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Dell Technologies Raises Bar with Next-Generation Data Protection Solutions

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Dell Technologies is introducing PowerProtect DD Series Appliances, the next- generation of its Data Domain protection storage appliances, enabling organizations to protect, manage and recover data at scale across diverse environments.

In addition, Dell Technologies is announcing new enhancements to Dell EMC Cyber Recovery, now Dell EMC PowerProtect Cyber Recovery, and to Dell EMC PowerProtect Software that will provide customers with cyber resiliency and support for workloads on PowerProtect DD Series Appliances.

Today’s businesses are experiencing an overwhelming increase in the amount of data they create and retain. According to the Dell EMC Global Data Protection Index, organizations managed 9.70 petabytes of data in 2018, a 569% increase compared to the data managed in 2016. With PowerProtect DD Series Appliances, customers can equip themselves with a solution that supports their growing data needs, has the ability to quickly restore their systems in times of disruption and fosters business value and innovation through a secure path to existing data sets.

“As the IT landscape continues to shift to accommodate the influx of data, customer data protection and management requirements will increasingly be shaped by hybrid multi-clouds, global data centers and exabyte scale,” said Beth Phalen, President, Dell EMC Data Protection Division, Dell Technologies. “With the new PowerProtect DD Series Appliances and our expanding data protection portfolio, Dell Technologies is redefining the next-generation of data protection capabilities to deliver data management at global scale.”

Introducing Dell EMC PowerProtect DD Series Appliances

As the newest addition to the Dell EMC PowerProtect portfolio, Dell EMC PowerProtect DD Series Appliances are built to simplify and provide operational efficiencies for data protection for multi-cloud workloads. PowerProtect DD offers:

Faster performance: With up to up to 38% faster backups and up to 36% faster restores, PowerProtect DD includes instant access and instant restore of up to 60,000 IOPS for up to 64 virtual machines, and support for 25GbE and 100GbE network speeds.

Greater efficiency: PowerProtect DD is highly efficient, providing up to 1.25PB of usable capacity in a single rack with hardware-assisted compression improving logical capacity by up to 30%, driving up to 65x data reduction. This smaller footprint delivers power and cooling savings of up to 35%, increasing ROI for organizations.

Scalability to meet future demands: With flexibility and agility at its core and available in multiple configurations, PowerProtect DD provides scalability and grow-in place capacity expansion, ranging from 1 terabyte up to 1.25PB.

Data protection for multi-cloud workloads: PowerProtect DD provides operational efficiency, resiliency and scalability across on-premises and hybrid cloud environments. It has an extensive cloud ecosystem with support across multiple public clouds and can natively tier deduplicated data, delivering cost-effective, long-term retention.

Single pane of glass management: With PowerProtect DD Management Center, customers can gain aggregated management for multiple systems, manage capacity and replications, and monitor the health and status of all their appliances on-premises and in the cloud.

Cyber Resiliency for Mission Critical Systems

As customers experience an influx of data, they also must be prepared for cyber threats. Designed to minimize the impact of a cyberattack and provide faster recovery of mission critical systems, Dell EMC PowerProtect Cyber Recovery now supports workloads protected with Dell EMC PowerProtect Software and stored on Dell EMC PowerProtect DD Series Appliances. This integration enables customers to strengthen their cyber resiliency with automated data recovery and provides peace of mind in the instance of large-scale data loss.

New enhancements to Dell EMC PowerProtect Cyber Recovery include the ability to automate restoration from a secure, isolated vault, which enables customers to augment their existing data protection architecture with a secure copy of data removed from the surface of attack.

These additions and integration with PowerProtect DD enable customers to easily incorporate a cyber resiliency plan and automated cyber recovery process into their environments, providing business operations recovery when it is needed most.

Dell Technologies Services supports Dell EMC PowerProtect Cyber Recovery on Dell EMC PowerProtect DD Series Appliances. ProConsult Advisory Services help in developing business resiliency and cyber recovery strategies, while ProDeploy and ProSupport services promote a path to productivity and the ability to get ahead of problems before they happen.

After its initial launch at Dell Technologies World 2019, Dell EMC PowerProtect Software is enhanced with several new features to offer efficient data management capabilities. In addition to interoperability with the new PowerProtect DD Series Appliances, PowerProtect Software provides more integration with VMware vSphere, offering VMware customers simplified data protection management and self-service recovery.

PowerProtect Software also now supports Dell EMC Cloud Disaster Recovery to enable orchestrated and automated disaster recovery fail-over and failback of VMware workloads in the public cloud.

Three new PowerProtect DD Series Appliances – the Dell EMC PowerProtect DD6900, PowerProtect DD9400 and PowerProtect DD9900 – will be available globally Sept. 30, 2019 and through Dell Technologies channel partners.

