Data Backup Digest

Despite ever-increasing online security, connected systems are still vulnerable to a myriad of cyberattacks. One of the newest threats permeating throughout the community, known as ransomware, takes over a user’s computer until they pay the requested ransom. These payments tend to range from a few dollars to a few million; and the affected users have very little recourse other than to give in to the demands.

To counteract this growing trend, which rakes in billions of dollars for cyber criminals on a yearly basis, companies like HPE Software are ramping up their efforts against malicious computer programs. In fact, one of their latest products, known as the HPE Adaptive Backup and Recovery Suite, includes numerous new features that safeguard against the known forms of ransomware.

Stephen Spellicy, vice president of product management for the Information Management and Governance division of HPE, touted the new product by saying: ''"IT managers are under pressure to ensure more secure backup and faster recovery to reduce the downtime that leads to higher costs and risk. The new innovations around the HPE Adaptive Backup and Recovery Suite enable IT staff to mitigate operational concerns, while providing streamlined processes, automation, and secure communications to better managing today's digital environments."''

The Adaptive Backup and Recovery Suite

HPE’s Adaptive Backup and Recovery Suite consists of several different programs that are meant to facilitate the process of data backup and recovery on behalf of enterprise clients. All of these utilities have recently been updated to help aide in the fight against ransomware and similar cyberattacks.

Data Protector 10 now uses advanced security algorithms to provide secure data access and archival. Storage Optimizer 5.50 includes enhanced security and reporting capabilities as well as a streamlined permissions system. It also offers improved connectivity with external programs like Windows Server 2016 and SharePoint 2016.

The latest iteration of Backup Navigator, version 9.60, features increased automation and troubleshooting fucntoinality. VM Explorer 6.5 is now fully compatible with HPE Catalyst for data backup and replication.

A Growing Problem

Despite the efforts of companies like HPE, the problem of ransomware is getting worse. A recent report from Symantec showed the average ransom jump from $295 at the end of 2015 to nearly $700 in 2016. Experts believe this number will rise even higher in the coming months and years.

People are willing to pay, so the bad guys keep raising the price. We’ll probably see it hit a thousand dollars before 2017 is over. With other types of malware, a criminal has to deal with collecting personal information like passwords or credit card numbers and then try to resell that in the underground marketplace to other criminals," he said. "With ransomware, it’s direct. You infect someone, they pay you directly.

How to Tackle Ransomware Head-On

Regardless of your personal experiences, ransomware is becoming increasingly prevalent amongst consumers and enterprises alike. As always, common sense and diligence will go a long way in preventing ransomware from infecting your computer in the first place. Maintaining updated backups can be useful when trying to restore lost data, but many will still be left with no other option then to pay up.