Veeam director on ransomware and GenAI

Alex Walsh updates CRN on the data protection vendor’s growth opportunities and warns of GenAI hackers

Confronting ransomware remains top of mind for Veeam as the issue continues to hang over the heads of the IT sector.

According to its 2023 Data Protection Trends Report, 85 per cent of organisations had at least one ransomware attack last year.

Speaking to CRN, Veeam channel & alliances director for the UK and Ireland Alex Walsh shares where the vendor is focusing, its key growth areas, and how he thinks hackers can us AI.

Ransomware tops the agenda

"The big one is ransomware in all its forms. A key part of our theme on tour with VeeamON this year was around ransomware, not just the attack itself, but the process behind it, Walsh reveals.

"One of the things we talk about with a lot of our customers and partners is, it's not a case of if or when it's how many times you get attacked.

"A large percentage of what we talk about with partners at the moment is how to help customers make sure that when they get attacked, they have cyber resiliency built up and that they have the correct data protection in place to make sure that when they're attacked, they can recover quickly."

Walsh adds that customers are currently concerned with cost savings.

"We are in that environment at the moment where every dollar counts.

"We're finding that customers are really respectful of their cash. The cash flow is not where it used to be. So a big part of what we're discussing with partners is helping them to enable themselves to make sure that they are relevant to their customers, make sure they're as sticky as possible."

GenAI

Outlining Veeam's top opportunity for growth in UK&I, Walsh says it comes back to ransomware.

"it's never been as prevalent as it probably is now.

"Our Ransomware Trends report showed that we are seeing an increase in ransomware attacks, which is unfortunate but it means that a lot of our customers that are protected by Veeam are coming back to us and saying ‘thank God we were because we didn't have to pay the ransom.'"

Walsh adds that a big topic at the vendor's recent VeeamON event was the generative AI boom.

"These hackers and threat actors are very savvy people, typically quite technical and quite smart.

"They are already investing into generative AI and already building their own black market generative AIsto help increase the probability of a ransomware attack.

"When we talk about our top opportunities it's probably a bad way to say it, but with the increasing focus on data protection, given that data is effectively the new oil, is the most important asset that people hold, but also that businesses hold and helps them to make money.

"The fact that we can help to protect that customer's data and help them to do more with that data from a recovery perspective represents a huge opportunity not just for Veeam but for the entire industry."