In a world where cybersecurity threats continue to evolve at an alarming rate, ensuring data security and resilience is a top priority for federal agencies. Recently, Hitachi Vantara Federal and Commvault hosted a webinar titled “Enhancing Federal Data Security: From Data Protection to Cyber Resilience,” led by Gary Hix, Chief Technology Officer at Hitachi Vantara Federal, and Cyrus Cama, Solution Director at Commvault. The session provided valuable insights into how agencies can move beyond traditional data protection strategies to embrace a more holistic approach to cyber resilience.
Here are the key takeaways from the session:
The Evolution of Cyber Resilience
Over the last three decades, cyber resilience has dramatically evolved. Gary Hix highlighted that safeguarding critical data was primarily about disaster recovery and business continuity in the early days. But today, the need goes far beyond just backup and recovery. The rise of ransomware, sophisticated attacks, and migration to cloud environments have fundamentally changed how organizations approach cybersecurity. According to Hix, the focus is no longer just on protecting data—it’s about ensuring the ability to recover from incidents quickly and effectively, thus maintaining business continuity even during a cyberattack.
AI’s Role in Cybersecurity
Cyrus Cama discussed the critical role of artificial intelligence (AI) in attack and defense. Bad actors leverage AI to execute more advanced ransomware attacks, which can remain undetected for extended periods. Commvault has integrated AI-driven features into its software to counter these threats, such as early warning detection systems. These tools are designed to monitor traffic patterns, identify anomalies, and alert organizations of suspicious activity. This proactive approach enables faster response times and mitigates the risk of widespread data corruption.
Ransomware and Immutable Backups
Ransomware is a growing threat, and bad actors are increasingly targeting backup infrastructure to prevent recovery, forcing organizations to pay ransom. Cama emphasized that immutable backups are critical to thwarting these attacks. Immutable storage, such as Hitachi’s object storage with built-in ransomware protection features like S3 object locking, adds an essential layer of security. Combined with Commvault’s AI-driven early detection, included in the Hitachi Data Protection Suite (HDPS), these solutions ensure that even in the event of an attack, clean data can be restored without paying a ransom.
NIST Cybersecurity Framework
The speakers referenced the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 as a foundational tool to help federal agencies develop comprehensive cyber resilience strategies. The framework focuses on five key areas: Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover. Both Hitachi and Commvault solutions including the Hitachi Data Protection Suite (HDPS) powered by Commvault align with this framework, helping federal organizations govern their data, detect anomalies, and ensure rapid recovery in case of a breach.
The Cost of Recovery and Business Continuity
One of the often-underestimated aspects of cyber resilience is the cost associated with recovery. Hix noted that recovery isn’t just about restoring data but also about ensuring the organization can recover quickly and continue operating. This is especially important for government agencies, where mission-critical operations are at stake, and downtime can impact national security or citizen services.
The Partnership Between Hitachi Vantara and Commvault
For over 20 years, Hitachi Vantara and Commvault have worked together to deliver comprehensive data protection and cyber resilience solutions to customers. This partnership combines the strength of Hitachi’s enterprise-class storage platforms with Commvault’s advanced cyber resilience and data management technologies. The two companies offer a joint solution, Hitachi Data Protection Suite (HDPS), that ensures data integrity, protection, and fast recovery. This is particularly important for federal customers operating in high-risk environments.
FedRAMP High Certification
Cyrus Cama mentioned that Commvault is currently the only data protection company certified at the FedRAMP High level, which is crucial for federal agencies needing to meet strict regulatory requirements. This certification ensures that Commvault’s cloud-based offerings fully comply with federal data protection standards, providing agencies with a trusted solution for safeguarding sensitive data.
Clean Room Recovery: A Modern-Day Disaster Recovery Solution
A highlight of the webinar was the introduction of Commvault’s Clean Room Recovery, a modern approach to disaster recovery. Clean Room Recovery allows organizations to spin up their environments in a clean, isolated environment after an attack. This ensures that compromised systems can be analyzed without disrupting business operations, and clean, uncorrupted data can be restored. This solution provides a critical advantage for federal agencies responding to ransomware and other cyberattacks.
Looking Forward: A Cyber-Resilient Future
As threats continue to evolve, federal agencies need to invest in technologies that protect their data and ensure quick recovery when incidents occur. The partnership between Hitachi Vantara Federal and Commvault offers government customers a well-rounded cyber platform that addresses current and future cybersecurity challenges.
Conclusion
The webinar reinforced that cyber resilience is about much more than just protecting data. It’s about creating a holistic strategy that includes detection, protection, and recovery—ensuring that organizations can continue to operate even in the face of a cyberattack. With a focus on AI, immutable storage, and advanced recovery solutions, Hitachi Vantara Federal and Commvault are leading the way in helping federal agencies secure their data and maintain operational continuity in an increasingly hostile cyber landscape.
Watch the webinar On-Demand or check out other similar resources:
- On-Demand Webinar: Enhancing Federal Data Security: From Data Protection to Cyber Resilience
- Report: Cloud Data Protection Strategies at a Crossroads
- White paper: Blazing Fast Object Storage Meets Best-in-Class Data Protection