The digital landscape is evolving at an unprecedented rate, with data storage and security becoming paramount for businesses worldwide.
Before the pandemic, 43% of IT companies didn't plan to migrate to the cloud, according to a 2020 survey published by Centrify (now Delinea). However, the sudden shift to remote work turned the tide for about half of them within one year.
To discuss these changes, we called on CTERA Networks, the company that has been instrumental in helping enterprises seamlessly transition to the cloud, ensuring data protection and scalability without compromising security.
At the helm of CTERA's technological advancements is Aron Brand, whose expertise has been pivotal in shaping CTERA's success. In this interview, we delve deep into his insights, the future he envisions for CTERA, and why shifting to a cloud-based storage platform could be the best decision you can make for your business.
Aron Brand, CTO of CTERA Networks, has over 22 years of experience designing and implementing distributed software systems. Aron worked as a Chief Architect of SofaWare Technologies before joining CTERA, where he led the design of security software and appliances for the service provider and enterprise markets. He holds a BSc in computer science and business administration from Tel Aviv University.
Spotlight: CTERA offers various cloud data services. How does your platform differentiate itself from other solutions on the market?
Aron: At CTERA, we're more than just a file storage platform for enterprises. We're about connecting people, enabling secure and high-performance access to corporate files from anywhere. Imagine collaborating across continents as efficiently as across the office, bridging the gap from edge to cloud. That's what we do. We modernize those old traditional NAS filers or Windows file servers with a privately hosted, cloud-enabled storage solution.
But we don't stop at modernization. We're redefining efficiency in data management. Using cloud object storage as a high-capacity storage tier and edge filers as high-speed local caches, we've cut our customers' total cost of ownership (TCO) by 70-80% compared to their legacy storage solutions.
And let's talk about security. It's not just a buzzword for us; CTERA's founding team comes from a cybersecurity background, and we have designed the platform entirely around zero-trust, defense-at-depth principles. We built robust security, compliance, and data governance capabilities into the core of the system, including data encryption, AI-based ransomware protection, and instant disaster recovery. We know the integrity of our customers' data is vital, and we've built our platform from the ground up to protect it. That's the CTERA difference, which sets us apart from the rest.
Can you share some advice for those considering moving their business operations from an on-premise IT infrastructure to a cloud-based platform?
The introduction of network latency when migrating to the cloud is a significant concern, as many applications designed for low-latency Local Area Networks (LANs) can suffer in a Wide Area Network (WAN) environment. This is particularly true for storage services, which often involve "chatty" protocols that become noticeably slower over WAN. Even with high bandwidth network links, the added latency can make processes exponentially slower, affecting user experience and operational efficiency.
One effective strategy to mitigate these challenges is to adopt a hybrid cloud model. This lets you keep latency-sensitive applications and data on-premises while moving other, less-sensitive workloads to the cloud. Cloud storage gateways or edge filers can be invaluable for many storage-intensive applications. These devices bridge your on-premises infrastructure and the cloud, maintaining an intelligent cache to minimize latency. They enable existing applications to interact with cloud storage as if they were local, thereby alleviating many performance issues.
Based on CTERA's experience, how do you foresee the future workplace model evolving? Will it lean more towards on-site work or remote work?
The future of the workplace is undoubtedly evolving, and based on our experience, it's leaning towards a hybrid model rather than a complete return to on-site work or remaining fully remote. The COVID-19 pandemic acted as a catalyst, forcing companies to adapt to remote work almost overnight. For instance, one of our customers, a top-5 credit card company, had to transition 100,000 users to full remote work in a single day. Initially, this abrupt change was met with resistance and skepticism. However, as time passed, organizations began to see the benefits of remote work, including enhanced business continuity, productivity, and operational efficiency.