  • Dell EMC Data Domain Virtual Edition and Dell EMC Data Domain DD3300, now branded Dell EMC PowerProtect DD Virtual Edition and Dell EMC PowerProtect DD3300, are available now.
  • Enhancements to Dell EMC PowerProtect Cyber Recovery and PowerProtect Software are available globally.

Richard McMahon, group technical operations director, iomart Group plc, said: “PowerProtect DD allows us to deliver the most efficient, scalable and cost-effective enterprise class backup to our customers. It provides us with maximum capacity in a smaller footprint, with best in class deduplication, compression and a simple to use DD System Manager.”

Mark Bowen, senior storage architect, Government Nova Scotia: “Building on the great experience we’ve had with Dell Technologies, the Dell EMC PowerProtect DD Series Appliances delivers the performance and efficiency we need to keep pace with data growth and availability requirements. The ability to deploy up to 1.25PB of capacity in half the rack space, coupled with greater data reduction, will help lower our total cost of ownership.”

Phil Goodwin, research director, Cloud Data Management for Protection, IDC, said: “As organizations strive to become data-driven, they are overwhelmed with the amount of data that must be managed, while also protected and available across multi-cloud workloads.

“The new additions and enhancements to the Dell EMC PowerProtect portfolio will help enable Dell Technologies to meet customers’ growing needs of protecting, accessing, managing and recovering data through next-generation data protection solutions that easily scale within their existing infrastructures.”


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E-Business

NITDA, API Partner Against Harmful Online Content

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National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), in partnership with the Advocacy for Policy and Innovation (API), has convened a one-day workshop in Abuja to advance dialogue on the draft Online Harm Protection (OHP) Bill to confront harmful online content.

NITDA, API Partner Against Harmful Online Content

The bill, a rights-based, locally rooted, and multi-stakeholder initiative, is aimed at addressing the challenges of the digital age.

The event, which held yesterday, brought together government officials, civil society, academics, digital platforms, and legal experts to shape a policy framework designed to combat online ills such as cyberbullying, disinformation, hate speech, digital exploitation, and gender-based violence, while safeguarding democratic freedoms and digital inclusion.

In his keynote remarks, Kashifu Inuwa, director general, NITDA urged a paradigm shift in the way society engages with digital technologies.

“For almost two decades, we have viewed digital technology through a consumer lens. But these technologies are not just products and services. They are transforming how we live, work, and interact. They shape our politics, our society, and our democracy,” he said.

Warning against unaccountable digital power in the hands of private corporations, the DG likened the digital journey to the tale of Alice in Wonderland, where initial fascination with innovation has given way to deeper concerns about privacy, autonomy, and manipulation by big tech platforms.

“We thought we were using Google, but now we realise Google is using us. Social media, once a tool of expression, has become a tool of surveillance and influence,” Inuwa noted.

He, therefore, emphasised the urgency of developing a democratic and accountable framework.  He explained that following the 2021 Twitter ban, NITDA facilitated dialogue between the government and platform operators, leading to a Code of Practice that stressed Nigeria’s sovereignty and legal standards.

According to him, the same process birthed the multi-stakeholder steering committee and the OHP White Paper in December 2024, laying the foundation for the current legislative push.

Earlier in her opening remarks,  Victoria Manya, co-founder, API, observed the moral and civic necessity of the bill.

Her words: “The internet did not break society, it merely revealed its unfiltered version. Every day, Nigerians are exposed to harassment, disinformation, exploitation, and even algorithmic violence. The OHP Bill is not a war on the Internet. It is a peace offering to its users, a social contract for a digital future that is safe, inclusive, and democratic.

“We cannot answer the question of algorithmic power with unchecked state control. We must answer it with shared, rights-based governance. This bill must not be written for the people, but with them.”


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How AI Alert by Airtel is Transforming Mobile Security in Africa

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These days, people rely heavily on their mobile phones for talking, texting, banking, social media, and storing important personal information. Because of this, scammers and spammers often target phone users.

Mobile fraud, like fake SMS messages and scams, is becoming more common and putting millions at risk of losing money or having their private details stolen.

Airtel’s new AI-powered Spam Alert Service offers a smart and timely way to fight back, marking a major step forward in protecting mobile users in Africa.

A brief look at mobile fraud and spam

Mobile fraud and spam are problems around the world, but they hit harder in places where mobile phone use is growing fast, and safety measures haven’t caught up.

A 2024 report from GSMA Mobile Economy shows that more than 20% of mobile users globally have experienced some kind of mobile fraud, with spam texts being one of the most common.

In Nigeria, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has noted a sharp rise in scam messages and fake calls, leading to yearly losses in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

These spam texts often include fake links, harmful ads, or tricks to steal personal details. Many people get caught without knowing, which can lead to stolen bank money, identity theft, or damaged devices.

