Data protection, backup and archiving

Almost all ransomware attacks target backups, says Veeam

Some 93% of ransomware attacks go for backups and most succeed, with 60% of those attacked paying the ransom, according to a Veeam survey Continue Reading

How the 3-2-1-1-0 backup rule reflects modern needs

The 3-2-1-1-0 backup rule addresses modern data protection requirements, such as ransomware protection and cloud backup. Find out how it builds on the 3-2-1 rule in this tip. Continue Reading

Cohesity Turing aims AI tools at backup and ransomware

Backup supplier continues to enrich its ecosystem with more artificial intelligence for backup and ransomware, with chat-like reporting functions and new security partners in its alliance Continue Reading

Aston Martin gets F1 pole position with NetApp storage

AMF1 race team tracks hundreds of car sensor metrics for raceday and post-event analysis that has seen it surge forward in recent Formula One rankings with NetApp NVMe storage Continue Reading

Caution: There are many ways to lose SaaS data

As the number of organizations using SaaS apps grows, data loss becomes a larger concern. Unfortunately, there appears to be a lot of confusion about where that loss stems from. Continue Reading

NetApp to promise ransomware warranty payout

NetApp will recover data hit by ransomware or pay a warranty, and has added entry-level SAN arrays and full access to all NetApp software across its hardware families Continue Reading

Scality pushes anti-ransomware features in Artesca object storage

Object storage specialist announces v2.0 of Artesca, with a heavy focus on functionality that can protect against ransomware such as object locking, sharding, backup to object etc Continue Reading

Nebulon aims Tripline at ransomware detection in storage

Tripline claims ransomware detection from samples every 30 seconds and works in conjunction with snapshots to deliver recovery from an attack in four minutes Continue Reading

OVHcloud aims to bring Glacier-like cloud archive to Europe

OVHcloud makes Cold Archive GA with deep archive storage cheaper than AWS’s offer and all based on IBM 3592 tape hardware spread across four sites with Atempo backup Continue Reading

5 major data backup trends to watch

As IT becomes more sophisticated, data backup grows to incorporate, and protect against, the latest advances. Find out which five data backup trends are top of mind for IT teams. Continue Reading

Data classification tools: What they do and who makes them

Data classification is necessary for all organisations for reasons that range from simply putting data on the most cost-efficient media to ensuring legal and regulatory compliance Continue Reading

Seagate launches 22TB IronWolf straight into QNAP NAS partnership

Seagate’s 22TB IronWolf Pro HDD equals Western Digital for capacity. Of the big drive makers, only Toshiba now lags behind. QNAP NAS to offer petabyte capacities with new Seagate drive Continue Reading

Tackling the challenges of data sovereignty in a multi-cloud world

This is a guest post by Andy Ng, vice-president and managing director for Asia South and Pacific region at Veritas Technologies The shift to public cloud adoption is alluring, driven by the ... Continue Reading

No, magic backup people aren't protecting your SaaS data

Are your SaaS-based applications protected? Organizations that rely on the SaaS vendor for backup and recovery face a tough road ahead. Don't skimp on internal backup measures. Continue Reading

Police Scotland receive formal notice about cloud system

Scotland’s biometrics watchdog has issued Police Scotland with an information notice over its deployment of a cloud-based digital evidence system, following disclosure of major data protection concerns by Computer Weekly Continue Reading

Ransomware gang exploiting unpatched Veeam backup products

Cyber criminals with links to multiple virulent ransomware strains are exploiting a recently disclosed vulnerability in Veeam’s Backup & Replication product, threat analysts have warned Continue Reading

Veritas shows off software SAN for Kubernetes at KubeCON 2023

Veritas InfoScale aims to provide high-performance block access storage despite limitations such as a maximum node count of 16 per cluster Continue Reading

Podcast: Ransomware, data protection and compliance

Ransomware is a huge and ever-present threat, but there are ways to avoid it and to mitigate its effects. We get key practical steps from Mathieu Gorge, CEO of Vigitrust Continue Reading

20 cloud backup services for businesses to consider in 2023

Before selecting a service from a cloud backup provider, identify your organization's specific needs, including which features are important for security and data management. Continue Reading

