IBM Safeguarded Copy

2021: Announcement of Ransomware Protection for IBM Flash System

In mid-July 2021, IBM introduced a new ransomware protection system for its line of IBM Flash System storage systems. The company also spoke about plans to deploy the "storage as a service" service, which involves integrating hybrid cloud storage with data centers without advance capital costs.

IBM's new Safeguarded Copy technology is a tool from IBM to protect copies of data on IBM flash storage, FlashSystem said Eric Herzog, Marketing Director and Vice President of IBM Storage.

IBM has equipped its storage systems with a cyber attack protection system

Herzog added that the company wants to help customers recover from malware and ransomware attacks. IBM is focused on data immutability, so customers do not need to worry about someone changing the data they store. Unalterable copies suggest the ability to quickly recover, so instead of the usual days or weeks, the new solution can cope with the task in a few hours.

According to IBM Storage, IBM Safeguarded Copy keeps the primary copy separate from other copies, data can be transferred to the local storage system for maximum performance, to the cloud or to magnetic tape, which is slower, but at the lowest cost.

According to Herzog, IBM Safeguarded Copy, based on technology already available in the IBM DS8000, is included for free in the IBM Spectrum Virtualize software, which is part of every IBM FlashSystem sold.

With the help of IBM Spectrum Virtualize, the solution can be extended to any storage platform, whether from IBM or not, which is virtualized by Spectrum, "Herzog explained. - This provides ransomware protection for multiple storage arrays that might otherwise not have it. There are very few platforms that cannot be virtualized with Spectrum Virtualize. Thus, IBM actually extends the immutability of data to all existing systems. And I don't think anyone else uses just one storage platform in the data center.[1]

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