NetApp®, an intelligent data infrastructure company, has announced the introduction of new cyber-resiliency capabilities designed to enhance the protection and recovery of data against the rising tide of ransomware attacks. In a pioneering move, NetApp is integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies directly into its enterprise primary storage systems, positioning itself as one of the first companies to take such a step in real-time ransomware defense.

As ransomware attacks increasingly target critical infrastructure and supply chains, causing potentially millions in operational losses, NetApp’s initiative comes as a timely solution. The company’s 2023 Data Complexity report revealed that 87% of C-suite and board-level executives consider ransomware a high or the top priority. NetApp’s upgraded cyber-resiliency tools, infused with AI capabilities, are designed to ensure customers’ data remains secure and accessible, acting as the final line of defense in a layered security strategy.

Mignona Cote, CSO at NetApp, emphasized the company’s commitment to safeguarding customer data through advanced AI-driven strategies. NetApp is not only leading in ransomware protection but also offers an explicit financial guarantee for its data storage solutions against ransomware threats, marking a significant step in the industry.

The key features of NetApp’s enhanced cyber-resiliency solutions include:

• ONTAP Autonomous Ransomware Protection with Artificial Intelligence (ARP/AI): A cutting-edge solution for real-time enterprise storage ransomware protection, aiming for over 99% precision in detecting sophisticated cyber threats.
• NetApp BlueXP Ransomware Protection: Now in public preview, this feature provides a unified control plane for end-to-end ransomware defense, enabling quick identification, protection, and recovery of critical workloads.
• Application-Aware Ransomware Protection via NetApp SnapCenter 5.0: This version introduces immutable ransomware protection for applications, enhancing data protection for applications and virtual machines with key ONTAP features.
• NetApp BlueXP Disaster Recovery: Now generally available, it integrates seamlessly with VMware infrastructure for both on-premises and cloud environments, offering a cost-effective disaster recovery solution.
• NetApp Keystone Ransomware Recovery Guarantee: Extends the Ransomware Recovery Guarantee to NetApp Keystone, ensuring snapshot data recovery in the event of a ransomware attack, with compensation if recovery is not possible through NetApp.

“In today’s highly distributed IT environment, organizations in Asia Pacific must look beyond the traditional perimeter to strengthen their cyber resilience and disaster recovery capabilities,” said You Qinghong, Solutions Engineering Lead, Greater China, ASEAN and South Korea, NetApp. “NetApp’s data-centric, inside-out approach to cyber resilience embeds AI-driven protection directly into the storage infrastructure, providing defense at its most critical point – where the data resides, in owned data centers or anywhere in the cloud.”