As someone who has lived and breathed information security and data protection for more than I would like to admit, I’ve come back many times in discussions and personal reflections to a critical realization. This realization is that a robust backup solution is critical for the success and stability of any organization. At Catalogic, we don’t just build software; we craft tools that become the lifeline for businesses when they need it most. Let me share how Catalogic DPX embodies the essential features that every modern backup solution should have.

1. Proactive Ransomware Defense

Ransomware is one of those threats that can keep anyone in IT on edge. I’ve seen what happens when an attack hits—it’s not just about losing data but also the massive impact it has on a company’s time, resources, and reputation. That’s why we’ve put a lot of thought into features like GuardMode. It’s designed to help you spot potential threats early on rather than just deal with the fallout afterward.

With GuardMode, the goal is to move from simply reacting to ransomware to actively detecting it and preventing its spread. For instance, it’s equipped with mechanisms for detecting unusual activity patterns, tracking suspicious activity, and encryption processes, which could be a sign of ransomware at work. This early detection is key, especially with regulations like CRA, DORA, and CCPA demanding more rigorous data protection.

The idea is to give you tools that help protect your data in a practical, manageable way. Instead of constantly worrying about the next potential attack, you can feel more confident that your defenses are in place, allowing you to focus on your day-to-day operations.

2. Swift and Detailed Recovery Capabilities

I often find myself thinking about the pressure IT teams face when systems go down. Imagine the stress—every minute the systems are offline means potential losses in the thousands. It’s like watching a ticking clock, knowing that every second counts. That’s why we’ve put so much focus on making sure our recovery tools aren’t just fast but precise.

You see, with our Instant Virtualization feature, the goal has always been to get systems back online as quickly as possible. But we understand that speed alone isn’t enough. What happens if you restore an entire system only to extract one database file? You’ve wasted valuable time. That’s where the granular recovery options, not only in DPX but also in every Modern Backup Solution, come into play. These options allow IT teams to pinpoint exactly what they need to recover—whether it’s a single file or a specific database table—without going through unnecessary steps.

I’ve been in enough high-stakes situations to know that this level of control isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s essential. When a crisis hits, being able to recover exactly what you need and nothing more can make all the difference. It’s not just about getting back online; it’s about doing it in a way that minimizes disruption and gets the business back on track as quickly as possible.

But beyond the technical details, there’s a bigger picture here. More and more, we’re seeing regulations like GDPR in Europe or the CCPA in California that require organizations to not only protect data but also ensure they can recover it quickly and accurately. These regulations are tough, and failing to comply can lead to heavy fines and even bigger reputational damage.

Having these granular recovery options means you’re not just meeting the minimum requirements—you’re exceeding them. You’re putting your organization in a position to not just survive a crisis but come out of it stronger. And that’s something I think every IT professional deserves. In the end, it’s about giving you the tools to do your job with confidence, knowing that when the chips are down, you’ve got what you need to get things back up and running smoothly.

3. Adaptable, Software-Defined Storage

We listen to our customers. We do. What is more, we have also heard their frustration over being locked into specific hardware or storage solutions. It’s like buying a house and then finding out you can only use one brand of furniture for the rest of your life. It’s limiting, it’s often costly, and frankly, it doesn’t give you the flexibility to adapt as your needs change.

Take some of the more traditional hardware-based backup storage solutions, like Dell EMC Data Domain or HPE StoreOnce, for example. These are solid products, no doubt about it, but they come with a catch—you’re pretty much tied to their ecosystem. Want to scale up? That’ll require their hardware. Need to integrate with a new cloud platform? Better check if it’s compatible. It’s this kind of vendor lock-in that can really stifle your growth and flexibility.

Freedom to Choose

That’s why I’m such a strong advocate for the adaptability we’re building into our own solutions. We’ve designed our products with a philosophy of freedom in mind—freedom to choose the hardware that best fits your needs, freedom to scale in the direction that makes sense for your business, and freedom to integrate with the platforms that work for you, not the ones that work for the vendor. That’s why we’re not locking vStor, and we are putting emphasis on making it truly hardware-agnostic. I believe every Modern Backup Solution should. 

