Organizations are concerned their existing data protection solutions won’t be sufficient to cope with malware and ransomware attacks.

That’s according to the Dell Technologies’ 2021 Global Data Protection Index (GDPI) published Thursday.

The research shows that 62% of firms are concerned their existing data protection measures won’t handle malware and ransomware threats. Meanwhile, 74% agree they have increased exposure to data loss from cyber threats with employees working from home.

Organizations are also managing more than 10 times the amount of data than they did five years ago. The volume has increased from 1.45 petabytes in 2016 to 14.6 petabytes in 2021. Additionally, 82% of respondents are concerned their existing data protection solutions won’t meet all future business challenges.

Yet, more than 30% report data loss in the last year. Nearly half (45%) experienced unplanned system downtime.

“Troubling” Ransomware Attacks

Dell’s Michael Dell

Dell Technologies chairman and CEO Michael Dell described the growth in ransomware attacks as “troubling”.

Speaking at an event entitled ‘Protection in the Age of Ransomware’, Dell said customer concerns are heightened for three reasons.

Firstly, he said “many employees are now working from home, and the physical perimeter is now virtual.”

Secondly, he said ransomware attacks “are much more real and tangible than they were even 18 months ago. These are attacks on food supply chains, gas and utilities, every aspect of our everyday lives. It’s hitting closer to home. These attacks are becoming more insidious and moving only from encrypting data to stealing and threatening the release of stolen data.

“A third reason is that it’s the highest ROI crime that bad guys can commit, it’s a multi-billion-dollar business. There’s limited downside, it’s an anonymous crime, and right now there are very few consequences. So, it has particularly devastating results for organisations that are attacked.”

New Software and Managed Services

Dell released the findings to coincide with the launch of new software and managed services offerings.

Adding Transparent Snapshots to Dell EMC PowerProtect Data Manager gives organizations a new way to help protect their VMware VMs. By simplifying and automating VM image-level backups and requiring less infrastructure, Transparent Snapshots deliver up to five times faster backups. They also provide a five-time reduction in VM latency, helping organizations ensure availability of VM data.

Dell EMC PowerProtect appliances with Smart Scale helps organizations manage multiple data protection appliances at exabyte scale. This allows IT staff to make informed decisions about their capacity needs. Customers can configure multiple appliances as a single pool enabling them to see and manage large data sets in one entity. Dell said firms can maximize resources and save costs with proactive monitoring and simplified management of backup data.

Dell Technologies Managed Services for Cyber Recovery Solution enables MSPs to manage day-to-day cyber recovery vault operations and support recovery activities. These managed services build on Dell’s portfolio of cyber recovery consulting, deployment, and support services.

Dell EMC PowerProtect Data Manager with Transparent Snapshots will be globally available this quarter at no additional cost to customers with existing maintenance contracts. Dell EMC PowerProtect appliances with Smart Scale is in technology preview today and is expected to be globally available in 1H 2022. Dell Technologies Managed Services for Cyber Recovery Solutions are available globally today.