45Drives Expands SnapShield to Detect and Contain Ransomware Encryption and Data Exfiltration

New Data Exfiltration Protection and Centralized Management Extend SnapShield’s Server-Side Defense Across Enterprise and MSP Environments

SYDNEY, NOVA SCOTIA and WILMINGTON, NC – September 14, 2026 (NEWMEDIAWIRE) – 45Drives, the leader in big, strong, fast, open-source data storage and compute solutions for enterprise, today announced a major expansion of SnapShield, its server-side cybersecurity platform built to detect and contain attacks at the point where they reach an organization’s data.

The expanded SnapShield addresses two of the most damaging consequences of a modern ransomware attack: encrypting an organization’s data and stealing it. New Data Exfiltration Protection identifies suspicious file-access behavior that may signal attempted data theft, while a new Centralized Management System gives enterprises and managed service providers a single interface for protecting and monitoring multiple servers, locations and customer environments.

Together, the additions significantly expand SnapShield’s role as a final line of defense for mission-critical data when traditional cybersecurity controls are breached.

Built around what 45Drives calls a “ransomware-activated fuse,” SnapShield uses real-time behavioral analysis at the storage server to recognize ransomware-like activity. When behavior reaches configured thresholds, SnapShield can sever the compromised client’s connection to the server, containing the attack while unaffected users and systems continue operating normally.

“Traditional cybersecurity defenses remain essential, but no organization should build its security strategy around the assumption that ransomware will never get through them,” said Dr. Doug Milburn, founder of 45Drives. “The critical question is what happens when an attacker actually reaches the data. SnapShield puts another line of defense directly at that point – where it can identify dangerous behavior, isolate the source and prevent one compromised machine from becoming an organization-wide crisis.”

Expanding Protection Beyond Ransomware Encryption

SnapShield’s new Data Exfiltration Protection capability extends its behavioral approach beyond malicious encryption to suspicious file-access activity that may indicate attempted data theft.

Using behavioral analysis and honey files, SnapShield monitors file-read activity for unusual patterns, including sudden spikes in access and unexpected interaction with sensitive-looking decoy files. When suspicious behavior reaches configured thresholds, SnapShield can alert administrators or automatically isolate the offending user or IP address.

The capability allows security teams to identify and contain suspicious activity while it is happening, before potentially sensitive information can be removed from the environment.

“Protecting data means more than stopping someone from encrypting it,” Milburn said. “Organizations also need to recognize when information is being accessed in ways that do not make sense. SnapShield now applies the same containment philosophy to potential data theft: recognize dangerous behavior as it happens and act before the damage escalates.”

Centralized Management for Enterprises and MSPs

45Drives has also introduced a Centralized Management System for organizations operating SnapShield across multiple servers, sites or customer environments.

Instead of requiring administrators to manage each SnapShield deployment separately, the system provides a single interface for monitoring SnapShield instances, active security events, user activity, analytics and audit logs. Administrators can identify where an issue is occurring and drill directly into the affected system for investigation.

For enterprises and MSPs responsible for distributed infrastructure, centralized visibility can reduce the operational burden of managing individual deployments while helping security teams identify and respond to threats more quickly.

“Once SnapShield is deployed across a large environment, visibility becomes just as important as detection,” Milburn said. “Security teams need to understand what is happening across the infrastructure without jumping from server to server. Centralized management gives them that operational view.”

A Server-Side Defense When Other Controls Are Breached

SnapShield complements existing cybersecurity infrastructure, including firewalls, endpoint protection, network monitoring and backups. Those defenses remain critical, but once malicious activity reaches shared storage, the consequences can escalate rapidly.

Because SnapShield runs directly on the storage server, it adds protection at the point where an attacker can begin damaging or accessing an organization’s critical data. The platform is agentless, eliminating the need to install SnapShield software on every individual workstation and reducing deployment complexity and endpoint overhead.

SnapShield supports Rocky Linux and Ubuntu environments and can be deployed across single-server environments and multi-node Ceph clusters using an Ansible playbook. Real-time email and system notifications keep administrators informed of potential threats.

Contain the Attack and Restore Precisely

When ransomware is detected, containment is only the first step. SnapShield’s Precision Restore capability gives administrators a detailed view of files affected during an attack so they can selectively roll back corrupted data while leaving unaffected files intact.

Together, behavioral detection, automatic isolation and targeted restoration are designed to dramatically limit the potential scope of a ransomware event. Rather than allowing one compromised endpoint to continue encrypting files throughout an organization’s storage environment, SnapShield can interrupt the attack near the point where abnormal behavior begins, preserve normal operations elsewhere and provide administrators with the information needed for precise recovery.

“The objective is containment,” Milburn said. “If something malicious gets through the traditional defenses, we want to stop the compromised system from continuing to damage or access the data, preserve normal operations everywhere we can, and give the IT team the information it needs to respond and recover precisely.”

With the addition of Data Exfiltration Protection and centralized management, SnapShield expands from ransomware encryption defense into broader protection of mission-critical data while giving enterprises and MSPs the operational visibility required to deploy that protection at scale.

For more information about SnapShield, visit 45Drives.com.

About 45Drives

45Drives provides enterprise data storage, infrastructure, and compute solutions built around open technologies, customer control and freedom from traditional vendor lock-in. The company serves businesses, research institutions, government customers and other organizations with mission-critical data requirements, providing hardware, software, engineering expertise and ongoing support. 45Drives is part of The Protocase Companies and is headquartered in Sydney, Nova Scotia with facilities in Wilmington, NC.

Contact:
Jonathan Phillips
45Drives@PhillComm.Global

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News Source: 45Drives