Meet Jake Ellingham: Presales Engineer – Cloud Services

Meet Jake Ellingham: Presales Engineer – Cloud Services

TIMG:  Can you tell us a little about yourself and your role at TIMG?

JE:  Sure, I work with the data protection team here at TIMG. We design and manage tailored  backup and disaster recovery solutions, focusing on client challenges and specific needs for optimal results. Things like Ransomware resiliency and cost-effective long-term retention are usually the main problems we’re solving.

TIMG:  It sounds like you’re heavily involved in data storage, security, and data protection. What are the most common security threats to cloud data now?

JE:  In my role, I frequently encounter ransomware attacks, which gives me a great insight into what’s happening and how we can stay one step ahead. I get to see how these attacks occur, what went wrong, and how clients approach recovery. These days around 90% of ransomware attacks target the backups, which really highlights the importance of immutable cloud storage—where data cannot be deleted. This ensures that backups are safe from attacks and provide a reliable recovery point.

General IT security principles and best practices like multi-factor authentication, are crucial. TIMG places high importance on robust processes and policies. These are vital for modern IT security and data protection.

TIMG:  Do you and your team assist clients in preparing for and managing these security challenges?

JE:  Absolutely. We pride ourselves on genuinely caring about making our clients’ lives easier. We’re not the kind of provider that simply sets up a backup solution and then disappears. We ensure that our solutions will work when needed by sitting down with clients to build policies and disaster recovery plans. We also emphasise the importance of ransomware recovery plans and regular testing of these plans to ensure readiness. When a real disaster happens, our team is there ready to assist with swift and secure recovery.

TIMG:  Regarding cybersecurity and cybercrime, how does your team handle data breaches? What steps should clients follow in a disaster situation?

JE:  I always reference the five Ps – Prior Preparation Prevents Poor Performance. Having a plan and a process in place beforehand is crucial. For those caught unprepared, having a contact like TIMG, with expertise in this field, is invaluable. When a breach occurs, it’s easy to get flustered. Knowing which authorities to notify is not only a legal obligation, but can be challenging when so much is happening. A forensic team is crucial to determine the cause of a breach and evaluate affected data; we guide clients through this process.

Good preparation includes having audit logs and processes in place, adhering to security certifications like ISO 27001 and SoC 2. These security frameworks really help to ensure basic security measures are implemented and audited, providing a solid foundation for handling a breach.

TIMG:  As a customer transitioning from tape backup to secure cloud storage, what reliable and safe options exist? Is cloud-to-tape feasible and effective?

JE:  For many IT admins, the concept of cloud-to-tape can be hard to grasp because it’s such a unique solution and that really comes down to capability. Because TIMG has been working with both tape and cloud storage for so long, we have the scale and expertise to make it a great option for storing large amounts of data. Generally, the tape part is now used mostly for cost-savings with immutable cloud storage filling the role that air-gapped tape previously offered for security. I’m honestly yet to find a more effective solution. 

TIMG: If a client was moving all their data into Microsoft Azure and moving away from tape, would cloud-to-tape no longer be viable, or is there still some role for tape to play in modern cloud-based IT?

JE:  The IT industry has certainly shifted towards cloud and software-as-a-service offerings, but like we saw with the early days of Microsoft 365, people tend to forget that the core principles of data protection still apply to cloud services and having a secondary copy outside of the primary environment is essential. This same concept still applies to Azure and any of the software-as-a-service platforms that hold critical business data. You need to avoid a single point of failure and multi-vendor resiliency plays a big role in that.

So, this means getting a copy of that critical data outside of Azure to another cloud provider like TIMG. Once we have that data, being able to write it down to tape as a managed service for our clients is still a great way to reduce costs of cloud storage and maintains the client’s cloud-first goals of having a zero on-premises IT footprint.

TIMG:  What advice would you give to someone starting out in data storage?

JE:  Start by getting a foot in the door in a role that interests you. Gain exposure to various aspects of the field to discover what you gravitate towards and where your strengths lie. Keeping up with industry trends is crucial, especially as the industry shifts toward cloud-based services. Futureproofing your career involves staying informed about where the industry is headed and finding a niche that aligns with your passion.

For instance, I started in IT at a local computer shop, and I used to see people falling prey to scams and viruses all the time and I still remember this one customer that came into our shop crying because she had lost all her family photos. Over time, this helped shape my path to where I am today, focusing on protecting larger organisations from these same threats and data loss.

TIMG:  What excites you about the future of data protection? Is it a winning battle?

JE:  The IT industry constantly evolves, and we often see shifts that improve security and resilience. While there will always be new challenges and threats, the direction we are heading in is promising. The future will likely see everything becoming digital, and having confidence in the security of that digital world is vital. With continuous innovation, both in defensive measures and in the tactics of bad actors, it’s an ongoing battle. But it is one we’re making significant strides in, and that’s exciting.

TIMG:  Thank you for sharing your insights, Jake. It’s reassuring to know that dedicated professionals like you are at the forefront of data protection in Australia and New Zealand.

JE:  My pleasure – always good to catchup.

• As the largest ANZ based Veeam cloud service provider, we offer flexible data protection for any workload, anywhere.