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In an era defined by data explosion, rising ransomware threats, and increasingly complex regulatory landscapes, the cybersecurity and data protection industry has undergone a rapid transformation, and it isn’t done yet. Organizations across sectors are no longer focused solely on safeguarding data through traditional backup and recovery.
The demand for cyber resilience, an organization’s ability to withstand and recover from sophisticated attacks, led to the convergence of data security, behaviour analytics, and access governance.
Within this dynamic ecosystem, strategic thinkers like Anand Mukund Athavale have emerged as critical drivers of change. With over 25 years of experience, Anand has not only mastered the nuances of competitive intelligence but has also reshaped industry narratives by aligning technical innovation with market differentiation and business resilience.
Interestingly, this expert reframed the conversation around data protection. Traditionally viewed through the limited lens of backup and recovery, the concept gradually expanded to include cybersecurity. Anand introduced a critical third dimension of data management by embedding elements such as data classification, access control, and activity monitoring directly into the broader framework. “We needed to move beyond just storing and retrieving data,” says Anand. “Understanding data, controlling access, and monitoring behaviour became central to building true resilience. That’s where I saw an opportunity to drive strategic differentiation.”
As a result of endorsements from leadership, this is the scope of his vision, which demanded that Veritas strategically shift the direction in which it was going. This then propagated into the birth of Veritas 360 Defence, which consisted of a holistic strategy, tying together proactive, real-time, and post-incident capabilities into one cyber-resilience program. Anand’s contributions became the bedrock of this offering, transforming internal roadmaps as well as customer perceptions. "The idea was to move away from becoming a recovery partner to becoming a cyber resilience partner for our customers," he explains.
As a key member of the competitive intelligence team, Anand played a pivotal role in aligning product vision with market needs. His thought leadership in competitive positioning was directly responsible for the creation of the 360 Defense Matrix, later known as the Cyber Resilience Comparison. This framework offered detailed metrics and comparative analysis, helping Veritas articulate its value proposition in a way that resonated with both analysts and enterprise clients. “I designed categories that weren't part of the traditional narrative, data classification, access control, behaviour monitoring. These made our defence framework truly 360 degrees,” Anand recalls.
By successfully steering the strategic direction of the company, this professional has ensured that internal support translates into an industry milestone: Veritas being a Leader in the IDC Market Scape for Cyber Recovery. That's quite a feat, I must say, supported by this narrative.
The countable impact of his efforts is best reflected in the market reception. The 360 Defence initiative, enriched by the categories he developed, helped redefine Veritas’s go-to-market strategy. This, in turn, amplified the company’s standing in the cybersecurity space. “We moved from talking features to delivering outcomes,” he notes. “That clarity helped our team position Veritas’s portfolio as a comprehensive solution rather than just a backup and recovery solution.” The video by Veritas’s VP, which outlines the capabilities “before, during, and after” a cyberattack, directly references many elements Anand championed.
A significant hurdle he faced was the organizational inertia tied to traditional notions of data protection. Expanding the corporate mindset to focus on primary data intelligence, especially in areas like access governance and behaviour anomaly detection, required persistent internal advocacy.
“The biggest challenge was getting the company to see value in things that weren’t historically part of our DNA,” he reflects. “It wasn’t just a product evolution; it was a cultural one.” By gaining the confidence of senior leaders in marketing and product management, Anand drove a shift that would prove to be a game-changer. There were only a few more proponents, as he remembers.
Reportedly, insights underscore a key shift from product-centric to portfolio-centric strategies in the cybersecurity landscape. Rather than selling standalone tools, he championed the idea of integrated solutions that deliver compound value. “A portfolio approach enables us to tell a broader story.” He explains. “Customers want layered protection, not fragmented products.” His foresight enabled Veritas to effectively position itself as a formidable player in the ransomware resiliency segment.
Anand envisions that Data Posture Management and Behaviour Anomaly Detection will be the key features of enterprise defence architectures. "Intelligence around data usage and behaviour will be as critical as backup as threats evolve. We need to be ahead of that curve," he adds.
Further, with years of real experience, a clear strategic vision, and a consistent former track record of turning insights into impact, Anand Mukund Athavale continues to craft the shape of real convergence between cybersecurity and competitive intelligence in today's digital first world.