IT Priorities 2023: Cloud and disaster recovery top storage and backup plans

Cloud storage still the biggest project planned in data storage in 2023, with disaster recovery the most important area in data protection cited by TechTarget/Computer Weekly survey respondents Continue Reading

CW EMEA: Under attack and stressed out

In this month's CW EMEA, we look at how cyber attacks are taking a toll on security professionals, damaging their mental health and forcing some to quit. We also look at Finland's allure for tech entrepreneurs, how software is enabling a new business model for a Swedish car manufacturer, and the importance of backup testing. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

HPE launches GreenLake for File and Block, and unified arrays

HPE upgrades its storage-as-a-service offer with Greenlake for File and for Block, configurable via the cloud but deployable on-prem. Meanwhile it shows new Alletra MP arrays Continue Reading

Technology decisions and technical debt in data protection

In this video, two expert analysts discuss digital transformation, IT spending and technical debt, as well as how these topics fit into a data protection strategy. Continue Reading

Podcast: Cloud storage, data protection and compliance

The lure of cloud storage hides its drawback, namely that you can lose control of it from a compliance perspective. We talk to Mathieu Gorge, CEO of Vigitrust, about how to tame it Continue Reading

IBM Storage launched with backup appliance plan

Prosaically named brand will replace Spectrum products, while IBM rationalises offer for AI/ML, hybrid cloud and malware, which it sees as the backdrop to contemporary IT Continue Reading

France latest to ban TikTok on government devices

Following bans in the UK and US, France has moved to enact restrictions on TikTok, and other social media apps, on government devices Continue Reading

Why Veeam thinks ransomware warranty payouts are unlikely

Veeam Data Platform v12 offers a financial guarantee to customers that can’t restore after ransomware attacks, but the backup supplier is convinced it won’t be making many payouts Continue Reading

Hitachi Energy emerges as victim of Clop gang’s Fortra attack

The power and energy division of Japanese conglomerate Hitachi has disclosed that it has fallen victim to a Clop cyber attack, but insists customer data is safe Continue Reading

Ransomware gangs harass victims to ‘bypass’ backups

Analysis reveals how cyber criminal gangs are turning to extensive, targeted harassment campaigns to force victims to pay up, even if their backups are in good order Continue Reading

The risks of an imbalance in AI

In this week’s Computer Weekly, a leading AI expert explains the risks of an arms race in artificial intelligence caused by the domination of private sector providers. Our latest buyer’s guide examines ways to reduce IT’s energy use. And we analyse the latest damning revelations from the Post Office scandal inquiry. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Vast Data’s ‘Act 2’ builds data management layer on QLC flash

Vast Data offers QLC flash bulk storage with a rapid cache I/O layer. Now, it has embarked on offering big data, analytics and application access to highly available data stores Continue Reading

CW APAC: Buyer’s guide to SASE

Appropriate networking and security functions are integral to cyber defence. In this handbook, focused on secure access service edge in the Asia-Pacific region, Computer Weekly looks at its key benefits, how cloud security firm Zscaler aims to improve, the dangers of advanced persistent threat groups and why Australian businesses are waking up to the importance of security investment. Continue Reading

QLC edges into mainstream, but what are its advantages?

QLC flash offers high density but has lifecycle limitations. But what does it really cost compared with TLC and MLC, and how are suppliers implementing it and getting around durability issues? Continue Reading

Velero wants to become the Kubernetes backup standard

Open source Velero offers modular data protection and disaster recovery functionality via API for Kubernetes container clusters in an effort to become the standard in the field Continue Reading

Podcast: 2023 compliance and storage outlook

Geopolitical instability casts its shadow as organisations must think about cyber attacks, data location and what to do if things change quickly. We talk to Mathieu Gorge, CEO of Vigitrust Continue Reading

FlashBlade//E to open up new opportunities in Australia

Pure Storage’s FlashBlade//E will enable the storage supplier to target medical imaging and remote backup workloads and attract new customers in Australia Continue Reading

Backup testing: The why, what, when and how

We look at backup testing – why you should do it, what you should do, when you should do it, and how, with a view to the ways in which it will be made easier by forthcoming developments in backup software Continue Reading

Pure Storage aims FlashBlade//E at unstructured data capacity

But not the ones that need super high performance. FlashBlade//E will target use cases that need large amounts of QLC flash without the most-demands for rapid access Continue Reading

