RestoreDetect

RestoreDetect is a software tool designed to monitor and detect unauthorized or anomalous restoration activities within information technology environments. It focuses on data recovery workflows in databases, backup systems, and file servers, aiming to identify ransomware, insider threats, or accidental restorations that could compromise data integrity or availability.

The system collects telemetry from database logs, backup catalogs, file system events, and cloud storage APIs. It uses a combination of rule-based checks and machine-learning anomaly detection to flag restores that deviate from baselines—such as restores outside maintenance windows, to non-production environments, rapid mass recoveries, or restoration to unexpected destinations. Alerts are surfaced via a centralized dashboard and interoperability with SIEM and incident-response workflows.

The architecture includes lightweight agents, a central analytics engine, a RESTful API, and a web dashboard. It supports common databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server), backup tooling, and cloud storage platforms. It emphasizes privacy and security with encrypted data-in-motion and at-rest storage, role-based access control, and audit trails.

RestoreDetect originated as an open-source project developed by a community of security and data-management engineers in the early 2020s. The first public release appeared in 2023, with subsequent major releases adding additional data connectors, ML models, and integration features.

Usage considerations include potential false positives in noisy environments and the need for proper log retention and baseline calibration. It is intended as a complement to backup-and-recovery controls and ransomware protection, rather than a standalone solution.