INTELLIGENT DATACENTRES
IT leaders now consider immutable storage as a musthave against cyberattacks
Paul Speciale , CMO Scality
S cality , a global provider in reliable , secure and sustainable data storage software , announced the results of a survey of 500 IT decision-makers across France , Germany , the UK and the US to gain insight into the role immutable data storage plays in an organisation ’ s overall cybersecurity strategy .
Key findings reveal 94 % either already rely on immutable data storage or plan to implement it within the next 12 months , and an additional 2 % plan to deploy it within the next three years . 69 % consider immutable data storage essential to their corporate cybersecurity . Only 12 % of those who deployed immutable data storage say it is not essential to cybersecurity .
Results from the independent survey by Vanson Bourne demonstrate that IT leaders consider immutable storage as a must-have in the fight against cyberattacks . Ransomware threats are now understood by organisations to be inevitable . Reports show 1 in 4 organisations that pay a ransom never get their data back , and just 16 % are able to recover without paying a ransom .
This reinforces the role immutable data storage plays as an essential last line of defence within a cybersecurity toolkit . With immutable storage , data cannot be deleted or modified once written , increasing data safety and ensuring organisations have the power to restore data with 100 % accuracy in the event of a breach .
Does traditional immutable storage still leave a window of exposure ?
The survey reveals the criticality of immutable storage at a time of evolving industry dialogue about data cybersecurity best practices and technologies . But it is important to note that not all immutability is created equal , some forms still leave a window of exposure .
Unlike forms of immutability enabled by traditional solutions , such as NAS , file system snapshots , dedupe appliances , Linuxhardened repositories or tape , true object storage solutions are inherently immutable at the core architecture level .
The system implements proper protocols and true object storage semantics to preserve data in its original form the very moment it is written – which is not the case for other immutable solutions that can introduce time delays before data is immutable . Each object , even those written nanoseconds apart , can never be overwritten , deleted , or modified . This architectural reinforcement provides a crucial last line of defence against ransomware attackers ’ attempts to encrypt data and extort victims .
Paul Speciale , CMO , Scality : “ Immutable data storage is an insurance policy against ransomware . While the survey data shows IT leaders resoundingly agree that immutability is a cornerstone of cybersecurity strategy , 31 % still did not report it as essential .”
Being able to restore quickly from an immutable backup means the difference between a successful and unsuccessful ransomware attack . Without storage that is truly immutable , you are vulnerable to cybercriminals ’ demands .
The perception among some respondents that it is not essential to cybersecurity is misguided and represents an opportunity to shift more IT leaders towards achieving a modern , inherently immutable object storage solution as a much-needed last line of defence to keep data locked and immune to ransomware exfiltration , modification or destruction . •
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