Dell Focuses on Security for AI and Emerging Quantum Risks

New security capabilities from Dell Technologies are designed to detect, secure and recover from advanced attacks, following the rise of cyberthreats that are linked to agentic AI and imminent quantum computing. 

The tools harden the foundations of devices by improving their ability to resist and recover from cyberattacks, in addition to extending the system’s ability to spot threats in AI data platforms.

“Quantum computing will break the encryption and digital signatures protecting data today, while agentic AI raises the stakes by increasing the value of data and autonomously shares it across teams and organiaations,” says John Roese, Global CTO and Chief AI Officer at Dell. 

“We’ve been preparing for both shifts for almost a decade through our investments in post-quantum cryptography and our approach to cyber resilience and security by design. 

“We are continuing to bring these protections across our portfolio to help organisations navigate emerging technologies and stay ahead of tomorrow’s threats.”

Better BIOS security

Dell’s enhanced BIOS Verification capability detects tampering by checking the basic input/output system (BIOS) – the foundational software that helps a computer start up – against a trusted copy stored securely in Dell’s cloud. 

By aligning with post-quantum standards, this feature ensures the system is prepared to resist future, more powerful cyberattacks.

Powering protection

Dell has significantly boosted its data protection tools.

The updated PowerProtect Data Manager makes recovering from attacks faster and easier by introducing an AI assistant that guides staff through urgent tasks.

It also uses anomaly detection to scan data copies for unusual activity, allowing businesses to spot potential ransomware risk earlier. All these features are controlled from a single, unified dashboard.

Meanwhile, the PowerProtect Data Domain system extends data security to smaller sites and strengthens the protection of information while it’s being sent between systems.

A specific piece of hardware, the DD3410 appliance, delivers backups up to two times faster and restores data 46% faster, helping organisations quickly resume business after an incident.

The updated Data Domain Operating System, now including support for Transport Layer Security 1.3, helps protect data while it moves between systems and aligns with the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s requirements for encrypted connections.

Extending MDR

Dell’s PowerScale system provides the advanced technology needed to quickly take AI projects from testing to full, real-world use. This system is designed to provide the necessary data and computing power for your AI models, automatically managing the flow of information and working easily across Dell’s complete set of AI tools and systems to deliver major results.

Dell is expanding its managed detection and response (MDR) service – where Dell security experts actively watch for and respond to threats – to include areas that store vast amounts of data like documents, photos and videos, and environments where AI workloads run.

By extending MDR to its PowerProtect and PowerScale storage systems, Dell aims to help organisations gain a clearer view of threats specifically targeting their AI data storage platforms.

Dell is also introducing a new security option called Endpoint Detection and Response that focuses on watching for, investigating and responding to threats on individual devices like PCs and laptops using advanced security and antivirus technology. 

For example, if a PC’s start-up software changes from its normal, secure settings, an alert is automatically sent to Dell’s MDR team for immediate investigation.