This isn’t just about making life easier—it’s also about staying compliant with ever-evolving cyber regulations. Take GDPR, or the more recent California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). Both of these regulations require stringent controls over how data is stored, accessed, and, importantly, deleted. If you’re locked into a rigid system, making the necessary adjustments to stay compliant can be a logistical nightmare, not to mention expensive.

By allowing organizations to set up their own storage hardware, whether it’s something like a NAS solution you’ve already invested in or a newer cloud-based option, we’re helping them navigate these regulatory waters with much more ease. You’re not boxed into a specific vendor’s ecosystem, which means you can implement the right solutions for your business without worrying about whether it’ll break your existing setup or compliance requirements.

And this adaptability isn’t just a feature—it’s part of our core philosophy. We believe that giving our customers the freedom to grow and adapt as their needs change is the best way to help them succeed. Whether you’re a small business looking to scale or a larger enterprise needing to comply with complex regulations, having the flexibility to choose the right tools for the job is crucial.

4. Rock-Solid Data Immutability

Let’s talk about immutability. It’s not just a buzzword—it’s a fundamental principle that every organization should prioritize. The idea is simple but powerful: once your data is backed up, it cannot be altered or deleted. Once granted – do you remember backing up stuff on ZIP disks or taking the tapes to a physical vault, where it was stored next to the envelopes with critical passwords and documents? I do.

I know that if you can’t trust your backups, you’re operating on shaky ground. And let’s face it, the consequences of compromised backups can be severe. Imagine a ransomware attack where your primary data is encrypted or wiped out, and you turn to your backups only to find that they’ve been tampered with or are missing. That’s a nightmare scenario no IT team wants to face. With immutable backups, you’re essentially creating a safety net that’s impervious to both external attacks and internal errors.

The Power of Immutability

Other solutions on the market, like AWS S3 Object Lock or Azure Immutable Blob Storage, offer similar immutability features. These tools are great because they allow organizations to enforce write-once-read-many (WORM) policies, ensuring that data, once written, cannot be altered. This kind of protection is invaluable, especially when you’re dealing with compliance requirements like GDPR or HIPAA, where data integrity is non-negotiable. Failing to meet these standards can lead to hefty fines and, more importantly, a loss of trust from your customers.

Our approach to immutability is designed to be as flexible as possible while still providing that ironclad security. Whether you’re looking to set fixed locks that prevent any changes for a specific period or prefer a more flexible lock that you can manage and adjust as needed, we’ve got you covered. This level of control means you can tailor your data protection strategy to fit your specific needs, whether you’re a small business or a large enterprise.

Compliance and Peace of Mind

But it’s not just about ticking a compliance box. It’s about giving our customers peace of mind. Knowing that your data is safe, that it can’t be tampered with, and that it will be there when you need it is priceless. It’s the kind of assurance that allows you to focus on growing your business, knowing that you’ve got a rock-solid foundation to fall back on if things go wrong. It’s also included in your DPX license, and you don’t need to look for a third-party vendor if you don’t want to.

If you’re a healthcare provider managing sensitive patient data, with regulations like HIPAA, you’re required to ensure that data is not only protected but also recoverable in its original form. By leveraging immutability, you’re safeguarding against both cyber threats and accidental deletions, which are crucial for maintaining compliance and trust.

The same goes for financial institutions under the thumb of regulations like Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX). The ability to lock down financial records in an immutable state ensures that they can’t be altered, which is critical for audits and legal compliance. In these cases, immutability isn’t just a feature—it’s a necessity.

So, when I talk about immutability, I’m not just talking about a technical feature. I’m talking about a philosophy of protection, one that prioritizes the integrity and availability of your data above all else.

5. Efficient VMware Restore Orchestration

Virtual machines (VMs) have become the backbone of many modern IT environments. Whether you’re running critical applications, managing customer data, or powering day-to-day operations, VMs are at the core of keeping everything running smoothly. But what happens when those VMs go down? It’s like a cardiac arrest for the entire business. It’s a challenge every Modern Backup Solution should have on the priorities list. 

That’s exactly why we put so much thought into our VMware Restore Orchestration feature. It’s not just about bringing systems back online quickly; it’s about doing it in a way that’s controlled and precise, minimizing the chaos that can so easily take over in these moments.

