Disaster Recovery Journal Summer 2025

n Creates immutable snapshots . Creating an immutable snapshot

threats. However, individu als behaving unscrupulously, maliciously, or simply making mistakes present potential bigger threats to data hosted on a NAS solution. Responding to the Threats To respond to these threats, today’s NAS solutions offer multiple features to protect data from attacks and recover it if compromised. The avail ability, breadth, and implemen tation of these cyber security features on each NAS solution does vary. Data Immutability Data immutability, or stor ing data in an unchangeable format, represents a feature many NAS solutions support. NAS solutions may implement data immutability in one or more of the following ways. n Stores a file in a write once read many (WORM) format . After a file gets written to a NAS solution, it can only be read but neither changed nor deleted. More than 60% of NAS solutions support WORM functionality.

port encrypting data stored in object storage in the cloud. NAS solutions even encrypt data stored at-rest and on premises differently. About 75% of the NAS solutions sup port array-based encryption and 75% offer self-encrypting drives. This means some NAS solutions offer both options to encrypt data at-rest on-prem ises while some only offer one option. Multi-factor Authentication Using multi-factor authen tication (MFA) to log into a NAS solution represents a significant cyber security enhancement in recent years. Implementing MFA helps ensure only the appropriate individuals can access and manage the NAS solutions. Some NAS solutions even permit organizations to have multiple approvers authen ticate before they allow cer tain configuration changes. These changes may include tasks such as changing folder permissions or deleting data, among others. While 85 of all NAS solu tions offer MFA, some sup port other implementations of it. For instance, about 35% support a specialized form of MFA, such as using biomet rics, hardware tokens, or one time passwords. About half also offer the option to inte grate with an MFA provider to

centage (~20%) of NAS solu tions already use AI to perform anomaly detection. If the NAS solution detects an anomaly, it may take actions ranging from generating alerts to quarantining the affected files. DCIG anticipates the use of AI by NAS solutions will increase to provide even more sophisticated anomaly detec tion capabilities. NAS Solutions Ramped Up to Handle Today’s Enterprise Workloads Many organizations still primarily use NAS solutions to provide file services to their users. However, increases in the availability, capacity, and performance attributes of NAS solutions have prompted orga nizations to use them in more roles. Storage providers have also significantly enhanced the cybersecurity and data protection attributes avail able on NAS solutions. These enhancements protect from threats both within and outside of organizations. These new features give organizations improved abilities to defend themselves against these threats and quickly and suc cessfully recover should their data be compromised. v

serves a two-fold purpose. Aside from storing data in an unchangeable format, snapshots accelerate recoveries. Recovering tens or hundreds of terabytes – to say nothing of petabytes – from a backup can take days, weeks or months. Using immutable snapshots as a source for restores can reduce restore times to hours, minutes or seconds. While all NAS solutions support creat ing snapshots, only about 70% support creating immutable snapshots. An organization that needs or wants this feature should check to verify their preferred vendor supports it. Encryption More organizations want the option to encrypt their files when stored at-rest on premises. Many ransomware strains attempt to exfiltrate data (copy data outside of the organization) as part of their attack. Encrypting files does not prevent ransomware from exfiltrating them outside of the organizations. However, hack ers will find it almost impos sible to decrypt and read any encrypted files they obtain. However, NAS solutions implement encryption in dif ferent ways. While each evalu ated NAS solution natively supports encrypting data at rest, they implement it differ ently. For instance, fully 85% support encrypting data at-rest on its internal storage capacity. However, only about 40% sup

n Tiers data to object

storage . Tiering data to object storage, whether it is located on-premises or the cloud, offers another important benefit. Object storage now supports storing data in an immutable format. Since all NAS solutions support storing data to at least one object storage target, all offer this functionality.

Jerome Wendt, an AWS Certified Solutions Architect, is the president and founder of DCIG, LLC., a technology analyst firm. DCIG, LLC.,

deliver MFA services. Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) has begun to make inroads as a cyber secure feature on NAS solutions. A small per

focuses on providing competitive intel ligence for the enterprise data protection, data storage, disaster recovery, and cloud technology markets.

DISASTER RECOVERY JOURNAL | SUMMER 2025 33