On the surface, unstructured data sounds relatively unimportant – like overlooked clutter that needs tidying away or depositing in the nearest digital bin. In reality, these files are the foundation of our working lives. Word documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and emails are all unstructured data – so is any file that doesn’t follow a predefined model or fit neatly into an organised database.
Unstructured data typically constitutes 80-90% of an organisation’s total data footprint. However, compared to critical systems and applications, these files are often the most exposed and least protected when it comes to cyberattacks.
Why is unstructured data vulnerable to ransomware?
As the name suggests, unstructured data is sprawling and complex. This makes it difficult to organise and expensive to store. Unstructured files are normally shared across cloud storage, accessed by multiple teams, and rarely deleted.
Up to 80% of unstructured data is classified as ‘cold’, meaning it hasn’t been accessed in more than a year. But these files frequently contain intellectual property, confidential information, or sensitive personal data, making them high-risk assets. Protecting such a large volume of dormant files using traditional methods is often unsustainable, meaning this data is frequently overlooked.
One breach is all it takes to bring a business to its knees. Once inside a network, hackers can use ransomware to encrypt file systems at scale, exfiltrate sensitive data, and paralyse operations. For MSPs, unstructured data can be particularly tricky to manage across multiple client environments. Without a unified view, it’s easy for data to fall through the cracks.
How does Redstor protect unstructured data?
Data protection shouldn’t come at the cost of manageability or your budget. Redstor’s cloud-native platform is purpose-built to give organisations visibility and control over all their data, be it structured or unstructured, on-prem or in the cloud.
Here’s how we help protect unstructured file data at every stage of its lifecycle:
Smart discovery and classification
You can’t protect what you don’t know you have. Redstor uses AI-powered tagging and classification to automatically detect unstructured file data across your environment, highlighting where sensitive or business-critical information resides. This allows you to:
- Understand your data estate.
- Prioritise what needs protection.
- Meet data governance and compliance obligations.
With Redstor, you can pinpoint high-risk files and take action before they become a problem.
Cloud-first protection
Traditional backup tools often struggle to handle the distributed nature of unstructured data, especially when it lives across remote devices, cloud apps, or third-party storage platforms. Redstor’s cloud-native technology makes it easy to back up unstructured files from virtually anywhere:
- Desktops and laptops (ideal for hybrid workforces).
- Microsoft 365 (OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams).
- Google Workspace (Drive, Gmail, Docs).
- Azure Virtual Machines and file shares.
- Local servers and network drives.
All backups are encrypted and stored in the cloud by default, with the option to use your own cloud if preferred.
Immutable, air-gapped backups
Ransomware often tries to locate and encrypt backups to block recovery efforts. With Redstor, your backups are immutable by default, meaning they cannot be altered, tampered with, or deleted.
All data is encrypted in transit and at rest and stored away from your local environment. That means even if ransomware spreads across your network or devices, your backup remains untouched and recoverable.
Anomaly detection
Unstructured file data is a popular entry point for ransomware attacks, especially when it’s stored in unsecured locations or synced via vulnerable third-party apps. Redstor’s malware detection automatically monitors backup sets for suspicious activity, such as unusual file modifications, spikes in deletions, or signs of encryption. If a threat is detected, it can be flagged immediately.
For MSPs managing multiple customer environments, this early warning system is a game-changer. You can detect threats across your portfolio and respond faster, often before the customer even realises there’s an issue.
InstantData™ technology
One of the biggest pain points with unstructured data is recovery time. Waiting hours or days to restore shared files or folders can grind operations to a halt. Redstor’s InstantData™solves this with near-instant access to files while a full recovery is still in progress.
This feature is a game-changer for MSPs supporting multiple clients, drastically reducing downtime and demonstrating real value to end customers.
Backup built for the future
As ransomware continues to evolve, layered protection is key. Organisations that aren’t actively managing and protecting their unstructured files are exposed to a range of threats. Redstor makes it simple to protect unstructured data intelligently and cost-effectively, with no complex infrastructure, lengthy deployments, or bloated licensing models.
Whether you’re a business looking to close data protection gaps or an MSP searching for a scalable, secure backup solution, Redstor has you covered. Save money, strengthen security, and take control of your unstructured data by getting in touch today.