Top 10 Cloud Data Protection Companies in 2021

Protecting your cloud data is essential as companies are increasingly dependent on diverse and complex cloud ecosystems. This article shares the top ten solutions you need to strengthen your cloud data protection capabilities and set the foundations for the next phase of digital transformation. 

Table of Contents

• • Key Must-Have Features for a Cloud Data Protection Software
  • Top 10 Software for Cloud Data Protection in 2021

Key Must-Have Features for a Cloud Data Protection Software

Our applications and data workloads are increasingly residing on the cloud, with average cloud spending growing by 59%Opens a new window between 2018 and 2020. However, protecting cloud data is a major concern, as 54%Opens a new window of companies with data on the cloud have had a security incident in the last twelve months. That’s why you need robust cloud data protection software, with the following must-haves: 

Key Features of a Cloud Data Protection Software

• • Rapid scalability: As your landscape grows (adding more endpoints, new public clouds, private virtual machines or VMs, etc.), the software should be able to keep up. 
  • Stringent compliance: The cloud data protection software must provide security in compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS, and any local regulations such as CCPA. The company must be able to quickly address compliance gaps and tailor the software to your requirements. 
  • Ecosystem compatibility: It has to be compatible with major public clouds like AWS, Azure, or GCP and private clouds and VMs. Further, you might also want container support. 
  • Migration services: It is ideal if the vendor guides the migration from your existing data landscape into a modernized cloud data protection suite. However, entirely in-house migration is also possible, assuming you have sufficient IT resources or an easy setup process. 
  • Easy setup: A SaaS-based installation with minimal downloads, installations, or configurations, can help you get started with cloud data protection. 

Learn More: Top 10 Cloud Security Challenges 2021 Needs to Address

Top 10 Software for Cloud Data Protection in 2021

While there are several providers specializing in security solutions for the cloud, the following ten vendors are widely recognized for their data protection capabilities and their potential to drive a consolidated security strategy across various cloud environments. 

Disclaimer: This is a curated list based on publicly available information from various sources and may include vendor websites that sell to mid-to-large enterprises. Readers are advised to conduct their own final research to ensure the best fit for their unique organizational needs.

1. Cloud-Delivered Data Protection by Palo Alto Networks

Overview: Palo Alto is among the world’s leading cybersecurity vendors, specializing in cloud security, network security, and security operations. They are among the top-ranking providers for cloud workload protection as per Gartner Peer Insights, with a stellar rating of 4.4 out of 5. The company has a wide range of offerings, and Prisma is its software product for cloud data and workload protection. Palo Alto Networks’ Cloud-Delivered Data Protection is built on Prisma and offers a solution for data loss prevention, security monitoring, compliance, and threat detection across all your clouds. 

Key features: The key features of Palo Alto Networks’ Cloud-Delivered Data Protection include: 

• • Prevention of data breaches by identifying sensitive data assets 
  • Behavioral analysis to detect risks and prevent intentional/unintentional data exposure
  • Coverage for all types of cloud storage, including on-premise virtual environments and SaaS apps 
  • Secure access service edge (SASE) ready for mobile workforce protection 
  • Machine learning-based data classification and contextual security 
  • Policy enforcement for sensitive data, both at rest and in motion
  • Fully cloud-native without requiring additional infrastructure 

USP: Palo Alto Networks’ Cloud-Delivered Data Protection deploys entirely via the cloud as a license-based service, eliminating the need to bolt-on IT components such as servers, databases, and third-party cloud security brokers. This goes a long way in reducing your IT clutter, which is a major help as you scale your enterprise. 

Editorial comments: Palo Alto Networks is globally recognized as an industry leader and is among the few companies that can deliver customized, use case-specific data protection solutions while following a license-activated service model. Even if you do not need the full features of Prisma, or if you have a hybrid ecosystem with on-premise dependencies, Palo Alto Networks can provide a data protection solution. 

2. Check Point CloudGuard by Check Point Software Technologies

Overview: Check Point has several solutions for cloud security, including CloudGuard Network, CloudGuard Posture Management, CloudGuard Workload, CloudGuard AppSec, and CloudGuard Intelligence. The CloudGuard Access solution is best suited for data protection use cases, but you can deploy it in conjunction with CloudGuard SaaS and CloudGuard Native Security for more holistic defense. Check Point Software Technologies is rated 4.5 out of 5 on Gartner Peer Insights. 

