ensure you rarely need to.

With a DevOps-driven approach and the right tools in place, your security isn’t left to chance. By combining smart backups with proactive security measures, you can safeguard your Salesforce org with confidence, minimizing risks while staying agile and resilient.