LastPass attack saw employee’s home computer hacked

The ongoing investigation into a series of linked security incidents at LastPass has found that the attacker was successfully able to compromise a developer’s home PC using a vulnerability in a media software package Continue Reading

Unstructured data and the storage it needs

We look at unstructured and semi-structured data and find increasing amounts of production workloads that have their own storage hardware – file and object – needs, including flash Continue Reading

WithSecure proposes ‘undo’ button for ransomware

WithSecure’s Activity Monitor technology supposedly overcomes the shortcomings of sandbox test environments, and may be able to stop ransomware attacks from ever happening Continue Reading

Veeam bundles backup products into Veeam Data Platform

Backup and data protection specialist Veeam upgrades and rebrands, with a focus on the challenges of ransomware and rapid recovery, and a claimed 500 new functions Continue Reading

Hycu aims at universal SaaS backup with R-Cloud

Hycu’s R-Cloud aims to provide an API-driven backup product for any software-as-a-service application for enterprise customers, based on a simple low-code development environment Continue Reading

Rakuten targets big edge deployments with Symworld Cloud

Japanese giant Rakuten bought Kubernetes management platform Robin.io and put it in 50,000-plus telco antennas. Now it aims Symworld Cloud at enterprise edge deployments Continue Reading

Container storage platforms: Big six approach starts to align

Container storage is a complex but vital task. We survey the big six storage makers and see methods are starting to align around management platforms Continue Reading

NetApp adds QLC C-series, new A-series and subscription upgrades

NetApp C-series QLC-based array family offers flash speed with capacity, while Advance adds subscription upgrades to owned hardware, as well as a new entry-level A-series array Continue Reading

Backup maintenance: Make sure backups can deliver

Deploying backup but overlooking the need to make sure it works is a common error. We look at the why and how of backup maintenance to help ensure you can recover from your backups Continue Reading

Tiger’s hybrid cloud storage targets medical imaging

Tiger Bridge targets vertical sectors that find it hard to migrate to the cloud by allowing data storage in the cloud while using files locally as if stored on-premise Continue Reading

3 data protection and governance predictions for 2023

How should backup teams prepare for a new year? Data protection pros can adjust to a changing IT landscape by keeping an eye on ransomware, data governance and compliance. Continue Reading

IT’s shift to the cloud: Veeam’s data protection report in detail

With half of servers in the cloud, most backup and nearly all disaster recovery cloud-centric, the shift to the cloud is significant – but container backup is one area that is yet to settle down Continue Reading

3 enterprise ROBO backup factors admins should think about

Remote office data backup comes with its own unique challenges and considerations. Backup type and media can be affected by the ROBO locations and staffing needs, so choose wisely. Continue Reading

DataCore software-defined storage helps car firm avoid breakdowns

Bontaz used to face regular IT outages that took too long to recover from. Then it got DataCore software-defined storage and the ability to rapidly recover from downtime Continue Reading

Veeam survey finds ransomware blocks digital transformation

Annual report shows secular trend to the cloud and increased use of containers, but prevalence of ransomware attacks means digital transformation is hindered Continue Reading

Atempo plots course to containerised backup with S3 storage

Containerised modularised backup services will allow integration with third-party systems and backup storage unified onto S3 object storage for cost and analytics purposes Continue Reading

Cloud backup vs. traditional backup: Advantages, disadvantages

Cloud backup vs. traditional backup is an important discussion. Although the cloud backup market is soaring, traditional backup players also have much to offer your organization. Continue Reading

The 7 critical backup strategy best practices to keep data safe

This comprehensive guide explains backup basics, the issues affecting risk and the seven critical backup strategies you need to keep data safe. Continue Reading

Top 10 emerging storage trends stories of 2022

There’s a seismic shift to the cloud. In its wake, object storage, unstructured data, analytics, unified file and object, and consumption models of procurement have all been boosted Continue Reading

Top 10 storage and backup customer stories of 2022

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 storage and backup customer stories of 2022 Continue Reading

CIO interview: Andy Pocock, IT director, TrustFord

The vehicle dealership group has been through a complete digital transformation that embraces cloud, mobile working and automation Continue Reading

Cohesity doubles down on cyber-defence failings via backup

Datahawk service and Data Security Alliance bring clean data restores, ransomware artefact detection, data vaulting and data audit for a clearer understanding of attack impact Continue Reading