Key features: The key features of Check Point Software’s cloud data protection solution include: 

• • Advanced threat prevention for public and private cloud data assets 
  • Security automation powered by integrations with DevOps environments 
  • Protection across multiple data repositories, including Box, Office 365, G-Suite, etc. 
  • Coverage for IoT, mobile endpoints, and other distributed infrastructure components
  • Seamless integration with software-defined network systems 
  • SaaS data protection for Slack, DropBox, and ServiceNow, among others 
  • Advanced data loss prevention 

USP: Check Point CloudGuard addresses a number of cloud security use cases with one consolidated solution. You can leverage select components of CloudGuard as per your business needs and assemble a solution perfectly aligned with your data protection requirements. 

Editorial comments: Companies with a sizable amount of data residing in SaaS apps like Slack, Salesforce, ServiceNow, Dropbox, Office 365, Workday, and the like should consider Check Point Software Technologies a viable partner for cloud data protection. 

Learn More: What Is Disaster Recovery? Definition, Cloud and On-premise, Benefits and Best Practices

3. Xtended ZeroTrustTM Platform by ColorTokens 

Overview: Founded in 2015, ColorTokens has rapidly become a recognized name in the cybersecurity world, particularly for its Xtended ZeroTrustTM Platform that is purpose-built for the cloud. ColorTokens has an incredible 5 on 5 rating on Gartner Peer Insights (though admittedly, it’s yet to find widespread user adoption). Apart from its core platform, ColorTokens also offers Xquantify, a professional risk assessment service, Xassure for zero trust, and Crown Jewels Security for hybrid environments. 

Key features: The key features of ColorTokens’ cloud data protection solution include:

• • Zero trust architecture to prevent unauthorized data access 
  • A single unified platform, covering multiple endpoints and cloud workloads 
  • Visibility into sensitive assets through micro-segmentation for hybrid environments
  • Sensitive information segmentation for simpler audits 
  • Ultra-lightweight agents for distributed endpoints to control cloud data access 
  • Sophisticated analytics on threat behavior, asset correlations, and access patterns 
  • Vendor-agnostic for multi-cloud compatibility 

USP: ColorTokens is a cloud-native and cloud-first company, ideal for companies with a large and multifaceted data repository on the cloud, with some degree of on-premise data sprawl. You can choose to deploy the end-to-end zero trust platform or choose between Xshield and Xprotect. 

Editorial comments: As an up-and-coming cybersecurity vendor, ColorTokens definitely deserves your attention. Companies new to cloud data protection can gain significantly from its strategic and assessment services. 

4. Complete Data Protection by Commvault

Overview: Commvault has an impressive product lineup, addressing use cases in data backup, secure storage, data insights, and cloud data protection. It is among the top-rated companies by Gartner’s vendor recommendations for data center backup and recovery, winning a score of 4.18 out of 5 for virtual environments and 4.15 out of 5 for public cloud environments. Gartner specifically mentioned its ecosystem support, as you can integrate it with most major storage arrays, clouds, and app vendors. 

Key features: The key features of Commvault’s Complete Data Protection include: 

• • Secure backup of data across your virtual machines, containers, cloud databases, and cloud-native SaaS apps 
  • Fast replication of files and built-in data recovery orchestration
  • Verifiable recovery and repurposing of data copies 
  • Automated scripts for data recovery, compliance reporting, and outage discovery
  • Possibility to integrate on-premise containerized and VM data workloads
  • Robust ransomware protection 
  • A centralized Commvault Command Center™ for web-based governance 

USP: Commvault has two unique differentiators – ransomware protection and a web-based command center UI. In fact, Gartner highlighted how the company uses ML and Honeypot mechanisms to detect ransomware threats to your cloud data assets. Further, the command center helps set up security policies and a self-service data access environment. 

Editorial comments: Commvault Complete Data Protection combines Commvault Backup & Recovery with Commvault Disaster Recovery to enable end-to-end cloud data protection. This, along with the solution’s easy governance and automation, makes it best suited for enterprise environments. 

5. IBM Cloud Security by IBM

Overview: In the world of cloud computing and data protection, IBM needs no introduction. Forrester recognized IBM as a Data Security Portfolio Vendor Leader in the Forrester Wave. It was rated most highly in terms of its market approach, innovation roadmap, partner ecosystem, and data intelligence. IBM has a wide range of cloud security products, ranging from memory encryption for Kubernetes containers to a Secrets Manager for data isolation.