Older spam blockers only work on certain phones or apps, leaving many people, especially those using basic phones, without protection.

Why Airtel’s AI Spam Alert Service stands out

Airtel, a top telecom company in Africa, has launched a new and free service called the AI Spam Alert Service. It’s the first of its kind in Africa and aims to protect mobile users from spam text messages as they come in.

What makes this service different is that it doesn’t read or check the actual message content. Instead, it uses advanced artificial intelligence to quickly study the sender’s behaviour using over 250 signs or patterns, all within a fraction of a second.

Some of those parameters, according to Airtel, includes:

  • How frequently the sender changes SIM cards.
  • The volume and frequency of messages sent by the message initiator to different recipients.
  • The geographical spread of the recipient numbers, whether messages are targeted locally or dispersed nationwide.
  • Whether the sender receives replies or only sends messages.
  • A cross-reference of numbers previously reported for spam activity.

The AI completes this analysis in just 2 milliseconds, faster than the blink of an eye, allowing real-time alerts to subscribers as suspected spam messages arrive.

How Airtel’s Spam Alert Service improves mobile safety and trust

Airtel’s new AI-powered spam alert system is set to make a big difference in mobile security across Nigeria and the rest of Africa. Instead of depending on users to block spam themselves, the service works directly through the network to stop suspicious messages before they reach people’s phones.

This kind of technology helps users feel safer and more confident using mobile networks—especially as more people rely on their phones for banking and other money-related services.

A 2025 report by McKinsey Digital shows that many Africans worry about mobile security when using digital financial tools. By reducing the risk of spam and fraud, Airtel is not only protecting its users but also helping to build a safer digital space where more people can take part in the growing mobile economy.

According to Airtel, within two months of its launch, the spam alert service system has identified 9,667,008 messages as potential spam.

Why this is a game changer

By building a service that is first-of-its-kind in Africa, Airtel is leading the way in offering spam alerts, powered by AI directly on its network, for over 150 million subscribers across the continent.

In addition, the service is quick, spotting suspicious sender activity in just milliseconds without reading users’ messages.

Finally, the service is free and requires no app downloads or extra setup. Airtel says the turns on automatically, making it easy for everyone to stay protected, even those using basic phones.

By sending signals to users before problems happen, Airtel boosts trust and encourages more people to safely use mobile money and other digital services.

Scammers are always finding new ways to trick consumers through the ubiquitous mobile phones, so increased demand for security improvements is, understandably, shifting to telecom companies.

Airtel’s AI Spam Alert Service is a strong and timely move toward better, smarter protection for users. As more people start using the service, it should help cut down fraud, keep personal information safe, and make mobile use more enjoyable.

As African economies continue to grow more digital, users of telecom services will need more secure and reliable ways to communicate, and Airtel is leading the way towards that safe future.

 


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Microsoft Server Hack Likely Solo Actor, Thousands at Risk

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A widespread cyberattack targeting Microsoft’s (MSFT.O) server software used by thousands of government agencies and businesses for internal document sharing was likely orchestrated by a single actor, a cybersecurity researcher said on Monday.

Microsoft Server Hack Likely Solo Actor, Thousands at Risk

Microsoft issued an alert on Saturday warning of “active attacks” on on-premise SharePoint servers.

The company clarified that SharePoint Online, part of the Microsoft 365 cloud suite, was not affected by the exploit, which is considered a “zero-day” vulnerability due to its previously undiscovered nature.

“Based on the consistency of the tradecraft seen across observed attacks, the campaign launched on Friday appears to be a single actor. However, it’s possible that this will quickly change,” Rafe Pilling, director of Threat Intelligence at Sophos, a British cybersecurity firm.

That tradecraft included the sending of the same digital payload to multiple targets, Pilling added.

Microsoft said it had “provided security updates and encourages customers to install them,” a company spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

It was not clear who was behind the ongoing hack. The FBI said on Sunday it was aware of the attacks and was working closely with its federal and private-sector partners, but offered no other details.

Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Washington Post said unidentified actors in the past few days had exploited a flaw to launch an attack that targeted U.S. and international agencies and businesses.

According to data from Shodan, a search engine that helps to identify internet-linked equipment, over 8,000 servers online could theoretically have already been compromised by hackers.

Those servers include major industrial firms, banks, auditors, healthcare companies, and several U.S. state-level and international government entities.

“The SharePoint incident appears to have created a broad level of compromise across a range of servers globally,” said Daniel Card of British cybersecurity consultancy, PwnDefend.

“Taking an assumed breach approach is wise, and it’s also important to understand that just applying the patch isn’t all that is required here.”


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