IBM Storage Defender Beats Ransomware.

IBM Storage Defender enables AI-based event monitoring across multiple storage platforms[i]. Storage Defender provides monitoring through a single pane of glass and is IBM's first offering to combine multiple IBM and third-party solutions and unify primary and secondary replication as well as backup management. The term "through a single pane of glass" in this context refers to a management console or dashboard that provides a unified view of information or data from multiple sources. This allows administrators to monitor and manage the entire network and resiliency of their data across multiple storage platforms through a single interface. IBM Storage Defender offers features that help protect against a wide range of threats, including hardware failures, human error, natural disasters and of course - ransomware attacks[ii].

How IBM Storage Defender protects against ransomware

One of the strongest and most important features of IBM Storage Defender is the defense against ransomware attacks. Ransomware is known to be an ever-growing threat, causing significant disruption and financial loss in the private and public sectors[iii]. Attacks can be devastating for organizations of all sizes, as important data is blocked. IBM Storage Defender can prevent such occurrences. Functions that contribute to this are:

• Real-time threat detection: IBM Storage Defender utilizes machine learning to analyze data for suspicious activity, including patterns and behaviors associated with ransomware. Anomalies can be detected by Storage Defender by examining a rolling 30-day average of VMware backups. User activity and audit logs are also automatically scanned for suspicious activity. This allows early detection of ransomware attacks, data exfiltration, and insider attacks before they have a chance to cause significant damage.
• Immutable storage: IBM Storage Defender can create immutable copies of data that cannot be modified or deleted without permission. This makes it impossible for ransomware to encrypt such unalterable data, even if the attacker were able to gain access to the storage system.
• Air-gap protection: IBM Storage Defender can make copies of data to be isolated from the production network. Air gapping is a security measure in which a computer or network is isolated and prevented from connecting externally - for example, by physically disconnecting a system from the Internet . This means that a secure backup of your data can be created that is isolated from the network and provides additional protection against threats such as ransomware. This makes it impossible for ransomware to encrypt data even if the attacker manages to compromise the network.
• Rapid recovery: IBM Storage Defender helps organizations recover quickly from ransomware attacks by giving them ready access to secure and undamaged copies of their data.

Data security for organizations of all sizes

IBM Storage Defender is a software solution that integrates with IBM's FlashSystem[iv] and Spectrum Scale[v] storage systems. The solution includes a set of tools to help organizations manage their data resilience and recovery from attacks. These tools include a dashboard that provides an overview of data resilience metrics, as well as tools for creating and managing backup and recovery policies. IBM Storage Defender can be used by organizations of any size to protect their data. The software is particularly well-suited for organizations that store critical data they cannot afford to lose - for example, financial institutions, healthcare contractors and government agencies that want to protect customer data, financial data or healthcare data.

Achieving data resilience with IBM and UMB

IBM Storage Defender promises a comprehensive solution to boost your data resilience. The software suite offers extensive protection against ransomware attacks and other threats, and provides tools for rapid recovery in the event of an attack. Integration with existing security tools and processes makes the solution a valuable addition to most organizations' data protection strategy.

IBM Storage Defender is just one of countless innovations from the tech giant. IBM is a pioneer in artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing, providing state-of-the-art solutions to protect against cyberattacks and data loss. IBM and UMB share decades of successful collaboration. With well over 350 IBM certifications, UMB has been the strongest IBM partner in Switzerland for years, specializing in infrastructure, software and solutions, namely security. UMB is the only IBM partner in Switzerland with Elite Specialty Status for IBM Power and Storage. Our above-average know-how - in IBM hardware as well as in software and services - guarantees an excellent cooperation. Contact us for additional information.

[i] IBM Storage Defender

[ii]Global ransomware attacks at an all-time high, shows latest 2023 State of Ransomware report

[iii]Ransomware Protection Solutions | IBM

[iv]IBM Storage FlashSystem and All-Flash Array Solutions

[v]Overview of IBM Storage Scale