VaultGuard Backup
PROTECT · PREVENT · PREPARE
The backup that won't lie to you.
Cryptographically verified Windows backups with ransomware-aware restore. Built for the people who can't afford to find out — six months from now — that their backups were empty all along.
The Problem
Most backup tools tell you the job ran. They don't tell you whether what came out the other side is actually restorable.
Drives fail silently. Files get corrupted in transit. Ransomware encrypts your backup folder right alongside your real data. Software updates break compatibility. By the time you find out, the data you needed is gone.
VaultGuard Backup was built around one stubborn idea: a backup you haven't verified isn't a backup. It's a hope.
What Makes VaultGuard Backup Different
Cryptographic verification, every single backup. Every file VaultGuard writes is fingerprinted with a SHA-256 hash and stored in a manifest. Before any restore, the manifest is checked. If anything's been tampered with, modified, or silently corrupted — VaultGuard refuses to restore and tells you exactly what changed.
Ransomware-aware restore. Modern ransomware specifically targets backup files. VaultGuard checks every restore two ways: SHA-256 manifest verification catches any change to the backup since it was created, and a built-in extension scan flags backups that contain files renamed by known ransomware families. Either one fires and the restore stops before bad data goes back onto your machine.
Pre-backup defense. Before each backup runs, VaultGuard checks Windows Defender definitions, scans the source for known threats, verifies disk health (SMART data, chkdsk results), and warns about BitLocker status. A clean backup of an infected drive is worse than no backup at all.
Locked-down runtime. Configuration files live in an ACL-restricted folder under C:\ProgramData. Config integrity is verified by hash on every launch. An optional administrator passphrase — for users who want compliance-grade protection — follows NIST SP 800-63B guidelines when set. None of these are features you'll see day-to-day — they're the reason VaultGuard stays trustworthy when nothing else has been touched in eighteen months.
Real cloud strategy. Local image to an external drive. Cloud copy to a folder synced by your preferred cloud provider. Layer on any cloud-to-cloud mirror service for an off-site copy at a second provider. Three copies, two media, one off-site — the 3-2-1 backup rule, your choice of providers.
Who It's For
Individuals with a laptop full of work that can't be replaced — photographers, writers, freelancers, consultants, anyone whose business is mostly the contents of a single computer.
Small businesses running on Windows that need real backup without paying for an enterprise product they'll never use 90% of.
My own services clients in central Kentucky, who needed a tool that actually does what it says.
VaultGuard Backup runs on Windows 10 and 11. It backs up to external drives, network shares, and cloud-synced folders. It's a single signed .exe — no installer headaches, no agent services chewing up resources.
Pricing
Personal — $14.99/month or $149/year One Windows machine. Full features. Email support.
Business — $24.99/month or $249/year per machine 10 machines under one license. Email support.
Both plans include every feature. No "premium tier" gating the security features that actually keep your data safe — that would defeat the point. Cancel anytime.
How It Actually Works
A 14-day trial runs the full Software with no feature gating. Payment is processed through Stripe — your card on file is charged when the trial ends, unless you cancel first.
Each subscription is bound to your computer's hardware. License validation happens automatically in the background. If your network goes down, VaultGuard keeps running — there's a seven-day grace period before re-validation is required.
You'll never see a feature locked behind a higher tier. You'll never get a renewal email from a department that doesn't answer questions. When something needs your attention, the email comes from me.
Built And Supported By One Person Who Answers His Own Email
VaultGuard Backup isn't a venture-funded SaaS company that'll get acqui-hired in two years and shut down. It's a tool built by David Martin, the cybersecurity professional behind Information Security Kentucky, who needed it for his own clients and decided to make it available to everyone else.
When you email customer service, you're emailing me.
What's In The “Box”
A condensed feature inventory. Full list on the [Features page].
Backup integrity SHA-256 manifest of every file · Tamper detection · Restore-blocking on verification failure · Automatic post-backup integrity verification
Threat awareness Pre-backup Defender scans · Defender definition age check · Manifest verification catches ransomware-modified backups · BitLocker status warnings
Drive and media health SMART monitoring · chkdsk integration · Drive age tracking · Available space monitoring · Auto-eject after cloud sync
Cloud and off-site strategy Local image via wbadmin · Robocopy sync to your chosen cloud-sync folder · Network share support · Compatible with any cloud-to-cloud mirror service for off-site copies
Restore options File-level restore · Full system restore via Windows Recovery Environment · Cloud restore from your cloud copy · Manifest verification before any restore
Security hardening Optional NIST SP 800-63B compliant passphrase · Optional 2FA · ACL-locked runtime data · Config integrity verification · Session timeout · Code-signed binaries
Operations SMTP email alerts · Restore test reminders · Machine and client identity fields · Task Scheduler integration · Manual run-now option
What It Runs On
Windows 10 (version 1909 or later) or Windows 11
64-bit only
100 MB available disk space
Backup target: external USB drive, internal drive, or network share
Optional: a desktop sync app from any cloud storage provider for off-machine copies
Final CTA
Try VaultGuard Backup free for 14 days.
No credit card required to start. Full feature access. If it's not the right tool, walk away — no awkward sales call, no "are you sure" survey.