Cisco transforms crisis to control with new automated ransomware recovery

Cisco, a frontrunner in enterprise networking and security, is making a game-changing upgrade to its Extended Detection and Response (XDR) solution. By incorporating recovery into the response process, Cisco XDR is reshaping expectations around security offerings. This recent development introduces almost instantaneous recovery for business operations following a ransomware assault.

The drive towards the Cisco Security Cloud, an all-encompassing, AI-powered security platform, remains a top priority for Cisco. With the unveiling of Cisco XDR at this year’s RSA Conference, the company brought forth comprehensive telemetry and unparalleled visibility spanning network and endpoints. Now, by drastically minimizing the time gap between the emergence of a ransomware incident and the capture of vital business data to nearly zero, Cisco XDR is taking steps towards realizing that vision, all while facilitating new thresholds of business continuity.

“Cybercrime continues to pose a tangible threat that cannot be underestimated by individuals and organizations across our region. Ransomware has persistently stood out as one of the most prevalent risks. In the battle against these cyber assaults, a platform-based approach has become imperative. This is why we are steadfastly committed to constructing a resilient and open cybersecurity platform capable of withstanding ransomware attacks,”

affirmed Fady Younes, Cybersecurity Director, EMEA Service Providers and MEA. “Our advancements in automated ransomware recovery mark a significant leap towards achieving truly unified detection and response data, transforming security insights into proactive measures.”

Throughout the second quarter of 2023, the Cisco Talos Incident Response (IR) team grappled with the highest number of ransomware engagements in over a year. Leveraging the enhanced capabilities of Cisco XDR, Security Operations Center (SOC) teams are poised to automatically identify, capture snapshots, and reinstate mission-critical data at the initial signs of a ransomware incident, often prior to lateral movement through the network towards high-value assets.

“Cisco is swiftly altering the security landscape across its entire range of offerings, and its XDR solution could potentially become the gold standard architecture that organizations turn to,” asserted Chris Konrad, Area Vice President, Global Cyber, World Wide Technology. “Not only does it furnish comprehensive visibility by integrating data from endpoints, network, cloud, and other sources, this extensive insight into the attack surface empowers superior threat detection through advanced analytics. Organizations should seriously contemplate adopting Cisco XDR to fortify their security stance and effectively safeguard their assets. Cisco is unquestionably contributing to the overall resilience of any organization.”

Cisco is expanding its initially released array of third-party XDR integrations to encompass prominent infrastructure and enterprise data backup and recovery providers. Today, Cisco is elated to unveil the inaugural integration of its kind with Cohesity’s DataProtect and DataHawk solutions.

“Cybersecurity holds a pivotal spot at the board level, and every CIO and CISO grapples with mitigating risks posed by threat actors. To this end, Cisco and Cohesity have joined forces to empower global enterprises in bolstering their cyber resilience,” declared Sanjay Poonen, CEO and President of Cohesity. “Our groundbreaking proactive response represents a cornerstone of our vision for data security and management, and we are thrilled to introduce these capabilities to the market first in collaboration with Cisco.”

Cohesity boasts a well-established record of innovating data backup and recovery capabilities. The company’s products offer customizable recovery points and extensive recovery options for systems covered by a protection plan. The novel features elevate this core functionality by preserving potentially compromised virtual machines for future forensic examination, concurrently shielding data and workloads throughout the environment. Cohesity’s engineers collaborated closely with Cisco’s technical teams to dynamically adjust data protection policies, ultimately furnishing organizations with a more robust security posture. This complements Cisco XDR’s resilient detection, correlation, and integrated response capabilities, ultimately facilitating accelerated data protection response and automated recovery for customers.