NetApp Positions Cyber Resilience as a Storage-Layer Imperative for SAP Data

As cyberattacks increasingly target enterprise data rather than network perimeters, NetApp is repositioning cyber resilience as a core storage-layer capability with direct implications for SAP customers running mission-critical ERP workloads across hybrid and multicloud environments. In a recent blog post, NetApp argues that protecting SAP data now requires more than perimeter security and backups, emphasizing governance, ransomware protection, and recovery as integrated capabilities embedded into the data infrastructure itself, according to Gagan Gulati, NetApp’s Vice President of Product for Data Services.

NetApp’s position is informed by findings from a survey it commissioned from an independent research firm. According to NetApp, 48% of respondents said the evolving threat landscape has the greatest impact on their organization’s cyber resilience, while 38% reported paying a ransom after a cyberattack. NetApp says these results reinforce why cyber resilience has moved from an IT concern to a board-level priority.

For SAP customers, the risk profile is particularly acute. SAP S/4HANA systems consolidate financial, supply chain, and regulatory data, making them high-value targets. NetApp contends that resilience in these environments depends on understanding which data matters most, detecting threats early, and restoring trusted data quickly—capabilities it aligns with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework.

NIST-Aligned Cyber Resilience Built Into Data Infrastructure

NetApp structures its cyber resilience strategy around five NIST-aligned pillars: identify, protect, detect, respond, and recover. These capabilities are orchestrated through NetApp BlueXP ransomware protection, which the company positions as a centralized control plane for managing data security across hybrid and multicloud environments.

In the “identify” phase, NetApp emphasizes data classification and governance. Gulati notes that 37% of survey respondents cited identifying and prioritizing critical data for recovery as their top cybersecurity challenge, closely followed by data sprawl across hybrid multicloud environments. For SAP landscapes, this challenge is compounded by the mix of structured ERP data and unstructured files supporting analytics, documents, and integrations.

To protect data, NetApp points to ONTAP software features such as encryption, multifactor authentication, and role-based access controls, combined with SnapMirror replication, SnapLock retention, and SnapCenter application-aware backups. These technologies, according to NetApp, are designed to defend SAP data against both external attacks and insider risks.

Detection and response rely on machine learning-based ransomware detection that monitors file system behavior for anomalies. NetApp says this approach enables earlier identification of attacks and faster containment than security tools operating outside the storage layer. For recovery, NetApp highlights immutable backups and its Cyber Vault architecture, which creates logically air-gapped, tamper-proof data copies that remain unalterable even by administrators.

Implications for SAP Landscapes and Business Continuity

NetApp positions this integrated approach as increasingly relevant as SAP customers move AI and analytics initiatives from experimentation into production. As SAP embeds AI deeper into business processes, NetApp argues that data integrity, availability, and recoverability become essential to operational trust.

The Futurum survey cited by NetApp found that 31% of organizations struggle to identify compromised data after an attack, often leading to reinfection, while 21% are slowed by manual recovery processes. NetApp maintains that storage-layer resilience—combining classification, immutability, and automated recovery—can reduce downtime, lower financial impact, and help organizations avoid paying ransoms.

NetApp also points to partnerships with security vendors such as SentinelOne, Splunk, and Varonis to extend visibility and response across enterprise environments. For SAP customers, this reflects a shift toward treating data infrastructure as an active participant in cybersecurity rather than a passive repository.

What This Means for SAPinsiders

Cyber resilience shifts closer to core SAP data. For SAP technology leaders, resilience planning increasingly starts with storage and data governance, not just perimeter security or backups. Day to day, this shifts effort toward data classification, recovery testing, and tighter alignment between SAP and infrastructure teams.

Faster recovery reduces operational and financial risk. NetApp points to customer experiences where early detection and immutable recovery reduced downtime and avoided ransom payments, delivering measurable cost avoidance. As ransomware incidents continue to rise, restoring clean SAP data quickly becomes a critical business capability.

Evaluation criteria extend beyond traditional backup tools. SAP teams assessing cyber resilience platforms should prioritize integrated data governance, immutable storage, and automated recovery for SAP workloads. Organizations that address data sprawl and operational complexity early are better positioned to protect SAP systems as landscapes grow more distributed and AI-driven.