Key features: The key features of IBM Cloud Security include: 

• • Hardware-based protection through physical security keys and key management 
  • Data encryption in transit through SSL certificates 
  • Protection for cloud data encryption keys through crypto services
  • Centralized security management, analysis, and remediation
  • Data protection certificates manager
  • Unified dashboard for configuring systems, gaining insights, and monitoring security
  • Runtime protection for data protection within containers 

USP: One of the major USPs you can expect with IBM is its wide range of capabilities across the various facets of cloud data protection. Whether you are looking to augment your existing security profile with physical protection keys or you want to consolidate multiple security processes into one console, IBM acts as both a product company and systems integrator to address your requirements. 

Editorial comments: Digital-native companies like ISVs and platform providers can rely on IBM to strengthen data protection for their cloud applications. 

Learn More: 3 Best Practices to Modernize Your Cloud Data Management

6. Orca Platform by Orca Security

Overview: With a 4.8 out of 5 rating on Gartner Peer Insights, Orca Security is among the leaders you could consider in the data protection software segment. The company offers cloud-native security for AWS, Azure, and GCP environments, facilitated by its one-stop platform for sensitive data assets scanning, context-aware insights, and built-in compliance. 

Key features: The key features of Orca Security include: 

• • Easy deployment without any agents, extra IT components, or performance impacts 
  • End-to-end rigorous scanning to minimize the risk of overlooked assets 
  • Contextualized security alerts via Slack, Jira, ServiceNow, or any other integrated platform 
  • Open APIs for third-party or custom integrations 
  • 100% SaaS for zero maintenance and upkeep efforts 
  • File integrity monitoring and malware scanning 
  • Coverage for workloads across VMs, Kubernetes, and serverless environments 

USP: Orca’s most significant USP is that it follows a pure-play platform approach, where all features and capabilities are bundled into a single, Software as a Service solution. You can customize this further through configurations, custom workload coverage, tailored provisioning, and integrations, but the setup process is refreshingly simple. 

Editorial comments: Founded as recently as 2019, with a Series B of $55 million in late 2020, Orca Security is among the newest vendors you could consider for cloud data protection, one that is ideal for fast implementation and rapid time to value. 

7. Cloud Native Protector by Radware

Overview: Cybersecurity company, Radware, has a rich legacy of innovation since the 1990s and is currently a publicly-traded company on NASDAQ. Enterprises on Gartner Peer Insights give Radware a 5 out of 5 rating for protection in cloud environments, owing specifically to its Cloud Native Protection offering. Cloud Native Protection is designed to protect data stored in public cloud infrastructures against cloud-based threats. 

Key features: The key features of Radware Cloud Native Protector include: 

• • 1-click compliance detection of cloud misconfigurations and exposure
  • Identification of unnecessary permissions and remediation through entitlement management
  • Continuous monitoring for suspicious behavior 
  • Automated blocking of malicious data access requests 
  • A centralized management console across multiple cloud environments 
  • Recommendations for smart hardening to restrict unpermissioned access 
  • Intelligent correlation of attacks to give you a sequence of events

USP: A major USP of Radware Cloud Native Protector is its continuous monitoring and automation capabilities. It detects misconfigurations immediately and provides recommendations. It uses a pre-built library of 70+ malicious behavior indicators (MBIs) to identify potential data attacks. 

Editorial comments: For companies with a large-scale public cloud dependence (particularly if you are spread across multiple public cloud vendors), Cloud Native Protector gives you complete visibility into data assets, tells you about possible permission gaps, correlates security events, and auto-remediates attacks. This significantly reduces manual workloads for your security engineer. 

8. Polaris Cloud Data Management by Rubrik

Overview: Founded in 2014, Rubric is among the handful of companies providing a dedicated cloud data management solution. Its use cases include data governance, centralized data compliance, and data unification for analytics, in addition to data security. Rubrik achieves this through the Polaris SaaS platform, which can accommodate both cloud-based and on-premise data. Rubrik was recognized by Gartner as a major vendor for data center backup and recovery, specifically for virtual environments (3.92/5) and public clouds (3.93/5). 