Our orchestration feature allows you to restore multiple VMs in a single operation, with full control over the order in which they’re restored, how their network configurations are set, and where they’re stored. This level of control isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s essential for ensuring that your critical systems come back online in the right order, with the right settings, so your business can get back to normal as quickly as possible. I’ve talked to IT teams who’ve shared how stressful it can be to manage a recovery process without these tools, and that’s why we made sure to build the kind of functionality that addresses those pain points head-on.

Granular Control

And it’s not just about getting systems back online. With the increasing focus on cybersecurity and compliance, having a robust restore process is critical for meeting regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in the U.S. These regulations often require that data can be restored quickly and accurately in the event of a breach or failure, and that’s where having these granular controls really shines. You can ensure that the right data is restored to the right place without risking further exposure or non-compliance.

At the end of the day, it’s about giving IT teams the tools, like a Modern Backup Solution, they need to manage their environments with confidence. We’ve listened to our customers, we’ve seen where the challenges lie, and we’ve built features that address those needs directly. So when I talk about our VMware Restore Orchestration feature, I’m not just talking about a technical capability—I’m talking about giving you the peace of mind that when the unexpected happens, you’ve got everything you need to get things back on track, quickly and efficiently.

Modern Backup Solution: Conclusion

I feel a lot of people working in the data protection space can relate to what I am about to say: working on a backup product like Catalogic DPX has been more than just a professional endeavor—it’s been a deeply personal mission. This is where you become genuinely committed to making sure businesses have the right tools to protect their data and keep their operations running smoothly, no matter the challenges that come their way. By choosing your product, they’ve entrusted you with their precious data. I am convinced that the features we’ve developed and the philosophy guiding our work are a reflection of understanding and a commitment we accept.

If data protection is something you’re passionate about, too, let’s connect. Together, we can make sure your organization is ready for anything the future might bring, building a safer, more resilient path forward.

As an IT manager, you’re constantly walking a tightrope between ensuring robust data protection and managing tight budgets. It’s no secret that investing in new hardware can be costly, and often, organizations feel the pinch when forced to purchase the latest and greatest equipment just to keep up with growing data protection needs. But what if there was a way to improve your data protection strategy without breaking the bank? What if you could leverage the hardware you already have, extending its life and maximizing your investment? That’s exactly what this guide aims to help you do – build Cost-Effective Data Protection.

The Reality of Data Protection Costs

Let’s face it—data protection isn’t optional. With cyber threats on the rise and regulations like SOX (Sarbanes-Oxley Act), GDPR, and HIPAA demanding stricter data controls, organizations are under more pressure than ever to ensure their data is safe, secure, and recoverable. However, the costs associated with achieving this can be daunting. New hardware purchases, particularly for storage and backup, can be a significant burden on IT budgets.

According to a survey by ESG (Enterprise Strategy Group), many organizations report that hardware costs account for a substantial portion of their IT spending, especially in areas related to data protection and storage. This is where the idea of repurposing existing hardware comes into play. By leveraging what you already have, you can reduce the need for new investments while still meeting your data protection goals.

The Case for Leveraging Existing Infrastructure

Before diving into the how-tos, it’s worth discussing why repurposing existing hardware is worth the effort. First and foremost, it’s cost-effective. Instead of allocating a chunk of your budget to new storage systems, you can extend the life of your current hardware, freeing up funds for other critical IT initiatives.

Additionally, repurposing existing infrastructure aligns with sustainability goals. By making the most of what you already have, you reduce e-waste and the environmental impact associated with producing and disposing of electronic equipment.

Finally, there’s the aspect of familiarity. Your IT team already knows the ins and outs of your current hardware, which means less time spent on training and a smoother implementation process when repurposing it for new data protection tasks.

