Are you prepared to secure your data and critical IT infrastructure?

While businesses in every sector have long recognized the importance of data protection, the need for secure data storage has become increasingly critical in recent years. Operational resilience is a boardroom issue. Data is a mission-critical asset. Every business leader must be confident that data and IT infrastructure are fortified, ensuring business continuity in the event of a data loss or breach.  

In this context, IT leaders are under pressure to continuously review their data storage and protection arrangements. In fact, according to recent research, many organizations intend to increase their data protection budgets this year, and more than half plan to change their primary backup solution. 

So, what trends are impacting data storage and protection? What do these changes mean for businesses? How are secure data storage technologies evolving to safeguard businesses now and in the future? 

Three trends impacting data storage security 

1. Cyberthreats

First and foremost, cyberthreats and cyberattacks are increasing in frequency and becoming ever more sophisticated. In our hyper-connected world, the consequences of a cyber incident can be severe and far-reaching – impacting your customers, operations, finances and reputation.  

2. Complexity

Data and IT landscapes have become complex, diverse and fragmented – from data centers to the cloud, the edge, and everything in between. What’s more, services are provided and managed by growing numbers of partners and vendors. These shifts bring new challenges because data storage and protection solutions must integrate seamlessly across different environments. 

3. Data protection regulations

In response to the increasing prevalence of data breaches and cyberattacks, regulators are imposing more stringent data protection requirements. For instance, beginning in January 2025, the EU Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) will come into effect for financial institutions. DORA sets new data protection and recovery rules that govern the protection, detection, containment, recovery and repair of data — to ensure the stability and security of the financial system.  

It’s no surprise, therefore, that organizations are revisiting their data protection needs and evaluating data storage solutions to ensure they can meet these challenges.  

Evaluating secure data storage solutions 

In our experience working with business and IT leaders, there are five key criteria that enterprises look for in a secure data storage solution. 

• Flexibility. Data storage and protection capabilities must readily flex in line with shifting demands and conditions. Solutions must be scalable and agile to meet new business requirements, wherever and whenever needed. 

• Simplicity. Many businesses find they are using a range of different data storage and backup solutions and vendors. By reducing complexity, they can achieve full visibility across different environments — with no gaps, blind spots or overlaps. 

• Resilience. Preparing for the unexpected is vital. In the event of an error or attack, a rapid response must halt the incident, recover data, resume operations and ensure business continuity.  

• Cost optimization. Affordability remains a priority – especially as data volumes grow. When multiple vendors are involved, cost optimization becomes even more challenging, with the potential for annual price hikes. 

• Sustainability. To meet decarbonization targets, organizations need to reduce the carbon footprint of all IT infrastructure – including data storage and protection solutions. 

To meet these criteria, your data storage and backup capacity and the associated protection and recovery solution must be effective and seamless, no matter if it’s located on-premises or in public or hybrid cloud.