Hitachi Vantara is partnering with Index Engines to integrate CyberSense, an AI-powered ransomware detection solution, into its Virtual Storage Platform One (VSP One). With this move, Hitachi joins Dell, IBM, and Infinidat as the fourth OEM to adopt Index Engines’ technology.
The CyberSense technology offers real-time, content-aware analysis for early ransomware detection and supports the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. The integration is part of a broader update that includes three new service guarantees for performance, cyber resilience, and sustainability.
CyberSense Integration
CyberSense uses AI and machine learning to scan and analyze the full content of files rather than just metadata, allowing it to detect subtle anomalies that may indicate ransomware activity or data corruption. This enables earlier and more accurate threat identification.
Key capabilities include:
- Detection Accuracy: Claimed 99.99% accuracy in identifying ransomware-related corruption.
- Forensic Reporting: Detailed audit trails and reports to support incident investigation and compliance.
- NIST Framework Alignment:
- Identify: Indexes and analyzes file content to uncover hidden threats.
- Protect: Continuously validates backup data integrity.
- Respond: Provides audit logs and forensic tools for rapid threat response.
- Recover: Locates the last clean backup for precise data restoration.
- Seamless Platform Integration: Embedded within VSP One, enabling automation of recovery processes.
New Guarantees
In addition to the CyberSense integration, Hitachi Vantara also introduced three new guarantees:
- Performance Guarantee: Ensures consistent, SLA-backed application performance, with service credits for non-compliance.
- Cyber Resilience Guarantee: Offers expert support and up to 100% credit on affected storage volumes if data restoration fails after a ransomware attack.
- Sustainability Guarantee: Commits to reducing CO₂ emissions by up to 40% through energy-efficient storage design and reporting.
Impact to IT Practitioners
Hitachi Vantara is playing to an industry trend of bringing ransomware and malware detection into the data plane, which is fast becoming table stakes for storage vendors.
Hitachi’s integration of CyberSense streamlines ransomware detection and recovery, and will IT teams respond faster and more effectively to incidents:
- Operational Benefits:
- Accelerates detection and recovery timelines.
- Automates restoration from verified clean backups.
- Cost Implications:
- Reduces downtime and associated financial losses.
- Cuts energy costs through improved system efficiency.
Analysis
Integrating Index Engines’ CyberSense into VSP embeds cyber resilience directly into core infrastructure, rather than treating it as an external add-on. This strengthens Hitachi’s competitive positioning in enterprise storage and aligns with current customer priorities around data integrity, ransomware preparedness, and sustainability.
It also tracks the current movement in placing malware detection directly into the data plane. While other storage vendors rely on in-house or partner solutions, Hitachi stands out with its integrated, SLA-supported approach. It’s a strong play for the company.
The announcement shows Hitachi meeting customer expectations for secure, high-performance, and sustainable storage infrastructure, all while potentially reducing the total cost of ownership and operational risk.
This is also a key engagement for Index Engines, expanding its presence in the enterprise infrastructure market and reinforcing its value proposition as an OEM-friendly, AI-driven ransomware detection solution. This is the company’s fourth OEM to integrate CyberSense, making the solution almost a de facto standard for ransomware detection in the enterprise storage space. It’s a big win for Index Engines.
Competitive Outlook & Advice to IT Buyers
Integrating Index Engines’ CyberSense into its VSP One platform, Hitachi Vantara strengthens its position in the enterprise storage market by offering AI-driven ransomware detection as a native capability, an area of growing competitive focus among storage vendors.
Key Competitors and Differentiators:
…
These sections are only available to NAND Research clients and IT Advisory Members. Please reach out to info@nand-research.com to learn more.
