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Storage Management Initiative Specification (SMI-S)

Storage Management Initiative Specification (SMI-S) definition

In general terms, Storage Management Initiative Specification (SMI-S) can be considered a standard specification in storage management and storage area networks (SANs). SMI-S was developed by Storage Networking Industry Associations (SNIA), responsible for a common language and framework for managing and monitoring storage resources and various storage devices in heterogeneous storage environments. It enables and handles operation compatibility between different storage devices and managerial software, like monitoring storage infrastructure and facilitating centralized management. Storage Management Initiative Specification (SMI-S) is not primarily linked to cybersecurity. However, proper and organized storage management is critical to overall cybersecurity as it is tied to data availability, integrity, and resilience.

See also: storage management

Popular Storage Management Initiative Specification (SMI-S) in cybersecurity:

  • Security information and event management (SIEM) integration: SMI-S can be updated or integrated with SIEM systems. This allows security service teams to monitor, analyze, and use storage-related information as events and logs. It favors the potential detection of security breaches and unauthorized access to sensitive information in the storage infrastructure.
  • Data recovery and backup: Apart from other functions, SMI-S can facilitate the management of backups and various recovery princesses. It can ensure that all data backups are configured correctly and managed effectively. This favors organizations in maintaining data availability and recoverability in cyberattacks such as data corruption or ransomware attacks.
  • Storage encryption key management: Many storage devices support encryption for data-at-rest. SMI-S can be used to centralize and robotize various management tasks for encrypted storage while ensuring that encryption keys are stored securely and rotated constantly, which is crucial for keeping sensitive information safe.