The recent trend of returning to the office in hybrid modes indicates that the physical workplace still holds value, particularly in fostering workplace culture, collaboration, and team relationships. The hybrid model allows companies to capitalize on the advantages of both remote and on-site work. It offers the flexibility that modern employees seek while maintaining the collaborative spirit that physical office spaces uniquely provide. This balanced approach is likely to persist as it accommodates the diverse needs of employees and the strategic goals of businesses.
We know how important cloud technology has become in the remote work era; however, can you provide examples of how it is also useful for businesses carrying out exclusively on-site operations?
Cloud technology is not just a boon for remote work; it offers substantial advantages for businesses operating exclusively on-site. One of the most compelling use cases is cloud bursting. This hybrid cloud architecture allows organizations to tap into public cloud resources when their on-premises infrastructure reaches its limits. This is particularly useful for businesses that experience fluctuating workloads or require specialized computing resources on an ad-hoc basis. Like a hybrid car switches between an electric motor for city driving and a gasoline engine for the highway, cloud bursting enables organizations to use their private cloud for regular operations and burst into the public cloud when needed. This ensures optimal resource utilization, minimizes costs, and prevents service interruptions.
The benefits of cloud bursting are manifold:
- First, it offers cost savings by allowing businesses to pay only for the extra resources they use in the public cloud, avoiding the pitfalls of overprovisioning or underutilizing their infrastructure. This flexibility in resource allocation can result in significant reductions in both capital and operational expenditures.
- Second, the scalability offered by cloud bursting ensures that organizations can handle peak demands without compromising performance or availability. The public cloud's virtually unlimited resources can be provisioned or released in minutes, providing agility in responding to workload fluctuations.
- Lastly, cloud bursting enhances organizational flexibility and resilience. It allows businesses to access specialized resources and services in the public cloud that might not be available or compatible with their private cloud. This includes advanced analytics, AI, and machine learning capabilities that can significantly improve business insights and outcomes.
Moreover, the public cloud can serve as a backup or alternative site for applications and data, thereby bolstering disaster recovery and business continuity plans. In the event of a failure or outage in the private cloud, operations can be swiftly switched to the public cloud, minimizing downtime and data loss.
Data breaches are a massive concern these days. How does CTERA ensure the security of its clients' data in the cloud?
At CTERA, we started with a clear focus on security, and it's something we take to heart. Our storage platform is built on a zero-trust architecture, with multiple layers actively defending your data. I wish I could tell you about all our security features, but let me share some highlights that set us apart. We've embraced a true AI-based approach to ransomware detection, looking at behavioral patterns and anomalies, not just file extensions or rules. This helps us catch both known and unknown ransomware, even those tricky zero-day attacks.
And we don't stop at detection. Our instant disaster recovery (DR) capabilities mean that if something does slip through, you can roll back to a previous version in the cloud almost instantly. No waiting around for files to be restored, even the big ones. This combination of a zero-trust architecture, smart ransomware detection, and quick recovery helps us ensure your data stays safe and accessible, no matter what the cyber world throws at us.
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Part of the allure of cloud technology is the ability to access data on many devices anywhere on the planet. How do you balance accessibility and security?
Our approach is designed to provide the best of both worlds.
We use a local caching device in each remote office, ensuring that frequently accessed files are always available at local LAN performance. For infrequently accessed files, our CTERA Direct protocol, a hyper-efficient file transfer system, provides quick and secure access across high-speed internet connections. This architecture ensures that data transfers are always direct, taking the shortest path and reducing latencies and fees.
But what truly sets us apart is our unique approach to security. By splitting the metadata and data into separate channels and utilizing our unique CTERA Direct technology with secure short-lived tokens, we implement a "zero-trust" architecture. This means that clients can directly transmit and receive data from cloud object storage backends without having privileged credentials to these underlying, encrypted object stores.
We've created a system that offers the accessibility that modern businesses demand without compromising on security. Whether your data is stored in AWS, a private data center, or object storage providers like Wasabi, you can trust that it will be accessible when needed and secure at all times.
