NetApp introduces Ransomware Recovery Guarantee for primary storage

At this point, it’s safe to say that the plague of ransomware isn’t receding anytime soon. By 2031, it’s expected that an attack will occur every 2 seconds. That’s almost faster than you can say the word “ransomware.” But do you know what isn’t that fast? Getting your business back up and running after a ransomware attack. And it can cost a pretty penny, too. The average expense to remediate a ransomware attack in 2022 was $4.35 million. And downtime and recovery time will cost you 10 times the average ransomware payment amount. Even if you do pay the hefty ransom, only 8% of customers get all their data back. If that isn’t a lose-lose situation, I don’t know what is. Bottom line—you have to look for innovative solutions that mitigate the potential damages, including more effective, proactive protection, rapid detection, and accelerated recovery. And you need to ask whether your data storage vendor has your back in the fight.

At NetApp, we believe that as the last line of defense for your data, storage plays a critical role in thwarting the damage of an attack. It should offer strong protection and enable the quickest (and most painless) recovery of your NetApp^® Snapshot^™ data so that you can resume your day-to-day operations. NetApp ONTAP^® data management software has a comprehensive suite of integrated technologies to help you protect, detect, and recover from ransomware attacks. It’s what makes our storage one of the safest places to store your data. But we’re taking it a step further. With our Ransomware Recovery Guarantee, we’re guaranteeing that if the worst happens and you suffer an attack, we’ll warrant Snapshot data recovery on your primary or secondary ONTAP storage. If you can’t recover the backup Snapshot copies you use to protect your data with help from NetApp, we’ll offer compensation.

The NetApp SnapLock^® Compliance feature built into ONTAP uses WORM (write once, read many) technology with advanced data retention. This technology acts as a “logical air gap” to prohibit the deletion of data stored in an enabled volume. After the retention period is established and the Snapshot copy is locked, not even a storage administrator with full privileges on the system can delete the Snapshot copy. That also means that a hacker with compromised credentials can’t delete the data. SnapLock Compliance is also designed to protect against insider threats: Not even NetApp Support can delete the data after it’s locked in place.

Data can be protected on NetApp primary or secondary storage. Or both. It simply depends on the data’s configuration and retention requirements. Data stored on a volume is vaulted using NetApp SnapMirror^® to another volume retained by SnapLock Compliance. SnapMirror, a native feature of ONTAP, offers efficient and secure data replication for backup or disaster recovery. It’s a highly efficient, incremental-forever replication technology that copies only changed data blocks while also retaining all the primary data storage efficiencies.

Our Ransomware Recovery Guarantee will initially be available on new NetApp AFF C-Series and ASA A-Series storage purchases. AFF C-Series arrays offer exceptional value by combining the power of ONTAP with new, cost-effective quad-level cell (QLC) flash drives for a super-low per-gigabyte cost in an all-flash storage system. The new ASA A-Series systems offer optimal performance and availability for block-based workloads. The minimum ONTAP release to qualify for the guarantee is version 9.12.1 for the AFF C-Series and version 9.13.1 for the ASA A-Series.

The AFF C-Series features ONTAP One, the most comprehensive, built-in set of storage services on the market. ONTAP One includes all the software licenses you need to protect your data and qualify for the guarantee, such as the SnapLock software I mentioned before. In addition, you get all the ONTAP integrated security technologies, including our Autonomous Ransomware Protection (ARP), multi-admin verification (MAV), and end-to-end encryption. ARP can help detect ransomware attacks and respond by creating an immediate Snapshot copy and alerting you to minimize affected data. MAV protects against insider threats or compromised credentials by requiring multiple administrators to verify sensitive commands. The new ASA product family includes ONTAP One for SAN, which is optimized for SAN workloads.

To get started with the guarantee, you’ll need required NetApp Professional Services. The NetApp Ransomware Protection and Recovery Service is a managed service that includes an initial protection and security assessment, installation, and setup of NetApp storage and software; security monitoring; and support for data recovery if a ransomware attack occurs. When you combine the advanced capabilities of ONTAP with NetApp Professional Services, you’re taking advantage of an exceptional solution for protecting and recovering from ransomware attacks—and experts have your back if crisis strikes.

We know you have a choice when making storage purchases. And other vendors will make it sound like they have your data covered with their bolted-on security and protection. But when you’re in the hot seat, remember that for three decades, NetApp has continued to advance best-in-class technologies for both primary and secondary storage to protect data, detect threats, and enable rapid recovery. We’re doing everything we can to help you fight back against cybersecurity threats by continuously innovating. And we’re proud to be a leader in the primary storage industry, standing behind our technology with this new guarantee.

Learn more about our ransomware protection offerings as well as our broader portfolio of protection and security solutions for cyber resilience. And check out Jeff Baxter’s blog, Data storage ready for the modern world about all the other exciting announcements we made this week.

And now, some fine print. The Ransomware Recovery Guarantee referenced in this blog has specific terms and conditions that apply. No ransomware detection or prevention system can completely guarantee safety from a ransomware attack. Although it’s possible that an attack might go undetected, NetApp technology acts as an important additional layer of defense.