Dell enhances zero trust security with latest updates

Dell Technologies' new PowerProtect Data Manager Appliance is leading a series of advancements for multi-cloud data protection, designed to be simple to use and easy to consume.

According to the company, the new solutions address rising data protection challenges facing organisations. According to the 2022 Dell Global Data Protection Index (GDPI) survey, organisations have experienced higher levels of natural and modern disasters than in previous years, resulting in more data loss, downtime and recovery costs.

In the past year, cyber attacks accounted for 48% of all disasters (up from 37% in 2021), leading all other causes of data disruption. The survey also revealed 85% of organisations using multiple data protection vendors see a benefit in reducing their number of vendors. Furthermore, it revealed that organisations using a single data protection vendor incurred 34% less cost recovering from cyber attacks or other cyber incidents than those who used multiple vendors.

Jeff Boudreau, President and General Manager, Infrastructure Solutions Group, Dell Technologies, comments, "With virtually everything connected to the internet in today's digital world, the need to protect valuable data is more important than ever.

"This digital landscape requires a modern data protection and security strategy to address cyber threats. Point solutions don't go deep or wide enough to help protect organisations. Dell helps customers strengthen cyber resiliency by offering integrated data protection software, systems and services to help ensure data and applications are protected and resilient wherever they live."

The GDPI survey found that 91% of organisations are either aware of or planning to deploy a zero trust architecture - a cybersecurity model that shifts how organisations approach security from relying solely on perimeter defences to a proactive strategy that only allows known, authorised traffic across system boundaries and data pipelines. However, only 23% are deploying a zero trust model and 12% are fully deployed.

With embedded security features, designed into the hardware, firmware and security control points, Dell's holistic approach aims to help organisations achieve zero trust architectures to strengthen cyber resiliency and reduce security complexity.

Meanwhile, in Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ), organisations (excluding China) still have a long way ahead on their journey to zero trust deployment stage, resulting in losses of almost US$760K on average over the past 12 months due to cyber attacks or other cyber incidents. Only 22% of APJ organisations are actively deploying zero trust capabilities and only 13% have fully deployed them.

To combat this, Dell continues to deliver updates for its data protection software, Dell PowerProtect Data Manager, to help organisations simplify their IT operations and reduce risk.

PowerProtect Data Manager software addresses the need for cyber resiliency and supports zero trust principles with new built-in operational security capabilities, such as multi-factor authentication, dual authorisation, and role-based access controls. The Dell PowerProtect Data Manager Appliance offers a simple path to adopt modern data protection.

The appliance offers customers:

• Modern, software-defined architecture: Allows automated discovery and protection of assets and delivers unique VMware protection to ensure the availability of all VMs without business disruption.
• Secure, cyber resilient solution: Provides more secure access to restricted functions with Identity and Access Management to strengthen cyber resiliency.
• Unified user experience: Delivers software-defined data protection, making it easy to deploy and use.

In addition, PowerProtect Cyber Recovery for Google Cloud enables customers to deploy an isolated cyber vault in Google Cloud to more securely separate and protect data from a cyber attack. Unlike standard cloud-based backup solutions, access to management interfaces is locked down by networking controls and can require separate security credentials and multi-factor authentication for access, Dell states.

Organisations can use their existing Google Cloud subscription for purchasing PowerProtect Cyber Recovery through the Google Cloud Marketplace, and the service can be acquired directly from Dell and its channel partners. The new offering marks the latest expansion of Dell's cyber recovery capabilities for public clouds, following this year's introduction of Dell PowerProtect for Microsoft Azure and CyberSense for Dell PowerProtect Cyber Recovery for AWS.

Finally, Dell APEX Data Storage Services is expanding to offer a Backup Target option to provide a more secure backup storage in a pay-per-use, flexible consumption model. The Backup Target service is easy for customers to adopt and streamlines the process of purchasing, deploying and maintaining backup storage.

Building on Dell's data appliance and data protection leadership, the Backup Target helps reduce a customer's storage footprint and can increase data availability. The new Dell APEX Data Storage Services Backup Target offer will support the increasing reliance on as-a-Service offerings to help overcome data protection challenges, Dell states.

Lucas Salter, General Manager, Data Protection Solutions, Asia Pacific & Japan, comments, "Today, businesses know they need to remain vigilant and ensure business continuity in the event of a cyber attack because it's no longer the question of 'if' but 'when'.

"With the addition of PowerProtect Cyber Recovery for Google Cloud, Dell is expanding our customers' ability to secure their critical data across major cloud service providers. Customers not only can protect their data but also avoid potential damage to their businesses and reputations, as well as recover fast when required."