NetApp enhances cyber resiliency with AI-driven ransomware tools

NetApp has announced enhancements to its portfolio of cyber resiliency offerings aimed at strengthening security for its customers.

This includes the general availability of NetApp ONTAP Autonomous Ransomware Protection with AI (ARP/AI) solution, which has been validated by SE Labs and awarded a AAA rating for its ability to detect ransomware with 99 percent accuracy and no false positives.

ARP/AI utilises machine learning to monitor abnormal workload activity and automatically snapshot data at the point of attack. This enables quicker response and recovery from ransomware attacks. NetApp intends to release new models regularly, allowing customers to update these models independently of ONTAP updates to guard against the latest ransomware variants.

NetApp is also updating its BlueXP ransomware protection service. BlueXP has been enhanced with new AI-driven data classification capabilities to protect sensitive data more effectively. The updated service integrates with Splunk SIEM, streamlining threat response by informing stakeholders across an organisation's security operations. Additionally, BlueXP features User Entity and Behavior Analytics (UEBA) integrations to detect malicious activities based on user behaviour alongside filesystem signals provided by ARP/AI.

"NetApp is committed to keeping our customers' data secure," said Gagan Gulati, Vice President and General Manager for Data Services at NetApp. "Data is the lifeblood of business and needs to be protected against malicious actors from both within and outside the organisation. Data storage systems are the last line of defence against a cybersecurity incident, and NetApp takes that as a responsibility to provide the most secure storage on the planet."

Phil Goodwin, Research Vice President at IDC, spoke positively about NetApp's developments. According to Goodwin, "NetApp is committed not only to data integrity but also maintaining customer business continuity in restoring data in minutes or even seconds. Security—specifically around ransomware protection—has been steadily increasing in visibility among top business leaders, which is driving IT teams to look for technology built with a 'secure-by-design' philosophy. The advancements NetApp has made in leveraging AI to enhance security directly within enterprise storage through its ARP/AI and data classification capabilities are key differentiators for NetApp."

The enhancements to NetApp's cyber resiliency offerings are positioned to help organisations defend against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. The company aims to provide high standards of data protection and ensure business continuity through its secure storage solutions.