Setting the Stage for a new era of Data Protection
When I think about data protection, the first thing that comes to mind is “backup.” It’s the practice of creating copies of your most important data and keeping them in a safe and secure place. However, data protection has evolved far beyond simple backups. It has transformed into a revolutionary function rather than just an evolutionary one.
Nowadays, data protection encompasses much more than safeguarding an organisation’s critical information. It involves addressing ongoing compliance responsibilities regarding information storage and archiving. It also tackles the growing threat of security breaches and ransomware attacks that aim to extort money from organisations. In this new era, data protection is not just about storing data; it’s about actively protecting it from being misused for malicious purposes and appreciating that data security plays a huge part in that.
As cyber risks continue to evolve and data estates expand, organisations face the challenge of protecting their valuable data within an ever-changing threat landscape. The traditional data protection solutions, while still important for recovering from attacks, have become reactive, narrow in focus, and no longer sufficient.
Organisations need a better approach to data protection to meet the demands of these rapidly evolving threats. They require proactive measures that go beyond simply backing up data. This new approach should encompass comprehensive security measures, continuous monitoring and comprehensive visibility, threat intelligence, and robust defences against emerging threats.
By adopting such an approach, organisations can better safeguard their data assets and mitigate the risks associated with data breaches and cyberattacks. So, what happens when this data is scattered across multiple cloud environments, in organisations that look to use these clouds for best-of-breed offerings, and perhaps for commercial reasons? This is the norm, in fact, 89% of companies use more than just one public cloud. This is the norm, and it is scary that 50% of enterprise critical data resides outside their corporate environment and just as daunting to think that 60% of companies have very limited visibility into where the company data actually lives!
So aren’t backups meant to be the failsafe rather than the target? Surprisingly, 93% of attacks target backup repositories, making them the prime target for bad actors to access data and information which could be used to extort money out of organisations. There is a reason why this data is backed up by organisations because it holds must be important.
Commvault Security Launch – Data Protection Redefined
In last week’s Commvault Security event, they announced a series of advanced security offerings through their new Cloud Command interface, that focuses on proactive preparation and protection, early threat detection and remediation and rapid recovery. The shift has been from backing up your data to these three key pillars which now encompass security protection in what was once known as “just backup”. It is now about Data Protection.
During the online event, they announced a whole host of innovative products, integrations and updates, but the main ones I see are Cloud Command, Threat Scan, Auto Recovery and integration with Cloud providers such as Cyberark and Microsoft. So what exactly are these? Let’s dive in.
Cloud Command – Imagine a remarkable platform and user interface that brings together all Commvault data protection offerings into one unified dashboard. And this is exactly what Cloud Command is. with this integrated dashboard, you gain comprehensive control and oversight of your entire Commvault data protection ecosystem both on-premises environment and your SaaS-based environments also, all in one unified interface.
Risk Analysis – Commvault Risk Analysis leverages machine learning (ML) technology to proactively detect and flag potentially harmful data, enabling organisations to take preemptive measures to ensure the protection and quarantine of their sensitive data. This powerful solution not only provides the ability to identify and analyse sensitive data but also ensures that it remains secure and protected against potential cyber risks and data breaches. With Commvault Risk Analysis, organisations can rest assured that their data is in safe hands and that they are able to respond to any potential security threats or cyber exposures quickly and efficiently.
Threat Scan – Threat Scan performs file analysis and proactively identifies and isolates malware and threats within backup content. This process not only safeguards the integrity of the data but also ensures clean recoveries should a disaster happen. Scanning the backups for any potential threats decreases the chances of re-infection and enhances the overall security of the system within the organisation.
Auto Recovery – Cyber analysis tool that tests recovery readiness at scale and provides a framework for forensic analysis to validate and sanitise points of recovery, aiding in the prevention of future incidents. This will allow organisations to easily and securely recover workloads at scale from cyber-attacks with minimal data loss and downtime.
Cloud Integration -Commvault also announced collaborations with Microsoft to integrate Commvault’s data protection ecosystem into Microsoft Sentinel, thus equipping organisations with a comprehensive suite of tools that automate incident response, streamline collaboration, and provide invaluable visibility into potential threats.
This integration creates a powerful synergy between IT and SecOps teams, allowing for automated orchestration across both systems. The result is a holistic approach to cyber event analysis, actionable countermeasures, and optimised incident response.
In closing
Clearly, we will continue to see more and more bad ransomware attacks, and this range of impressive features, including heightened ransomware protection, an advanced threat scan capability, and improved recovery times, will be instrumental in emerging victorious in the ongoing fight against ransomware attacks.
About Commvault: Commvault is a global leader in cloud data protection. Their Intelligent Data Services protect customers’ data in a difficult world. They offer a simple and unified Data Protection Platform that spans all your data – regardless of whether your workloads live on-premises, in the cloud, or spread across a hybrid environment. Commvault solutions are available through any combination of software subscriptions, integrated appliances, partner-managed offerings, or Software as a Service via our Commvault – built Metallic portfolio. Visit www.Commvault.com or follow @Commvault for more info
