For any data storage strategy to be successful, it needs to ensure data is secure and easily accessible to users and applications when they need it.

However, when it comes to data storage, there is no “one size fits all” and each business must decide carefully what it will take to meet its unique performance needs and capacity requirements while remaining flexible enough to accommodate inevitable change and shifting demands.

And with data being considered the “new oil”, data storage and management has become one of the top priorities for organisations in every sector.

So, how is South Africa measuring up, and how are our businesses coming along with their data storage plans? To find out, Tarsus Distribution and HPE recently partnered with TechCentral to conduct a survey, which also delved into the challenges heads of data security in organisations face, where their concerns lie, as well as how they are managing their workloads with their existing storage investments.

Keeping our data assets secure

It emerged that South African organisations have several concerns when it comes to data storage. Unsurprisingly, the top concern for nearly half (45%) of respondents is keeping data safe and secure.

Skyrocketing cybersecurity breaches are creating data storage issues for IT heads in every industry. Where once the network perimeter was the first line of defence for data security, attackers are becoming more advanced and sophisticated, using a range of techniques to get their hands on legitimate credentials to gain a foothold on the company network. Concerns for data security have also traditionally been an inhibitor for cloud storage as companies are concerned about whose job it is to secure data, as well as having their data stored out of their immediate control.

Data availability was revealed to be another challenge. For 40% of respondents, the ability to access their data when needed without having to worry about it being deleted, altered, stolen or corrupted also topped the list of concerns. South African businesses realise that their data is of little use to them if it’s hard to access — after all, storing data is only necessary so the business can later analyse its data, and use it to gain actionable insights. This is why solutions that are intuitive have a simple user interface and are easily accessible are what South African entities are looking for.

What are the main threats?

When asked what they see as the main storage threats to their businesses, 40% of respondents cite unauthorised access, followed by the external sharing of company data and misconfiguration with 37% each. Next comes insecure interfaces and APIs with 29%. This is no surprise, considering that once a bad actor has gained unauthorised access to data or computer networks, they can wreak havoc. They could exfiltrate sensitive data, alter or destroy data, or even sabotage systems and networks. All of these scenarios are dangerous and could cost the businesses a fortune, but it’s the damage in terms of reputation and trust that companies cannot put a price tag on.

Data management strategy is key

Respondents were also asked whether they had a data management strategy in place. Nearly half (40%) say they do, but admit it needs improving. A full 24% of respondents say they don’t have one yet, but would like one, and not very many say they have a working strategy or don’t have one in place at all.

This is a sure sign that South African entities are waking up to the fact that robust data management strategies help to eliminate potential errors by putting processes and policies firmly in place to control usage and help build trust in the data that is being used to make critical decisions across the company. Having reliable, accessible and up-to-date data also ensures that organisations can respond more effectively to shifting market conditions and customer demands.

What should a data solution provide?

When asked what they are looking for in their next data solution, two things emerge as being most important to South African businesses, namely greater storage efficiency and better performance.

Understanding storage performance and efficiency emerged as a key factor in determining the right storage solution for the business. In today’s increasingly digital and data-driven world, any storage solution needs to be able to store, protect and manage a wide range of sources and types of data, while being able to scale to manage the burgeoning growth of data fuelled by the internet of things, videos, photos, files and a slew of applications, both on-premises and in the cloud. Businesses are waking up to the fact that this massive growth of data is not going to stop anytime soon, so it’s crucial that their storage solution is able to handle more data, more rapidly.

We have barely scratched the surface of the survey results. If you would like the full stats, and to know more, please click here.

If you’re ready to take a closer look at your data storage needs and have an HPE-customised storage plan built around your unique business needs and challenges, contact us today.