Ransomware-combating OS-database hybrid examined

Hybrid database management system and operating system DBOS has been touted by its developer Michael Stonebraker, who was also behind PostgreSQL and Ingres, to help avert ransomware attacks through time travel functionality that enables the immediate restoration of cloud-native apps' data, The Register reports.

"We've run out of performance comparisons, and we can detect attacks much more quickly. We support time travel: that allows us to rewind everything to just before the attack and get back up in seconds. That's why the security story is very attractive," said Stonebraker.

Such a system was noted by Check Point Global Security Evangelist Muhammad Yahya Patel to have notable technology in defending against ransomware but its cloud-native nature may hinder adoption due to cost considerations. Moreover, threat actors could also potentially exploit the DBOS' capabilities.

"They'll go straight to the source of this time travel feature. They'll disable it and find a way to put some malicious content around it so they can hold it to ransom," Patel said.