Veeam 2023 Report: 93% ransomware hits backups, 45% targets production data—startling trends spotlight urgent cybersecurity needs. This alarming statistic underscores the enduring presence of ransomware, emphasizing the imperative for businesses to fortify their defenses. Veeam Software, a leading authority in Data Protection and Ransomware Recovery, has recently spotlighted effective strategies for addressing cybersecurity challenges within South African enterprises. This enlightening discourse took place during the VeeamON Tour: Expand 2023 event, which unfolded at the esteemed Focus Rooms in Johannesburg.
The event served as a nexus for Veeam representatives, local experts, strategic partners, and industry alliances to converge and deliberate on paramount strategies and best practices against the ransomware menace. Furthermore, the discussions explored the vast potential offered by the 500+ novel features and enhancements encompassed within Veeam Backup & Replication v12. This latest iteration stands as the cornerstone of the comprehensive Veeam Data Platform, a unified framework that endows organizations with enhanced data security, recovery capabilities, and hybrid cloud functionality, adeptly catering to the intricate and burgeoning landscape of IT environments. This encompasses Multi-Cloud, Virtual, Hybrid, Physical, SaaS (M365, Salesforce), and Kubernetes domains.
Notable highlights from this pivotal event encompassed a compelling opening keynote delivered by Michael Cade, the Global Field CTO Cloud-Native Product Strategy at Veeam. Through his address, he expounded upon fundamental aspects of security, cyber resilience, and strategies to remain attuned to the ever-evolving contours of cyber threat trends.
An insightful Women in Tech breakfast panel discussion formed another cornerstone of the event’s offerings. Guided by the adept moderation of Elana Afrika-Bredenkamp and Lisa Strydom, Senior Manager of Channel and Alliances Africa at Veeam, the discussion honed in on the critical importance of fostering diverse voices and perspectives within the technology domain. Esteemed panelists, representing key industry voices, included Celeste Le Grange, Head of Channel Commercial, Mid-market and SMB at Hewlett Packard Enterprise; Busisiwe Zelda Letsoalo, Assistant Director ICT Systems Administration at the National Department of Health; Lorna Hardie, Senior Director Sub-Saharan Africa at VMware; Janetta Cosenza, Advanced Technology Executive at First Technology; and Cathy Leso, CIO at the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy.
In reflecting on the significance of this Women in Tech panel, Lisa Strydom aptly stated, “Hosting this panel has been an immense honor, underscoring our collective commitment to advancing the careers of women in the industry. The diversity of voices has enabled us to confront various challenges and identify opportunities that warrant attention within our market and respective organizations.”
Veeam’s steadfast leadership in the realm of Data Protection and Ransomware Recovery received a resounding affirmation when it was announced that the company had clinched the esteemed position of being ranked as the #1 global provider by IDC (International Data Corporation) in their latest IDC Semiannual Software Tracker for 2022H2, specifically within the realm of Data Replication & Protection software¹. Furthermore, the tracker’s revelation of Veeam’s impressive year-over-year growth rate of 8.1%, surpassing both other leading vendors and the overall market average, further reinforces this accolade.
Key sponsors of VeeamON Tour: Expand 2023 included platinum sponsor VMware, as well as gold sponsors ExaGrid, Lenovo, and Datacentrix.