Understanding Your Current Hardware Capabilities

The first step in leveraging existing hardware for data protection is to thoroughly assess what you have. This means taking stock of your current servers, storage devices, and network infrastructure to understand their capabilities and limitations. You need to consider the following aspects of your hardware:

1. Evaluate Storage Capacity: Determine how much storage space is available and how it’s currently being used. Are there underutilized storage arrays that could be repurposed for backup? Are older devices still performing well enough to handle additional workloads?
2. Assess Performance: Evaluate the performance of your existing hardware. While it might not be the latest model, it could still have plenty of life left in it for less demanding tasks like backup and archiving.
3. Check for Compatibility: Ensure that your existing hardware is compatible with the data protection software you plan to use. This includes checking for the right interfaces, protocols, and firmware updates that might be necessary for seamless integration.
4. Analyze Network Bandwidth: Consider the impact of adding backup tasks to your network. Ensure that your network can handle the additional traffic without degrading performance for other critical applications.

Catalogic DPX: A Cost-Effective Data Protection Solution for Repurposing Hardware

We’ve developed Catalogic DPX for long enough to understand hardware evolution. This extensive experience has allowed us to design DPX to integrate seamlessly with a wide variety of existing hardware setups, making it an ideal choice for organizations looking to repurpose their infrastructure. Whether you’re working with older servers, storage arrays, or tape libraries, DPX allows you to extend the life of your hardware by transforming it into a robust data protection platform.

Key Features of DPX That Support Existing Hardware

Catalogic DPX offers several key features that enable organizations to leverage their existing hardware effectively for data protection:

1. Software-Defined Storage: One of the standout features of DPX is its software-defined storage capability with vStor. This allows you to utilize your existing storage hardware – whether it’s direct-attached storage (DAS), network-attached storage (NAS), or storage area network (SAN)—to create a flexible, scalable backup solution. By decoupling the software from the hardware, Catalogic vStor enables you to maximize the use of your current infrastructure without needing to invest in new storage.
2. Agentless Backup for Virtual Environments: If your organization relies heavily on virtual machines, DPX’s agentless backup capabilities are a significant benefit. This feature reduces the load on your servers by eliminating the need for additional software agents on each VM. Instead, DPX interacts directly with the hypervisor, simplifying the backup process and allowing you to use existing hardware more efficiently.
3. Integration with Existing Tape Libraries: For organizations that still rely on tape for long-term storage, DPX offers seamless integration with existing tape libraries. This is particularly valuable for industries with strict compliance requirements, such as those governed by SOX. By repurposing your tape infrastructure, you can continue to meet regulatory requirements without the need for new hardware investments.
4. Flexibility with Storage Targets: DPX allows you to choose from a wide range of storage targets for your backups, including cloud, disk, and tape. This flexibility means you can optimize your storage strategy based on the hardware you already have rather than being forced to buy new equipment.

Implementing a Hardware Repurposing Strategy

Now that you have a sense of what’s possible, let’s talk about how to implement a strategy for repurposing your existing hardware for truly cost-effective data protection. Here are five key steps to consider:

1. Plan and Prioritize: Start by identifying your organization’s most critical data protection needs. Is your top priority ensuring quick recovery times for your most important applications? Or is it about meeting long-term archiving requirements for compliance? Understanding your goals will help you prioritize which hardware to repurpose and how to configure it.
2. Test and Validate: Before fully committing to repurposing your hardware, it’s crucial to test and validate the setup. This includes running backup and restore tests to ensure that your existing infrastructure can handle the new workloads without compromising performance. Make sure to document the results and adjust your configuration as needed.
3. Optimize for Performance: While repurposing existing hardware can save money, it’s important to optimize your setup for performance. This might involve reconfiguring storage arrays, upgrading network components, or adjusting backup schedules to minimize the impact on your production environment.
4. Ensure Compliance: As mentioned earlier, compliance with regulations like SOX, GDPR, and HIPAA is non-negotiable. When repurposing hardware, ensure that your data protection setup meets all relevant regulatory requirements. This might involve implementing immutability features to prevent unauthorized changes to backups, as well as ensuring that all data is encrypted both in transit and at rest.
5. Monitor and Maintain: Once your repurposed hardware is up and running, it’s essential to monitor its performance and make adjustments as needed. Regularly check for firmware updates, monitor storage capacity, and keep an eye on network performance to ensure that your data protection strategy remains effective.