Key features: The key features of Rubrik’s cloud data protection solution include: 

• • An immutable file system to protect against ransomware attacks 
  • Polaris Radar for detecting and remediating ransomware threats 
  • Extensive database support including Oracle, Microsoft SQL, SAP HANA, and Db2
  • Native protection for data residing in AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and Office 365
  • Automatic classification of sensitive data to achieve compliance
  • Artificial intelligence to structure the unstructured data assets and manage metadata 
  • WAN‑optimized data replication for optimal performance 

USP: Rubrik’s USP lies in its ability to tackle ransomware and reconcile various data types using sophisticated AI. Rubrik uses AI to analyze capacity utilization and data growth while helping to resolve security incidents faster. It even extends ransomware protection to on-premise hosted applications, in case you have a hybrid environment. 

Editorial comments: Rubrik Polaris is among the few solutions available for enterprises that want to gain from AI-powered data management and cloud data protection. This, combined with strong ransomware defenses, makes Rubrik a highly recommended solution for public cloud-heavy infrastructures. 

Learn More: The Biggest Cloud Data Breaches of 2020 (and the Security Fails That Bind Them)

9. Veeam Platform by Veeam

Overview: Veeam is a leading data management company that offers a robust solution for cloud data protection. It integrated with public cloud environments like Azure, AWS, and Google and containerized environments like Kubernetes. Veeam is among the top companies named by Gartner for data center backup and recovery, with a rating of 3.89/5 for virtual environments and 3.88/5 for public cloud environments. 

Key features: The key features of Veeam’s cloud data protection solution include: 

• • Coverage for public clouds, SaaS, on-premise apps, virtual machines, and data stored in physical servers. 
  • Data transformation for backup into next-gen cloud environments 
  • Built-in security intelligence for visibility and threat remediation 
  • Data protection from ransomware and non-compliance risks 
  • Data reusability to create secure testing environments
  • Built-in audit readiness 
  • Unified reporting across all environments, including cost management and forecasting 

USP: Veeam has several options to transfer data from legacy systems or production environments to secure storage. It also features immutable backups and can give you analytics insights into your key cloud data metrics, such as utilization costs, capacity forecasts, security diagnostics, infrastructure gaps, and infrastructure correlations. 

Editorial comments: Veeam is a powerful cloud data management solution that addresses the entire spectrum of activities, starting from reusing data for application development to data orchestration and cloud data protection through monitoring, analytics, backup, and replication. ISVs and advanced app development teams should consider Veeam to protect their cloud data. 

10. NetBackup Cloud Data Protection by Veritas

Overview: A global leader in data protection technology, Veritas caters to 80,000+ customers worldwide, including 87% of the Fortune Global 500 companies. Gartner recognized it for its capabilities in virtual environments (4.14/5) and public cloud environments (4.10/5), second only to Commvault. While the company has several products and solutions for different enterprise use cases, its NetBackup cloud data protection is specifically tuned for multi-cloud. 

Key features: The key features of Veritas’ NetBackup cloud data protection include: 

• • Data migration support to single, hybrid, and multi-cloud infrastructures 
  • Data portability in the cloud with orchestrated disaster recovery
  • Long-term data retention and support for Azure Archive
  • OpenStack protection for securing a heterogeneous computing environment 
  • Agentless, API-driven data protection 
  • Cloud-native snapshot orchestration to optimize data management costs 
  • Support for a variety of databases including SQL, MariaDB, and MySQL

USP: A major USP of Veritas NetBackup is its close integration with Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services. You can create and manage private cloud instances on Azure and AWS using NetBackup, with support across AWS Snowball, Azure Data Box, AWS OutPosts, Azure Stack, and Azure Archive. 

Editorial comments: Large companies with a distributed global presence should consider Veritas for cloud data protection. The Veritas Resiliency Platform can aid in orchestrated disaster recovery from region to region, and Veritas’ 200+ APIs help to build a seamlessly stitched ecosystem no matter your infrastructure components. 

Learn More: Don’t Leave Cloud Data Security Behind: 5 Best Practices to Follow

Let us now see how these top ten data protection solutions address the five must-have criteria discussed earlier. Keep in mind that although some of these solutions do not come with migration support, the easy setup process makes it possible to implement with little to no external intervention. As a result, you would be in trusted hands with any of these top ten companies. 

Ultimately, your choice of cloud data protection solution will come down to your unique requirements – the type of ecosystem and existing dependencies you have, the size of your IT team, and therefore, the migration support you need, and specific business use cases like disaster recovery, ransomware protection, AI/ML, security automation, or analytics. Fortunately, in a mature market, there are plenty of promising options. 

Which software company would you recommend for protecting cloud data in 2021? Comment below or let us know on LinkedInOpens a new window , TwitterOpens a new window , or FacebookOpens a new window . We would love to hear from you!