The increasing reliance on cloud computing and migration of workloads to cloud platforms is prompting Egyptian companies to reevaluate their data protection strategies. According to Fadi Rishmani, Executive Vice President and General Manager for Emerging Markets at cybersecurity solutions provider Comvault, companies cannot simply transfer data protection responsibilities to cloud service providers. Rishmani emphasized that providers like Microsoft, Oracle, AWS, Google Cloud, and Alibaba focus primarily on delivering services and ensuring infrastructure operation, while data protection and recovery remain the customer's responsibility.
Rishmani spoke at the SHIFT conference organized by Comvault, highlighting a common misconception among customers regarding cloud service providers' responsibilities. He explained that Comvault offers Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions to protect cloud workloads, having developed its cloud solutions on the Microsoft Azure platform while maintaining its intellectual property and technologies. This approach enables Comvault to protect data regardless of its location, whether on-premises or in the cloud. Rishmani stressed that workloads created originally in the cloud, such as Office 365 and Salesforce, require independent protection and disaster recovery strategies.
Comvault's cloud solutions are built on a Zero Trust Architecture, separating Control Plane and Data Plane to enhance data isolation and support system resilience and recovery. The company adopts a Cloud Agnostic approach, allowing data protection across various cloud environments without relying on a single cloud provider. This flexibility enables customers to protect their data regardless of whether they use Oracle Database or Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) services. Rishmani emphasized the importance of Air Gap and Immutable Data technologies in data protection, making it difficult for data to be deleted or modified even if the system or administrator accounts are compromised.
The combination of Air Gap and Immutability is crucial in enhancing an organization's ability to face cyberattacks and restore data in the event of an incident. This approach supports business continuity and disaster recovery, Rishmani said. He also noted that a company's ability to survive and recover from crises has become a key metric in evaluating its resilience. Having a backup copy is not enough; data must be reliable, recoverable, and protected from tampering.
Egyptian companies are rapidly adopting cloud technologies, driven by the need for greater flexibility, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. However, this shift also introduces new risks and challenges, particularly in data protection and cybersecurity. As organizations move their workloads to the cloud, they must ensure that their data protection strategies keep pace with the changing landscape.
Comvault's solutions aim to address these challenges by providing a comprehensive data protection and management platform that supports multiple cloud environments. The company's approach focuses on delivering robust data protection, disaster recovery, and business continuity capabilities that can adapt to the evolving needs of Egyptian organizations.
As the cloud continues to play a larger role in Egyptian businesses, companies like Comvault are well-positioned to help organizations navigate the complexities of data protection and cybersecurity in the cloud era. With its expertise and solutions, Comvault aims to support Egyptian companies in building resilient and secure data protection strategies that can withstand the challenges of the digital age.
Key points
- Cloud expansion forces Egyptian companies to reassess data protection strategies
- Comvault offers SaaS solutions to protect cloud workloads
- Zero Trust Architecture and Immutable Data technologies enhance data protection