Examples of Similar Solutions

While Catalogic DPX offers a robust platform for repurposing existing hardware, it’s not the only option out there. Here are a few other solutions that allow you to leverage your current infrastructure for data protection. There are also aspects of licensing and costs, but that’s a different topic. Here are the other options to consider:

• Veeam Backup & Replication: Veeam offers a flexible backup solution that can integrate with existing hardware, including NAS, SAN, and even tape storage. Veeam’s scalability and support for a wide range of storage targets make it a popular choice for organizations looking to repurpose their infrastructure.
• Commvault Complete Backup & Recovery: Commvault provides a comprehensive data protection platform that supports a variety of storage options. Like DPX, Commvault allows organizations to use their existing hardware, including older storage arrays and tape libraries, to build a cost-effective backup solution.
• Veritas NetBackup: Veritas is known for its enterprise-grade data protection capabilities. NetBackup offers flexible deployment options that allow organizations to use their current storage infrastructure, including cloud, disk, and tape, to meet their data protection needs.

Meeting SOX and Other Regulatory Requirements

Let’s circle back to compliance for a moment. Regulations like SOX require organizations to maintain rigorous controls over their financial data, including ensuring the integrity and availability of backups. By repurposing existing hardware for data protection, you can meet these requirements in a cost-effective manner.

For example, SOX mandates that organizations maintain a reliable system for archiving and retrieving financial records. By leveraging existing tape libraries or storage arrays, you can ensure that your archived data remains secure and accessible without the need for new investments.

Similarly, GDPR requires that organizations protect personal data with appropriate security measures. By repurposing hardware for encrypted backups, you can comply with these regulations while maximizing the value of your existing infrastructure.

Making the Most of What You Have

In today’s budget-conscious IT environment, finding ways to do more with less is key to success. By repurposing existing hardware for data protection, you can reduce costs, extend the life of your infrastructure, and still meet the stringent requirements of modern data protection regulations.

Whether you’re using Catalogic DPX, Veeam, Commvault, or another solution, the principles are the same: assess your current hardware, optimize it for data protection tasks, and ensure compliance with relevant regulations. With a well-thought-out strategy, you can build a cost-effective data protection solution that leverages the investments you’ve already made, setting your organization up for long-term success.

For IT managers seeking to streamline their data protection strategy while leveraging existing hardware, Catalogic DPX offers a solution worth exploring. It combines simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and robust security features to help organizations make the most of their current infrastructure.

Are you worried about falling victim to a ransomware attack? You are not alone! It’s hard not to be when businesses suffer ransomware attacks every 40 seconds. Ransomware has become one of the most significant cyber threats in recent years, and its impact is only expected to grow in the future. As technology advances, so do the methods used by hackers to create and distribute ransomware, including polymorphic and fileless attacks. Therefore, it is essential to look for new methods for ransomware detection to stay ahead of these threats. In this post, we will take a peek into our crystal ball to take a glimpse at the future as well as explore some of the technologies and strategies for detecting polymorphic and fileless ransomware attacks before they can do serious damage. Read on to learn more and protect your organization from these insidious threats with DPX and GuardMode! 

Let’s Ask ChatGPT How the Future Will Look! 

If you ask ChatGPT about the future of ransomware detection you are likely going to get a nice explanation about how ransomware detection will continue evolving using a multi-layered approach that leverages new technologies, improved security practices, and collaboration among security professionals. Most likely you are also going to get a list of key areas that will make a difference. Let’s see what they are and how GuardMode – Catalogic’s ransomware detection extension for DPX data protection solution – is aligned with these. 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning 

No doubt that AI will be something that you’d intuitively put in first place. AI and machine learning can help detect patterns and anomalies that may be indicative of a ransomware attack. These technologies can analyze large volumes of data in real-time to identify potential threats. An important thing to keep in mind is that any machine learning / AI solution is only as good as the data it has access to. GuardMode solution is constantly watching and recording data operations, so that in the future it will be able to finetune all types of detection strategies it offers, to the environment where it’s deployed. 

Behavior-based Detection 

According to our virtual friend, ChatGPT, future detection solutions will rely on behavior-based detection to look for unusual or suspicious behavior that may indicate an attack, rather than relying solely on signature-based detection, which can be ineffective against new or unknown threats. 

Behavior-based detection is something we’ve identified as a critical, must-have functionality when we started the development of GuardMode. Detecting any out-of-the-ordinary behavior on the monitored data helps you react faster or create automated workflows that will do that for you. 

