Summary of on-demand webinar:

Introduction

This webinar focuses on building cyber-resilient Dell storage and backup environments, the importance of security baselines, and how automation can help you maintain compliance and protect against ransomware.

The Challenge: Ransomware & Backup Security

Ransomware has shifted from encrypting production data to targeting backups first.

• Attacks now include double extortion: encrypting and exfiltrating sensitive data.

• Incidents like the Dallas ransomware attack and San Bernardino County breach show the cost of poor backup security.

• Cyber insurers are tightening requirements and demanding proof of backup hardening and immutability.

Building a Cyber-Resilient Dell Environment

1. Security Baselines

• Define a storage and backup-specific baseline based on:

  • Authentication & RBAC

  • Encryption (in-flight and at rest)

  • Logging and audit controls

  • Network segmentation and isolation

  • Vendor-specific hardening features

• Use frameworks like NIST SP 800-209, ISO 27040, and CIS Benchmarks.

2. Recovery-Centric Design

• Focus on resilience over defense:

  • It’s not just about preventing attacks, but ensuring you can withstand and recover.

  • Build isolation layers (logical or physical cyber recovery vaults).

  • Implement immutability across production, DR, and cyber recovery environments.

3. Operational Best Practices

• Separate responsibilities across teams (primary storage, backup, cyber recovery).

• Regularly run tabletop exercises and cyber recovery drills.

• Validate data hygiene and test recoverability with realistic scenarios.

• Ensure you can identify the “last known good” copy of data through analytics.

Automating with StorageGuard

StorageGuard integrates with Dell storage and backup platforms to:

• Perform agentless, read-only configuration scans

• Automate baseline validation and drift detection

• Correlate vendor-specific CVEs with your environment

• Provide actionable remediation guidance and compliance reporting

Key features:

• Predefined NIST/ISO/CIS security policies

• Integration with SIEMs like Splunk and ITSM tools like ServiceNow

• Vendor-aware vulnerability detection to eliminate false positives

• Audit-ready compliance reports for PCI DSS, NIST, and ISO

Key Takeaways

• Ransomware will hit backups first: assume breach, prepare for recovery.

• Define and enforce baselines: align with NIST, ISO, or CIS for Dell environments.

• Prioritize resilience: isolation, immutability, and analytics are critical.

• Automate compliance: reduce manual effort, avoid drift, and simplify audits.