Achieve cyber resilience with NetApp AI-powered autonomous ransomware protection technology

Ransomware attacks have surged and show no signs of slowing down, according to industry experts. The possibility of an accidentally clicked link or a network breach that leads to ransom demands, system downtime, and compromised user data is a constant looming possibility for IT and business leaders. With ransomware attackers now leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to develop increasingly complex and relentless attacks, it’s critical that cyber-resilience solutions keep pace. In response, NetApp is spearheading the development of solutions that defend against ransomware attacks with a first-of-its-kind autonomous ransomware protection (ARP) solution, powered by AI. Let’s explore why ARP should be in every enterprise toolkit.

The UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) projects that AI is expected to significantly increase the volume and severity of ransomware attacks. As generative AI tools with coding and text creation capabilities become widely available, the barrier to entry for cybercriminals has significantly lowered. Attackers can simply use these tools to develop sophisticated novel attacks faster, automate malicious tasks, and evade traditional detection systems without more than basic coding skills.

However, just as the introduction of new tools like AI opens the possibility of new threats, it also powers innovation and solutions. Ransomware protection is crucial, but managing it effectively remains a challenge. Securing endpoints and relying simply on software that protects devices aren’t enough. As these threats evolve, the technology organizations rely on to counter them must do the same.

It’s time for the next generation of ransomware protections to integrate with primary storage and protect data whether it’s in the cloud or on premises. Effective ransomware protection for today’s landscape must be autonomous, precise, and fast—qualities that are increasingly difficult to achieve without using AI. This is where NetApp^® Autonomous Ransomware Protection with AI (ARP/AI) enters the conversation.

NetApp ARP/AI is a groundbreaking, AI-powered solution that integrates directly into NetApp’s trademark operating system (ONTAP^® ), acting as the last line of defense for your critical data. Unlike typical solutions built for an "outside-in" approach, NetApp ransomware protection is built-in and delivers real-time detection and response capabilities at the storage layer. Rather than relying on backups or separate security policies that introduce latency inherently, NetApp ARP/AI provides rapid detection and defense from within the data infrastructure.

NetApp ARP/AI is available on all devices running ONTAP version 9.16.1 as part of the ONTAP One license, making it accessible to organizations looking for a robust defense mechanism without the complexities of extensive integrations or added infrastructure.

NetApp ARP/AI stands out in the market with the integration of advanced AI and machine learning (ML) capabilities. By using AI to detect ransomware, ARP/AI provides real-time detection of anomalies and malicious file encryption. When third-party testing from SE Labs put NetApp ONTAP ARP/AI to the test against thousands of ransomware attacks, it successfully defended against them with an accuracy rate of 99%, earning a prestigious AAA rating. The underlying AI models are continuously trained and updated using vast ransomware datasets that include both benign and malicious samples, enabling them to identify subtle changes and suspicious behaviors that might reveal a ransomware attack.

Unlike traditional detection systems, which can be slow and prone to false positives, the NetApp solution minimizes these issues. Your IT team can confidently trust the alerts generated and take immediate action, rather than sifting through unnecessary warnings and false positives.

And it’s not just about detection. NetApp ARP/AI also reacts instantly by creating immutable Snapshot™ copies of your data. These tamper-proof snapshots ensure that your data is preserved in its original state, even if an attack is in progress, enabling you to recover quickly with minimal disruption.

Most ransomware protection solutions operate from an external perspective, protecting data through backups and external policies. They’re often slow to detect and respond to an attack, and delays can lead to increased data losses and downtime. The built-in approach by NetApp offers on-box ransomware detection, providing rapid responses to threats from within the storage layer itself. Instead of being a reactive tool, the NetApp solution is proactive—detecting and alerting threats before they cause significant damage.

When every second counts, the ability to detect ransomware attacks in real time can mean the difference between a minor incident and a major disaster. NetApp ARP/AI protects against ransomware at scale, providing a streamlined, efficient, and highly effective defense mechanism.

ARP/AI uses a multi-signal approach to detect threats: analyzing entropy changes in binary file content, file headers, and file metadata to identify ransomware patterns. By constantly monitoring this combination of signals rather than reasoning on a single signal, it helps the system accurately discern normal activity from potentially malicious behavior, even when attackers are using advanced obfuscation techniques to evade detection.

AI-enhanced capabilities enable the detection system to learn and adapt to new ransomware techniques in real time. NetApp uses external malware data feeds and continuously improves detection models, keeping the ARP/AI solution evolving as fast as the threats it’s combating—without requiring extensive manual updates or system upgrades.

Deploying ransomware protection shouldn’t increase your IT burden. NetApp ARP/AI provides seamless, automatic upgrades for existing ONTAP users. These upgrades ensure that your ransomware detection capabilities are always current, without the need for extensive ongoing maintenance or disrupting your storage infrastructure. With NetApp, your protection evolves as threats evolve—automatically and effortlessly.

Detection is just one part of the story. A comprehensive ransomware protection solution must respond effectively to threats.

Through integration with the NetApp Data Infrastructure Insights (formerly Cloud Insights) Storage Workload Security solution, which uses user and entity behavior analytics (UEBA), ARP/AI can identify and mitigate malicious users, further enhancing your resilience against targeted attacks. Proactive response capabilities minimize the impact of ransomware incidents and safeguard your data.

Ransomware isn’t going anywhere. As AI evolves, sophisticated ransomware attacks are only going to increase. Organizations need ransomware protection solutions that can keep pace with these evolving threats, providing effective, efficient, and easy-to-manage protection.

NetApp ARP/AI delivers just that. Integrating AI-powered ransomware protection directly into the storage infrastructure offers you the ability to secure your business-critical data with minimal complexity. With real-time detection, and autonomous response capabilities, ARP/AI gives organizations the confidence that their data is protected and recoverable—no matter what.

Disclaimer: No ransomware detection or prevention system can completely guarantee safety from a ransomware attack. Although it’s possible that an attack might go undetected, NetApp technology acts as an important additional layer of defense, and our research indicates NetApp technology has resulted in a high degree of detection for certain file encryption-based ransomware attacks.