A good example is the polymorphic and fileless ransomware types. These two are highly effective at evading detection and circumventing traditional security measures. Polymorphic ransomware can change its code and encryption keys to avoid detection, while fileless ransomware operates entirely in memory and uses legitimate system tools to avoid detection. It’s important to mention that while behavior-based detection might spot not only ransomware related activity, it will also identify misconfiguration of your infrastructure, user mistakes, or intentional misconduct. 

Improved Security Practices 

As ransomware attacks become more sophisticated, it’s important to implement a range of security practices, including regular data backups, multi-factor authentication, and employee training on how to recognize and respond to potential threats. That’s another recommendation on ChatGPT’s list and we find it absolutely correct. The better your data protection ecosystem is integrated and aware of its components, the faster and easier it is to ensure your shields are up, and if something bad happens, to help you get your data back. GuardMode was designed to enhance Catalogic’s DPX Enterprise Data Protection with an additional layer of security and set of important features that help the administrators to make sure they are backing up the correct, healthy data and that the source systems are ransomware symptoms-free. The integration between GuardMode and DPX will continue to evolve bringing more options for the users out of the box. Even today with the existing REST APIs. GuardMode’s alerts and notifications can be used to seal your systems, network shares, put certain binaries on quarantine and more. 

Integration with Other Security Technologies 

Finally, ChatGPT predicts that ransomware detection technologies may become more integrated with other security technologies, such as endpoint detection and response (EDR) and security information and event management (SIEM) systems. This integration can help improve the overall effectiveness of ransomware detection and response. Another great point and one more for GuardMode. I’ve mentioned earlier that REST APIs can be used for integration. It’s still the case for EDRs, XDRs or SIEMs. However, for this purpose GuardMode can seamlessly publish valuable information using Syslog, so that any other element of your security infrastructure can easily consume it and augment the security picture with information about data-related anomalies, processes, files, and users involved. The more information and the better it’s correlated, the more accurate reaction from your systems and personnel will be. 

Conclusion 

This was a fun exercise! ChatGPT, even with the data it has been trained with stopping before 2022, builds a pretty accurate (however very high-level) picture of the direction in which ransomware will evolve and how ransomware detection solutions will have to adapt. It also puts a smile on our faces as all the points mentioned by ChatGPT are imprinted into GuardMode’s DNA from the very start.

Our final conclusion is that the future of ransomware detection looks promising. While the statement that “the Ransomware attacks have become more sophisticated over the years, making it difficult for antivirus software to detect and prevent them” will remain true for years to come, we believe that detection solutions will improve the situation. With the development of new technologies such as machine learning and behavior-based detection, and the continued collaboration between security vendors and researchers, we can expect to see more effective solutions for detecting and preventing ransomware attacks in the future. We need to keep reminding ourselves how important it is that security is a layered approach and something you have to build and maintain continuously. With GuardMode enhancing DPX data protection capabilities, it is the additional security layer that is focused on your data, that you should have. Contact us to learn more and get a demonstration of GuardMode. 

According to Statista reports, total enterprise data volume was estimated to increase significantly, rising from approximately 1 petabyte to 2.02 petabytes, which represents an average annual growth of 42.2% (Expected enterprise data volume by location 2022 | Statista ). It’s important to note that the majority of this data will be stored in internally managed data centers.

This is a lot of enterprise data. With the fast pace of cloud storage adoption, that is in some cases entirely transparent to the end user, we don’t even realize how much data we collect … and how much we have to protect.

Unfortunately, with the growing amount of data, and its importance, ransomware attacks continue to be a growing concern for businesses of all sizes. In recent years, the number of ransomware attacks has skyrocketed, causing significant damage to businesses and individuals alike. While traditional antivirus and anti-malware software can provide some level of protection, these solutions are often limited in their ability to detect early and track these types of attacks.

GuardMode is a solution that provides an additional layer of protection to a backup and recovery solution, specifically for ransomware and ransomware-like threat detection. GuardMode helps detect and alert administrators about suspicious activity in real-time, minimize the impact of an attack on the user’s data and systems, and help roll back just the affected data, without having to revert to a full point-in-time snapshot. In this blog post, we’ll explore two real-life examples of ransomware attacks and how GuardMode detects their abnormal behavior and then helps to mitigate and recovery from the damage.

