Data protection vendor Arcserve has entered into a global alliance with security vendor Sophos to safeguard backed up data from cyberthreats.
Together, the two companies plan to help organizations take a multi-layered approach to shielding backup files from cyber-attacks by integrating anti-ransomware software powered by deep learning AI technology from Sophos with disaster recovery and availability offerings from Arcserve.
Due to reach market in October, the joint solution will combine Arcserve’s Appliance Series of turnkey appliances for disaster recovery and application availability with that company’s Unified Data Protection solution and Sophos Intercept X Advanced for Server, an edition of the server-focused Intercept X endpoint security solution first launched last July.
“Increasingly cybercriminals are targeting backup systems as a way to increase the odds that compromised businesses will make a ransom payment. Having dedicated protection from both malware and the latest exploits ensures the backup data will stand strong against the most advanced threats,” said Francois Depayras, vice president of OEM sales and alliances for Sophos, in a media statement. “Sophos Intercept X for Server provides anti-ransomware, anti-exploit, and deep learning technology to provide the highest level of protection. This makes the Arcserve Appliance the most secure solution available in the market.
The global cost of ransomware will reach $11.5 billion this year and $20 billion by 2021, according to Cybersecurity Ventures, which expects a ransomware attack to impact a business somewhere every 14 seconds on average by the end of this year.
“Too many organizations are being forced to have the ‘how do we pay ransom’ conversation. We saw a market gap that needed to be filled, and Sophos was the natural fit. We know data protection and they know cybersecurity,” said Arcserve CTO Oussama El-Hilali in prepared remarks. “As threats become more difficult to combat, this alliance is transformative in the industry, taking our cyber protection to the next level and providing partners with the opportunity to educate customer s on the unique benefits of an integrated, two-pronged defense against cybercrime.”
The Arcserve/Sophos alliance is the latest instance of leading vendors blurring the lines between BDR solutions and security systems. In February, for example, backup and availability provider Carbonite bought security software maker Webroot in a deal valued at $618.5 million. Backup vendor Acronis, meanwhile, plans to officially introduce a wide-ranging suite of security products next month.