How has adopting cloud technologies impacted how organizations approach data backup and recovery?
The adoption of cloud technologies has significantly modernized the approach to data backup and recovery, moving away from outdated, scheduled backup systems that are often laborious and prone to errors. Continuous data protection in the cloud is replacing these traditional methods. This technique captures real-time changes in an organization's data and directs them to an immutable, cloud-based repository. If ransomware or other cyber threats compromise the data, organizations can quickly revert to a recent version, minimizing data loss and downtime.
Instant disaster recovery is another advantage offered by cloud technologies. Unlike traditional backup systems that require lengthy restore sessions and often bring systems offline, cloud-based solutions enable instant rollbacks to any point in time without any perceived delay. Data recovery occurs in the background, allowing users to access their data immediately. This is especially crucial in an era where cyber-crime is rampant, and legacy backup solutions are proving insufficient.
The future of data backup and recovery is leaning towards intelligent, proactive storage solutions. These next-generation systems use AI and data analytics to monitor for anomalies and potential threats, offering a layer of proactive disaster prevention. The focus is shifting from mere backup to intelligent storage solutions that offer continuous protection, instant disaster recovery, and proactive threat mitigation. This marks the dawn of a new era in data storage and protection, making traditional backup methods increasingly obsolete.
Compliance has become a growing concern amongst global companies. How does CTERA's solution ensure data is stored and managed in accordance with regional laws?
Regional compliance is indeed a growing concern, and it's something we at CTERA take very seriously. Our platform is designed as a 100% private solution, meaning that data is kept entirely private with zero SaaS components. This aligns perfectly with stringent data sovereignty regulations that mandate data to be stored within specific geographical boundaries. We understand that different regions have different rules, and we've built our system to adhere to them.
We recently introduced our Cloud Storage Routing Feature, a solution allowing organizations to leverage multiple cloud storage providers and on-premises object storage systems concurrently. This isn't just about flexibility; it's about precise data placement. Whether it's GDPR compliance in Europe or specific data sovereignty requirements elsewhere, we ensure that your data is stored exactly where it needs to be based on organization-defined policies.
What this means for global companies is peace of mind. You can trust that your data is secured, stored, and managed in full accordance with local and regional laws.
Can you tell us how CTERA's platform integrates with other cloud tools and which partnerships have been particularly beneficial to your clients?
The CTERA platform integrates seamlessly with various cloud tools, and our partnership with Varonis stands out for its impact on data security and compliance. This integration allows organizations to modernize file services while enhancing security measures, offering centralized visibility into all enterprise data. Varonis uses powerful AI models to audit every file interaction for instant compliance and, when coupled with CTERA's capabilities, extends corporate security policies to remote and branch locations. This partnership has been highly beneficial for our clients, providing a unified solution for robust data protection in a hybrid work environment.
What can we expect from CTERA regarding new features, solutions, or partnerships in the upcoming years?
The rise of large language models (LLMs) and generative AI is exhilarating. It's like watching a new frontier unfold, opening incredible opportunities for organizations to tap into their unstructured data in ways we never thought possible. However, this excitement also comes with its own set of challenges. The complexity of managing modern data pipelines has never been more acute, and the need for robust, flexible solutions has never been higher.
That's why at CTERA, we're strategically evolving to become a specialized data pipeline platform for this unstructured data landscape. It feels like we're right where we need to be, especially as centralized cloud data lakes become increasingly vital. The driving force behind this? The large language models (LLMs) and generative AI technologies are transforming the enterprise sector. They're igniting a gold rush of unstructured data just waiting to be harnessed, analyzed, and turned into actionable insights.
So, what's on the horizon for us? We're doubling down on this vision. Our upcoming releases are geared to make your life easier, with additional connectors and pre-defined blueprint templates that will simplify the deployment of programmable data services. It's not just about keeping up but setting the pace in a world where data is the new currency.
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