W. Curtis Preston and Stephen Foskett discussed Ransomware this week, stressing the urgency of securing backup infrastructure and implementing preventive measures against ransomware attacks. They highlighted the risks posed by unpatched systems and the growing trend of double extortion tactics. Emphasizing the importance of basic security measures and proactive preparation, they urged organizations to take control and protect themselves from the inevitable threat of ransomware.

Be ready for a broad overview of modern enterprise cloud technology as we’re delighted to invite you to tune in to Cloud Field Day 17 taking place May 31 and June 1, 2023. In an era where the cloud has revolutionized industries, cyber security, platform operations, data protection and true integration take center stage. At Cloud Field Day we’ll immerse ourselves in the world of cloud technology along with independent technical content creators and pioneering companies.

Ransomware attacks continue to pose a significant threat across various sectors, with recent incidents targeting critical industries and causing substantial financial and operational damages. Federal authorities have issued warnings about a surge in cyberattacks exploiting a high-severity vulnerability in Veeam software that enables unauthorized access and raises the risk of data heft and ransomware deployment. With healthcare organizations heavily reliant on Veeam software for data protection, the implications of these attacks are particularly concerning. But the impact of ransomware attacks extends beyond healthcare, as demonstrated by recent incidents faced by companies like Dole, which incurred $10.5 million in direct costs following a ransomware attack, and the ongoing attack on the Dallas Municipal Court Building, disrupting legal proceedings and potentially exposing sensitive personal and case-related information. Since we have an expert in data protection joining us today, let’s take a closer look at the face of ransomware. This and more on the Rundown.

Data management is a critical aspect of business operations, but traditional databases require dedicated hardware and extensive maintenance, which can be expensive and time-consuming. Cloud databases offer a flexible and scalable alternative, and enable access to data from anywhere in the world. In this article, Stephen explores the definition, benefits, and considerations of cloud databases.

As NAND flash memory technology has evolved, MLC, TLC, and QLC has been perceived to compromise both reliability and performance. In this episode of the On-Premise IT podcast, we confront the reality of Quad-Level Cell (QLC) SSDs, shedding light on their capabilities and suitability for today’s workloads. Roger Corell of Solidigm, who sponsored this episode, discuss QLC SSD with Karen Lopez, Alastair Cooke, and Stephen Foskett. The industry is increasingly embracing the benefits of QLC SSDs for mainstream workloads, and this discussion debunks common misconceptions, emphasizing the equivalent reliability, performance, and quality of QLC, TLC, and MLC SSDs. With the shifting landscape of read-intensive workloads and the growing data demands, QLC SSDs offer an efficient and cost-effective solution for mainstream applications.

One of the main differentiators for edge computing is developing a scalable architecture that works everywhere, from deployment to support to updates. This episode of Utilizing Edge welcomes Dave Demlow of Scale Computing discussing the need for scalable architecture at the edge. Scale Computing discussed Zero-Touch Provisioning and Disposable Units of Compute at their Edge Field Day presentation, and we kick off the discussion with these concepts. We also consider the undifferentiated heavy lifting of cloud infrastructure and the tools for infrastructure as code and patch management in this different environment. Ultimately the differentiator is scale, and the key challenge for designing infrastructure for the edge is making sure it can be deployed and supported at hundreds or thousands of sites.

Controversy over AI, from ChatGPT to Bard, have been all over the news, and the impact of Large Language Models is hitting enterprise IT. We’re seeing litigation against GitHub, Microsoft, and OpenAI just as the US Congress heard testimony by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. And of course IT pros everywhere are grappling with the various ways their jobs will be affected by AI. Let’s take a closer look at AI in the enterprise. This and more on this week’s Rundown. Thanks to Ned Bellavance for cohosting.

As enterprise and cloud data growth continues, opportunities are appearing to leverage next-generation SSDs in new server form factors to improve capability and sustainability. This Gestalt IT Tech Talks Roundtable features Tahmid Rahman of Solidigm, Patrick Chiu of Supermicro, discussing next-generation SSD with Max Mortillaro, Andy Banta, and Stephen Foskett of Gestalt IT. Today’s SSDs have a new form factor called EDSFF or E3 for increased density as well as next-generation NVMe protocol support for high performance, low latency, and new capabilities. Solidigm is developing specialized SSDs to meet real-world workload demands from AI and analytics applications with the right mix of performance and density. Specific use cases include dense object storage, content delivery networks and streaming media, and online application processing. D5-P5430 is the first E3 SSD from Solidigm with improved density, thermal efficiency, and signal integrity for future PCIe Gen 5 and 6 products. This includes the use of PCIe Gen 4 and QLC NAND flash for increased density. The newest server platforms from AMD and Intel include more PCIe lanes, enabling Supermicro to make the most of this new SSD technology in ultra-dense high-performance servers.

There is a long-standing gulf between developers and operations, let alone infrastructure, and this is made worse by the scale and limitations of edge computing. This episode of Utilizing Edge features Carl Moberg of Avassa discussing the application-first mindset of developers with Brian Chambers and Stephen Foskett. As we’ve been discussing, it’s critical to standardize infrastructure to make them supportable at the edge, yet we also must make platforms that are attractive to application owners.

There is a wide gap between storing data and making it useful, and it is getting worse with the growing volume of unstructured data. In this episode of On-Premise IT Podcast presented to you by Hammerspace, delegates Justin Warren and Chris Evans get together with Hammerspace’s Head of Global Marketing, Molly Presley, to drill into the pains of managing unstructured data, and learn how Hammperspace addresses them with data orchestration. Data orchestration takes the one-dimensional approach of storing data, to the next level that is cleaning, organizing, enriching and making data accessible across systems. It makes it possible to move large volumes of data across distances. Not bound by any one data or infrastructure type, data orchestration helps businesses handle new kinds of complex data and keep up with their changing uses.