Backup network segmentation is one of the cheapest controls that can stop a ransomware incident from becoming a total rebuild. Many small and mid-size environments protect production servers with decent backup software, but then place the backup console, proxies and repository in the same routing domain as users, printers, Wi-Fi clients or general server management. When an attacker gets an admin token or moves laterally, the backup platform becomes just another target.
This article shows a practical, vendor-neutral design for separating backup traffic with VLANs, VRFs and firewall rules. It fits SMB, home lab, branch and small data-center networks, and it complements the Start Here networking topics, Data Center Networking and Resources pages.
