Wasabi unveils 'Covert Copy,' an anti-ransomware storage solution

Wasabi Technologies, the Hot cloud storage company, has unveiled Covert Copy, a patent-pending storage feature that creates a completely invisible and immutable backup of critical data. The new capability is designed as an ultimate last line of defense, making the protected data not only unchangeable but literally undetectable by malicious actors, including sophisticated ransomware crews and insider threats.

The innovation: Hiding the target

Ransomware attacks have increasingly targeted organizations' backups and cloud storage, recognizing that deleting or encrypting the recovery data is the best way to force a ransom payment. Wasabi's Covert Copy addresses this by strengthening the traditional "air gap" strategy.

Key features that make Covert Copy a potent defense:

• Invisible: The copied data is logically air-gapped and hidden from view (cannot be seen, enumerated, or accessed) by anyone inside the corporate network, including malicious actors who may have breached the primary environment. As Wasabi notes, "For cyber attackers, you can't attack what you can't see."

• Immutable: The hidden copy is locked tight and cannot be modified, deleted, or encrypted during its retention period, making it invulnerable to ransomware's core mechanism.

• No Single Point of Failure: Accessing or deleting the Covert Copy requires multi-user authentication (MUA) approval, removing the single point of failure that often occurs when an attacker steals a single administrator's credentials.

• Perfect replica: It creates a perfect, untouchable copy of the original data, ensuring quick and reliable recovery, whether for customer records, financial data, or high-value intellectual property like AI models.

"Organizations are under increasing pressure, both internally and from regulators, to ensure that their data is untouchable," said a Wasabi spokesperson.

Integration and cost

Wasabi is positioning Covert Copy as a core security feature of its Hot Cloud Storage platform. The solution is available immediately at no additional cost to all Wasabi customers, reflecting the company’s emphasis on predictable pricing and operational simplicity.

Unlike other cloud providers, which often require complex tool management to secure data, Covert Copy offers a streamlined implementation, allowing users to select the data to be secured and initiate the protection process with just a few clicks.

This simplicity is vital for enterprises in highly regulated sectors like finance, healthcare, and government, which require compliance with standards like HIPAA and SEC data protection rules.