Ransomware attacks have become one of the most significant threats to businesses worldwide. Whether your data resides on premises or in the cloud, the risk of falling victim to a ransomware attack is ever-present. According to a recent report by Cybersecurity Ventures, by 2031, ransomware attacks are expected to cost businesses globally more than $265 billion annually, and an attack will occur every 2 seconds. Also, a 2024 State of Ransomware study by Sophos revealed that 66% of organizations had experienced a ransomware attack in the past year, with cloud environments increasingly becoming a target. As organizations like yours continue to migrate workloads to the cloud, securing data at the storage layer has never been more critical.

To enhance your data security, today we are introducing NetApp^® Autonomous Ransomware Protection (ARP) for Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP, a first-party cloud service for AWS Cloud customers. The result is a groundbreaking solution that brings NetApp ONTAP^® industry-leading ransomware detection capabilities to AWS Cloud with FSx for ONTAP. With proven detection of specific ransomware attack vectors, this capability is now available to help your organization protect your data in your FSx for ONTAP environment.

Let’s dive into why this feature is a significant change for cloud security and why ransomware detection at the storage layer is essential, no matter where your data resides.

Ransomware attacks are no longer confined to on-premises environments. A recent report by CrowdStrike found an increase of 75% in ransomware attacks in cloud environments, highlighting the need for robust cloud-native security solutions. With attackers using increasingly sophisticated methods, traditional security measures like firewalls and endpoint protection are no longer enough. Your organization needs a multilayered defense strategy, and that starts with securing your data at the storage layer.

Ransomware attacks often begin with phishing emails or compromised credentials, but their ultimate goal is to encrypt or to exfiltrate the data that’s stored in your systems. By the time an attack is detected at the network or the application layer, it may already be too late. That’s why ransomware detection at the storage layer is critical. Storage-level detection provides a last line of defense so that even if attackers bypass your other security measures, their malicious activities can be identified and stopped before they irreparably damage your data.

Built into NetApp ONTAP, NetApp Autonomous Ransomware Protection (ARP) is designed to detect file anomalies from specific ransomware attack vectors. This functionality is now available in FSx for ONTAP. By integrating ARP into FSx for ONTAP, AWS is bringing NetApp’s enterprise-grade ransomware protection to the cloud, enabling your organization to safeguard your data with confidence.

This seamless integration of detection and response keeps your data protected without requiring manual intervention, reducing the burden on your IT teams and improving your overall security posture.

This protection is particularly significant if your business uses AWS for critical workloads. With FSx for ONTAP, your organization can now benefit from the same level of ransomware protection that has made NetApp a leader in on-premises storage security. This seamless integration keeps your cloud data as secure as on-premises data. And with the most secure storage on the planet, you get peace of mind in an increasingly complex threat landscape.

Ransomware is a pervasive and evolving threat, and no organization is immune. Whether your data is stored on premises or in the cloud, securing it at the storage layer is essential to mitigate the risk of ransomware attacks. NetApp Autonomous Ransomware Protection for FSx for ONTAP delivers industry-leading detection and prevention capabilities, keeping your data safe and accessible, even in the face of sophisticated threats.

Find out how to strengthen your defenses against ransomware with NetApp ARP for FSx for ONTAP.

Disclaimer: No ransomware detection or prevention system can completely guarantee safety from a ransomware attack. Although it’s possible that an attack might go undetected, NetApp technology acts as an important additional layer of defense.

This blog was co-authored by Roy Alon, Vice President of Cloud Data Services.