Building Multi-Cloud Recovery That Actually Works | STRIVE

How do you recover when ransomware hits a multi-cloud environment? In this episode of STRIVE, host Chris Mierzwa sits down with Akshay Joshi (ex-IBM, AWS, Microsoft, Clumio) to unpack the realities of multi-cloud recovery, cyber resilience, ransomware response, and operational complexity. As enterprises expand across AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, recovery becomes exponentially harder. This conversation dives into why traditional backup strategies fall short in multi-cloud architectures—and what CISOs, CIOs, and DevOps leaders must do to build true cyber resilience. 00:00 Introduction to Multi-Cloud Recovery 02:01 Understanding Recovery Gaps in Multi-Cloud Environments 07:07 The Challenges of Multi-Cloud Operations 08:49 Ransomware and Its Impact on Recovery 11:02 Architecting Multi-Cloud Environments 16:21 Limitations of Native Backup Tools 18:36 Building a Resilient Recovery Strategy 21:52 The Role of AI in Recovery Automation 24:41 Conclusion and Resources Key Topics Covered * The gap between service-level backups and application-level recovery * Why documented recovery plans fail during real cyber incidents * The “when, what, where” framework for effective recovery decision-making * Challenges of dependency mapping in multi-cloud architectures * Fragmented team ownership across AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud * Limitations of hyperscaler-native backup tools in multi-cloud environments * The importance of vendor consolidation and unified recovery orchestration * Isolating impact radius during ransomware and account compromise events * Designing applications with RTO and clean recovery in mind * Operationalizing resilience across CISO, DevOps, and infrastructure teams * The risk and cost implications of AI-driven agentic workflows in cloud operations TL;DR Multi-cloud backup ≠ multi-cloud recovery. To survive ransomware and cyber incidents, organizations must design applications with recovery in mind, align DevOps and operations teams, consolidate vendors, and operationalize resilience from day one. Who Is This Episode For? * CIOs * CISOs * Chief Digital Officers * Cloud Architects * DevOps Leaders * Infrastructure & Platform Engineering Teams * Cyber Resilience & Disaster Recovery Professionals If you're responsible for cloud strategy, ransomware recovery, or business continuity in a multi-cloud world, this conversation is essential. Frequently Asked Questions Q: Why is multi-cloud recovery harder than single-cloud recovery? Because applications span services, regions, accounts, and vendors—making dependency alignment and coordinated recovery significantly more complex. Q: Are hyperscaler-native backup tools sufficient? They work within a single cloud, but they don’t provide unified orchestration or cross-cloud recovery alignment. Q: What’s the biggest gap organizations face? The disconnect between how backups are taken (service-level) and how applications must be recovered (application-level). Q: How should enterprises start improving multi-cloud resilience? Operationalize resilience early—build recovery considerations into application design, vendor strategy, and team alignment.