6 ways to design a resilient strategy for AI workloads with Dell PowerProtect

TL;DR

• Shifting from a static to proactive cyber resilience approach helps enterprises safeguard critical data
• Choosing the right infrastructure provider is pivotal in delivering AI success
• Dell PowerProtect’s suite of resilience tools gives enterprises the flexibility to scale securely

While generative AI is creating new opportunities for enterprises, it brings with it new risks for IT leaders to consider.

Research from the World Economic Forum (WEF) shows AI-related cybersecurity threats now rank among the top risk factors for enterprises, and that’s not just in the form of cyber criminals using the technology.

The WEF’s 2026 Global Cybersecurity Outlook report found organisations face a confluence of AI-related risks, particularly with regard to data and infrastructure security.

This has prompted a sharpened focus on cyber resilience efforts worldwide, the study added. Yet despite increased attention toward cyber resilience, data from the WEF and Dell Technologies points to a growing gap in confidence.

According to WEF figures, nearly two-thirds (64%) of organizations report having met minimum cyber resilience requirements. Just 19% said that cyber resilience capabilities exceed requirements, however.

A similar survey from Dell Technologies found that while 99% of organizations have a cyber resilience strategy in place, nearly two-thirds of IT leaders (63%) believe leadership is overestimating readiness on this front.

For enterprises engaged in AI innovation programs, the stakes are high. AI tools and associated applications rely heavily on sensitive intellectual property and corporate data to feed them.

With this in mind, it’s critical that organisations build from the ground up to establish robust safeguards for AI workloads to prevent disaster. Here are six key steps enterprises can take to achieve this

1. Choosing the right service

Enterprises have no shortage of data storage options at their disposal today, but making the right decision can be the difference between success and failure with AI innovation.

IT leaders have multiple factors to take into account when exploring data storage services; flexibility, scalability, performance, resilience, and security are all key factors when making a decision.

Research from Gartner, for example, shows IT leaders now view potential security threats as a “when, not if” scenario, meaning they’re prepared for the worst.

Combine this with the huge compute demands placed on IT infrastructure by AI, and enterprises require high-performance, secure storage that can be moulded to their changing requirements.

That’s where solutions such as Dell PowerProtect come in. The service provides enterprises with a range of interlinked platforms spanning areas such as data management, backup and recovery, and data protection.

Notably, Dell PowerProtect is designed with flexibility in-mind and for use across on-premises, multi-cloud, and edge environments.

According to figures from Dell, 83% of US companies featured in the Fortune 100 rely on the company for cyber resilience capabilities, underlining the company’s trusted reputation.

2. Proactive defense

Shifting from a static cyber posture to a proactive approach is critical for defense in the AI era and that starts with foundational changes.

Backup and recovery practices represent the backbone of modern cyber resilience strategies and with AI-related threats rising, these practices have become more important than ever.

Despite efforts to modernize and bolster capabilities on this front, research shows many enterprises are found lacking. A 2025 study from Kaseya, for example, found many IT leaders are underprepared, with only 40% saying they’re confident in their backup and recovery capabilities.

Given the growing threats facing AI infrastructure, options such as PowerProtect Backup Services could prove vital for enterprises.

PowerProtect Backup Services allows users to safeguard mission-critical data across a range of domains, from SaaS applications such as Salesforce, Microsoft 365, or Google Workspace, to on-premises and hybrid cloud workloads.

The service boasts a range of key capabilities, tools, and features, as well as source-side deduplication capabilities and automated updates to keep services up-to-date.

Granular insights

Infrastructure observability and visibility are vital when curating a cyber resilience strategy in the age of AI, especially with the rise of AI agents. These autonomous bots often have access to mission-critical data, meaning keeping tabs on them is crucial.

Services such as Dell PowerProtect Data Manager address these concerns directly, providing enterprises with valuable insights into on-premises and cloud workloads, as well as applications, virtual machines (VMs), and file systems.

This unified software platform caters specifically to those working across multiple environments, such as through a hybrid cloud or multi-cloud setup.

Notably, the platform works in tandem with Dell PowerProtect Data Domain and could play a key role in recovery in the event of a data loss incident. Users can restore data on-premises or via the cloud, according to Dell promotional materials.

As with backup services, Data Manager features intuitive machine learning (ML) and AI-based capabilities aimed at streamlining anomaly detection and suspicious activity.

4. Workload efficiency

Efficiency is a key factor in delivering successful AI deployments, especially given the strain placed on infrastructure due to increasingly large workloads.

Analysis from Omdia, for example, shows that high-performance storage solutions are “essential for processing large AI models because it directly impacts the efficiency and speed of the entire workflow”.

This is where solutions such as PowerProtect Data Domain come into play. This represents the foundational backup storage platform for PowerProtect where enterprises can store their most mission-critical data.

The platform allows users to streamline data storage capabilities, whether that’s on-premises or via hybrid and multi-cloud setups. Data Domain offers users data reduction capabilities, for example, allowing enterprises to reduce workload strain.

5. Backup and recovery

Data Domain also plays a key role in backup and recovery, however. In the event of a cyberincident, the latest generation of Data Domain delivers shorter backup windows and up to 4x faster restores, as well as industry-leading data reduction rates of up to 75:1. Speedy cyber recovery

Data is the lifeblood of large language models (LLMs) and AI applications, which means the ability to both safeguard these workloads and recover them in a worst-case scenario is crucial.

Cyber recovery vaults, whereby data is stored and kept safe in the event of a security incident, are vital in protecting this data. The PowerProtect Cyber Recovery service offers users these capabilities as well as accelerated recovery tools.

The solution creates air-gapped environments which host backup data in secure, isolated vaults, thereafter creating immutable copies to provide an extra layer of security, and peace of mind.

A key feature of the Cyber Recovery service lies in Cyber Detect.This is an AI-powered analytics tool aimed at detecting and remediating data corruption.

Crucially, these capabilities both bolster security and enable enterprises to meet regulatory compliance requirements, with the service adhering to standards established by CISA and the SEC, alongside GDPR regulations in the European Union.

Agility and flexibility

AI innovation is rapidly accelerating across a range of industries globally and infrastructure demands are evolving at an equal pace.

Analysis from IDC in late 2025 shows that spending on AI storage infrastructure has largely been driven by the need to “manage large datasets” required for AI models - and this trend is expected to continue.

Flexibility and scalability are vital for organizations experimenting with – and maturing in – AI. PowerProtect offers enterprises both of these capabilities, enabling them to scale based on their unique individual needs and changing requirements.

This scalability doesn’t require intensive hardware overhauls, either, allowing customers to scale up to 1.5 PBu within just a single rack.

If you think PowerProtect is the right storage solution for your business, find out more on the Dell website: US readers click here and CA readers here.