Unstructured data not exempt from compliance requirements

Concerned about regulatory compliance? Data protection teams must be familiar with all regional and industry regulations to back up unstructured data in a compliant manner. Continue Reading

LastPass probes new cyber incident related to August attack

The August 2022 cyber attack on LastPass seems to have begat another incident, according to company CEO Karim Toubba Continue Reading

From capex to opex: Storage procurement options bloom

We look at the growing list of possibilities when it comes to paying for storage infrastructure, ranging from upfront purchases with upgrades to pure pay-as-you-go options Continue Reading

How to stop data retention from killing the planet

In this week’s Computer Weekly, there’s a hidden environmental cost to the vast volumes of data being generated – we examine what can be done to address it. We talk to the CISO of consumer reviews site Trustpilot, about building trust in IT security. And we look at what IT leaders can do if they inherit a toxic team environment. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Panzura partners with AWS on ransomware counter-measures

Panzura might have slipped beneath the waves, but it’s come back reinvigorated, and now boasts integration with AWS with ransomware protection and Outposts hardware Continue Reading

Data management, backup becoming the CISO's responsibility

More and more CISOs are taking on responsibility for wider data management strategies, and this trend looks set to grow next year Continue Reading

Indefinite storage: What it is and why you might need it

Indefinite storage addresses the issue that archived data may need to be kept well beyond the lifespan of the technology it was written for Continue Reading

CW Nordics: Icelandic datacentres point way to greener IT

Iceland may soon become even more attractive to firms wanting to minimise their carbon footprint while using high-performance computing services. Read more about it in this issue. Also find out how a robo investment company, Nord Investments, is harnessing open banking to make thing easier for its clients. Continue Reading

Your staff are the frontline in your ransomware fight

As part of a solid cyber defence plan, the CISO must make sure that the frontline within the organisation is prepared for an attack, says Theodore Wiggins of Airbus Protect Continue Reading

Pure aims at near bare metal I/O with Portworx PX-Fast

PX-Fast is driven by customer need for scale and high performance in containerised environments and sees reworking of Portworx data architecture to slash storage access time Continue Reading

Cloud storage: Key storage specifications

We look at the key specs in cloud storage, including availability – such as five nines – bandwidth, IOPS and latency, capacity and tiering functionality, egress charges and security Continue Reading

Cyber criminals target World Cup Qatar 2022

In this week’s Computer Weekly, as the FIFA World Cup opens in Qatar, we examine the cyber security threats from criminals targeting the event. We report from the Gartner Symposium on the latest predictions for enterprise software development. And we talk to the CIO of Kyiv City Council about managing IT in the shadow of war. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Ransomware, storage and backup: Impacts, limits and capabilities

We look at the impact of ransomware on storage and backup, how storage and data protection can best be used to combat ransomware, and how they fit in the fight against it Continue Reading

Scality Ring 9 brings Storage Accelerator enhanced flash tiers

Scality upgrade to Ring 9 of its object (and file) storage software sees enhancements to tiering, the introduction of Prometheus-based monitoring and hooks into VMware vCloud Director Continue Reading

The next decade in enterprise backup

Backup set to adapt to deliver more security, ransomware protection and flash-speed restores, and deal with the complexity of multi-, hybrid cloud and container-based operations Continue Reading

All means all when it comes to encryption

Nigel Thorpe, technical director at SecureAge, makes the case for encrypting everything all of the time when it comes to protecting data Continue Reading

The ins and outs of unstructured data protection

Protecting unstructured data requires a few extra considerations for backup admins. Growing storage capacity requirements and regulatory compliance are critical. Continue Reading

Security Think Tank: Container security: why so different?

Done well, container security can be a model for securing the enterprise, and businesses that focus their teams on solving it can help accelerate positive change in other areas Continue Reading

How has container security changed since 2020, and have we taken it too far?

