29 Most of the data generated these days is unstructured, making it tougher to store and manage in a traditional relational database. IDC estimates that by 2025, unstructured data will account for 80% of all data. Unstructured data is also more vulnerable to security threats, with healthcare and financial services particularly affected. Scalable and cost-effective object storage can help overcome these issues. Unsecured, unstructured data poses big challenges and risks Organizations are gathering an increasing amount of data, including large volumes of personal data from users. And this data must be preserved and safeguarded for an extended period of time, depending on the industry. If you’re a HIPAA-compliant business, for example, that information must be safely stored for six years. In some circumstances, you must preserve data for an indefinite period of time — in a way that’s accessible and secure. The public cloud offers one option, but it doesn’t provide users with sufficient control over the infrastructure, performance can be lacking, and security can be an issue. A recent Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG) report found that 57% of IT professionals believe 20% to 50% of their sensitive data housed on the public cloud is likely not effectively secured. 61% of those polled claimed they had lost data or at least think that could have happened. If your organization gathers personal data, you have a responsibility to secure it, especially as security threats increase. Malicious actors know you must keep that information, and they’re anxious to get their hands on it. Ransomware isn’t a possibility — it’s an inevitability. By 2031, ransomware attacks are expected to occur every two seconds. Security threats are also becoming more costly. The average cost of a data breach is $4.24 million, according to the 2021 Ponemon/IBM Cost of a Data Breach research. The data storage conundrum It’s evident that businesses must take this issue seriously and address it as soon as possible. Scalability is a crucial aspect to consider when looking for the best storage solution to handle these concerns. You need a system that can handle both your current and future needs, as well as the ability to retain data for the long term at a reasonable cost. Traditional methods of storage were not designed for cloud use. They’re unable to scale, which leads to costly silo management. The public cloud is en vogue because it provides flexibility and scalability, and it eliminates the need for an in-house administrator to manage your data. It’s a good option for some short-term data storage and applications. However, in the long term, its cost-effectiveness diminishes over time given the infrastructure, performance and security shortcomings. Unbreakable cloud storage for data centers solves the security problem (and more) Modern organizations need a secure, cost-effective approach that can scale as business demands evolve in the next five to ten years. This solution needs to make data accessible to old and new cloud/cloud-native applications, which will break down silos and enable faster innovation. Unbreakable cloud storage for data centers combines the advantages of public cloud with the performance, security, and management of on-premises private cloud infrastructure. All of this without the need for an on-site data administrator. Unbreakable cloud storage for data centers offers a noteworthy mix of speed, scale and security. It grows as your capacity needs grow. It’s flexible, immutable and manageable. Immutability is often thought of as a necessity in the fight against ransomware, but it also secures data against unintentional loss or change (whether intentional or not). Want to learn more about how unbreakable cloud storage is helping organizations grapple with unstructured data? Read my recent piece in Dataconomy.