WannaCry Ransomware

WannaCry is one of the most famous ransomware attacks of all time. This strain of ransomware was discovered in May of 2017, and it quickly spread across the globe, infecting hundreds of thousands of computers in over 150 countries. The WannaCry attack used a vulnerability in Microsoft Windows to spread rapidly and infect systems. Reporter Connor Jones of ITPro points out in a recent article that many fail to realize that after 5 years, WannaCry’s ghost, still actively lurks on the ransomware landscape.

GuardMode, with its real-time monitoring’ and behavior-based detection techniques, as well as built-in decoy files deployment, is able to detect the abnormal file access patterns and unusual process execution associated with WannaCry. The software would then alert the backup admin and IT operations team immediately, allowing them to take action before the ransomware had the chance to encrypt their files.

With support for both Windows and Linux machines, GuardMode can detect suspicious patterns and ransomware-specific extensions on file shares. Repeated alerts trigger an automation that would lock down file-shares to read-only and would alert the IT and Security teams to take action immediately.

Furthermore, by integrating GuardMode with a backup and recovery solution such as Catalogic DPX, the orginazation gains an additional layer of recovery.  Through the usage of a REST API and syslog, administrators get an option to automate on-demand snapshots or backups, and gain the ability to roll back just the affected data, given GuardMode is tracking all the encrypted files on the system.

Ryuk Ransomware

Ryuk is another well-known strain of ransomware that has been responsible for significant damage in recent years. Ryuk is typically used in targeted attacks against large organizations, and it is known for its ability to cause substantial damage in a short amount of time. It’s important to remember that typically during a malware attack, the attackers map the network, identify critical systems and gather information about the target’s infrastructure, so later they can use techniques such as Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) or Server Message Block (SMB) to move from one compromised system to another, escalating privileges and expanding their control over the network. Once the attackers have control over the target network, they run the Ryuk ransomware and encrypt files on the file shares, workstations, and servers. The ransomware will typically also delete shadow or backup copies of files and stop certain critical services.

With GuardMode in place, the software is able detect the abnormal behavior associated with Ryuk. With the ability to track file activity, GuardMode could be configured to detect new binaries being installed on systems where no installations should be performed. This allows IT admins to take action before the ransomware had the chance to encrypt their data. Additionally, as Ryuk is a rapid encryption ransomware, GuardMode can quickly detect typical thresholds being surpassed and send an alert allowing Administrators to take immediate action. Ryuk is known to place a RyukReadMe.txt file that contains detailed information about ransom payment – that is yet another thing that GuardMode is looking for to warn users as soon as possible. Furthermore, by integrating with a backup solution, GuardMode can make a copy of backup data available for recovery through a guided recovery mechanism, even if the ransomware was successful in encrypting files.

Conclusion

Ransomware attacks are a growing concern for businesses of all sizes, and traditional antivirus and anti-malware software can only do so much. Recent research from IBM (Cost of a data breach 2022) found that the average breach lifecycle takes 287 days, with organizations taking 212 days to initially detect a breach and 75 days to contain it. The same study revealed there was a 94.34% reduction in the average duration of ransomware attacks between 2019 and 2021, from over two months to just a little more than three days. Taking the above into account, it’s clear that with the advanced and more sophisticated ways of avoiding heuristic-based detection mechanisms, it’s more challenging to detect and block malicious software. GuardMode, with its real-time monitoring and behavior-based detection techniques, provides an additional layer of data protection that can do early detection and alert the administrator or other systems of these types of malware attacks.

By integrating GuardMode with a backup and recovery solution like Catalogic DPX, businesses can minimize the impact of a ransomware attack and ensure the rapid and precise recovery of their data. DPX offers an integrated web-based management console for GuardMode, allowing for easier configuration, maintenance, and alerting.

Contact us to learn more about GuardMode and how it can enhance your security posture and how can it seamlessly integrate with your existing infrastructure. We will demonstrate GuardMode in action, and help you integrate and fine-tune GuardMode to fully utilize its potential using your existing infrastructure.