NTT SmartConnect Launches "AI Ransomware Protection" Menu for its Cloud Storage Service "Smart Storage"

NTT SmartConnect Corporation (Headquarters: Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture, President: Kento Miyaoku, hereinafter referred to as "NTT SmartConnect") is pleased to announce the launch of a new menu, "AI Ransomware Protection," for its cloud storage service, "Smart Storage." As ransomware damage and unknown cyberattacks become increasingly severe, traditional countermeasures are finding it difficult to defend against them, making it an urgent priority for companies to establish robust data protection and rapid recovery systems. The "AI Ransomware Protection" menu is a solution that utilizes an AI model embedded in the storage to detect ransomware attacks in real time and protect data. By adding autonomous protection at the storage layer, in addition to conventional measures at the endpoint and network layers, it is possible to more strongly protect customer systems. 1. Background and Objectives In recent years, cyberattacks targeting companies, especially ransomware, have become increasingly severe, threatening not only data encryption but also business continuity itself. The number of unknown malware (zero-day attacks) is also increasing, and cases that cannot be prevented by traditional pattern-matching countermeasures alone are on the rise. To address these challenges, NTT SmartConnect has launched the "AI Ransomware Protection" menu for "Smart Storage," which utilizes AI-based behavioral detection. By using this service, even if ransomware is inadvertently infiltrated, the damage can be minimized at the storage layer, enabling rapid and secure data recovery. 2. Overview and Features "AI Ransomware Protection" is a solution that detects ransomware attacks in real time and protects data for the volumes of "Smart Storage" that customers are using. The main features are as follows: ① High-precision and Real-time Attack Detection The AI constantly monitors the behavior of the storage's I/O (such as file entropy, file extensions, and sudden increases in IOPS). It is equipped with a trained AI model that can perform accurate detection immediately after installation, making it effective against unknown zero-day attacks. Because it operates on the storage, it provides low-latency detection capabilities without conflicting with client malware protection software.

② Minimizing Damage through Automatic Snapshot Acquisition When a ransomware attack (threats such as file encryption) is detected, it immediately and automatically acquires a snapshot to protect the data before the damage spreads. It also sends an email notification to the designated administrator upon detection.

③ Secure Data Retention and Rapid Recovery in Read-Only Areas The acquired snapshot area is "read-only," so it cannot be written to (encrypted) by ransomware. Customers can select any restore point from regularly or immediately acquired snapshots and flexibly restore data on a file-by-file basis.

3. Service Start Date Monday, March 30, 2026 4. Smart Storage Service Site This menu is an optional service and requires a contract in addition to the basic service. Service specifications, price lists, etc., can be found on the following site. Smart Storage: <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" cl