Commvault Metallic tricks ransomware to protect data

To pinpoint ransomware attacks earlier, Commvault is integrating its decoy security technology into Metallic, the vendor’s SaaS backup and recovery product.

In February 2022, Commvault acquired TrapX, an Israel-based security company that created lures and decoys that looked like normal applications and data. This early threat detection technology has been adapted into Metallic SaaS as the ThreatWise add-on.

ThreatWise is available now, with prices that vary depending on the level of protection purchased.

Ransomware is not going to go away, according to Christophe Bertrand, senior analyst at Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG), a division of TechTarget. The battle against ransomware is a team effort, and companies need several different technologies to combat it, including in the realms of prevention and detection.

“[ThreatWise] is one type of technology that can fight ransomware and put organizations in a position where they can recover,” Bertrand said.

Hunting with decoys

Other data protection companies have been using AI and machine learning (ML) for anomaly detection for some time, including Commvault, according to David Ngo, CTO of Metallic at Commvault.

Ransomware can take days or months to detonate after infiltrating a system. It tries to evade notice once it has breached a customer’s environment, Ngo said. ThreatWise helps to discover it by laying a trap.

Adversaries can’t tell [ThreatWise is] there, so when they poke at a decoy, it is a clear and undisputable sign that an organization is experiencing a cyber attack.

“Touching an asset here is like touching a tripwire,” Ngo said. “The action triggers the detection, rather than types of patterns triggering the detection.”

This SaaS-delivered deception technology for data protection is unique to Metallic, he said. Several vendors use AI and ML to detect anomalous patterns in behavior, while ThreatWise uses decoys to discover live attacks.

Deception technology like decoys is incredibly useful in detection, according to Jon Oltsik, senior analyst at ESG.

“Adversaries can’t tell it’s there, so when they poke at a decoy, it is a clear and…