Back when we were all partying “like it’s 1999”, the tech world was worrying about Y2K and big dollars were invested in upgrading technology. Today ransomware is that catalyst to upgrading and protecting enterprise data.

Data protection is at the center of the digital transformation universe, and Stephen Manley, CTO of the Core Technologies Division at EMC, joined John Furrier (@furrier)and Dave Vellante (@dvellante), cohosts of theCUBE, from the SiliconANGLE Media team, to discuss how core technology is still a relevant topic for EMC, and how companies can protect their whole IT environment using a security measure called an “air gap” solution.

Holding your data as a hostage

Manley made it clear that most enterprise customers are working in a converged environment, and they want to protect the whole environment from legacy systems, applications and cloud. Manley said protecting all of the infrastructure is possible because of the breadth of EMC’s portfolio.

One of the key drivers, striking fear into the heart of the enterprise, is data protection. Manley noted that a number of customers he has spoken to are concerned about their data being hijacked by ransomware. He cited a report that indicated ransomware is an over a billion-dollar business where hackers access a company’s backup data and get into their system. Once they are in, the company receives a ransom alert that threatens to destroy all the data unless they are paid, basically holding the data hostage and leaving the company exposed.

The air gap solution

Manley stated that he uses an air gap solution. “An air gap replicates to a third data domain that is off the grid most of the time so that it’s inaccessible to these attacks,” he said, explaining: “It comes on the grid briefly every day at random points of time so I can get a copy out there. That gives them that insulation so that when the ransomware comes up, they can say, ‘We’re fine. We’re not going to pay the ransom.’”

He noted the best practices are to get everything air gapped and employ a threat assessment. He used the phrase, “People don’t waste a good crisis,” and pointed out when this happens you have the executives’ attention and it provides a chance for IT to use it to its advantage in order to create a better and safer network.

Watch the full interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE and theCUBE’s coverage of EMC World 2016.

Photo by SiliconANGLE