While containers are now one of the most popular ways to deploy applications, it is fair to say that the adoption and implementation of security best practice to govern their use has not kept up Continue Reading

5 unstructured data backup challenges and how to handle them

Unstructured data backup requires the management and protection of vast amounts of data while keeping it available and secure. Is your backup strategy up to the challenge? Continue Reading

Microsoft slams external researchers over its own data leak

Microsoft inadvertently leaked customer data after misconfiguring an Azure Blob, but has hit out at the organisation that discovered its error, claiming it is exaggerating the scope of the issue Continue Reading

GRAID puts RAID on a GPU for cut-price disk protection and rebuilds

US startup puts its software on Nvidia graphics cards to offload RAID processing and throughput of 110GBps throughput across up to 32 NVMe solid-state drives Continue Reading

Air gaps for backup and how they help against ransomware

The air gap is a basic of backups and storage. We look at what’s meant by an air gap, the rise of the logical air gap, and its place in the fight against ransomware Continue Reading

Edge storage: What it is and the technologies it uses

Storage is moving from the datacentre to the edge. We define edge storage, look at the characteristics of edge computing that shape it and the technologies it requires Continue Reading

Carbon copies: How to stop data retention from killing the planet

Our society has a serious digital hoarding problem, which is coming at a cost to the environment. But what can be done to address it? Continue Reading

PoINT to offer on-site S3 object storage archive on disk and tape

Archival Gateway can cluster up to 256 tape readers to provide S3 object storage clusters capable of storing 50 billion objects per bucket, and giving throughput of 230GBps Continue Reading

How to get the most out of cloud database backups

When backing up databases, the cloud can provide a secure, easily scalable target. However, don't forget important features like immutability and encryption when getting started. Continue Reading

ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware family becoming more dangerous

Researchers from Symantec share fresh insight into the ongoing development of the ransomware-as-a-service family known variously as ALPHV, BlackCat and Noberus Continue Reading

Dr Martens goes feetfirst into cloud-to-cloud backup

Iconic bootmaker laces up for a strategy to move all applications to the cloud, beginning with cloud-to-cloud backup for Microsoft 365 apps plus on-site VMware operations Continue Reading

ANZ organisations using antiquated backup and recovery systems

Nearly half of ANZ organisations are still using backup and recovery systems from over a decade ago, hampering their ability to protect their data assets and recover from ransomware attacks Continue Reading

CISOs should spend on critical apps, cloud, zero-trust, in 2023

Faced with a global recession next year, security buyers should try to direct investment towards technology that protects customer-facing and revenue-generating workloads, say analysts Continue Reading

VMware’s vSAN 8 gets a rebuild for the solid-state storage era

At VMware Explore 2022, we interview VMware’s John Gilmartin about the new, faster vSAN, plans to use DPUs, the vSAN+ cloud offering, and VMware Ransomware Recovery Continue Reading

Continuous data protection advantages and disadvantages

Continuous data protection can eliminate your backup window. However, there are many issues to consider, including application and operating system compatibility. Continue Reading

Cloud storage TCO: Key pitfalls and how to avoid them

Cloud’s flexibility is part of the attraction, but it can also lead to costs that spiral. We look at key elements in cloud TCO and how to intelligently make use of the cloud Continue Reading

RAID 1 vs. RAID 0: Which level is best for data protection?

RAID 1 and RAID 0 are two of the most basic RAID levels. While one offers better performance, backup admins may choose the level that provides redundancy to better protect data. Continue Reading

Data classification: What it is and why you need it

To be compliant, to ensure data is optimally protected, that it is available, that it can be analysed and that it is stored most cost-effectively – these are reasons why data classification is vital to organisations Continue Reading

Craft a secure and reliable backup redundancy strategy

Backup and redundancy are not interchangeable. By using both, backup admins can avoid critical data loss and help ensure recovery. However, watch out for some common missteps. Continue Reading

Eurotunnel’s digital journey for the realities of post-Covid travel

In this week’s Computer Weekly, the travel industry was devastated by the pandemic, but we find out how Eurotunnel is turning to digital to better engage customers in the post-Covid world. We examine the impact of the economic slowdown on the tech giants. And we explain all you need to know about data gravity. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Podcast: Storage at the edge – impact and opportunities

We talk to Tobias Flitsch of Nebulon about the rise of edge computing and how that will drive demand for more storage that needs to be secure and resilient and centrally manageable Continue Reading

Create a better endpoint backup strategy for remote work

An endpoint backup strategy must protect data for remote employees working on a variety of devices without IT oversight. Incremental and immutable backups are key. Continue Reading