As cyber threats grow more sophisticated by the day, organisations are under pressure to protect their critical assets. Cyber recovery cleanroom technology has emerged as a powerful tool in this fight, offering a secure, isolated environment to test and validate restore operations and/or carry them out after a breach.
Cleanroom Technology isn’t a niche solution anymore. It’s on the cusp of widespread adoption, poised to leap from an ’emerging market’ to the ‘high-growth’ phase on the adoption curve.
This article explores five key accelerators fuelling the rapid uptake of cyber recovery cleanroom technology, and explains why you should consider deploying one in your organisation.
If you’re looking for a deeper dive into the tech, check out this Guide to Cyber Recovery Cleanrooms.
Understanding the Adoption Curve
The adoption curve is a well-known framework for understanding how technologies evolve in the marketplace. Typically, it includes phases such as the innovation/emerging market stage, the high-growth phase, and eventually, maturity and saturation.
Currently, cyber recovery cleanroom technology sits at the tipping point between the emerging and high-growth phases. While early adopters have tested and proven its effectiveness, the broader market is just beginning to recognise its value. The transition to high-growth is often catalysed by external drivers that validate the technology’s relevance and practicality. In the case of cleanroom technology, five accelerators are acting as the spark.
The 5 Accelerators Driving Rapid Adoption
1. Growing Use Cases and Proof Points
One of the most compelling drivers of adoption is the growing body of use cases and proof points demonstrating the effectiveness of new technologies. Across all industries (but especially highly regulated ones such as finance, utilities and healthcare), organisations have leveraged cleanrooms to help avoid or improve their recovery from potentially debilitating ransomware attacks and data breaches.
Take, for instance, a national utilities operator in Austria which successfully identified and removed malware in its backup system before an attack could take place, thanks to its cleanroom-based recovery strategy. Or a US healthcare provider that safeguarded patient data by isolating and neutralising malware using recovery assurance software technology from Predatar.
These success stories are building trust and confidence in the technology by proving its value in real-world scenarios. The standout proof point is that Predatar’s Cyber Recovery Cleanroom technology has helped to identify malicious files in over 75% of all deployments, despite customers having existing cyber security scanning tool in place.
The diversity of use cases also highlights the flexibility of cleanroom technology. Initially it was designed as a safe place to recover data into after an attack, but it’s the new use cases which will help the technology cross the chasm from emerging to high growth market.
Value was added when the technology was put to work as a proactive recovery testing tool which appealed to business continuity and disaster recovery managers.
In early 2024, we saw the adoption of the technology by Managed Service Providers (MSPs) who added recovery assurance software as part of their managed backup and disaster recovery services.
Finally, we started to see the technology incorporated as part of mobile emergency cleanrooms as well as cyber vault solutions.
As more organisations share their success stories, the perception of cleanroom technology is shifting from an experimental tool to a proven necessity.
2. Increasing Platform and Workload Support
Another critical accelerator is the increasing platform and workload support now available for cleanroom technology. In its early days, cleanroom adoption was hindered by limited compatibility with existing IT environments. Today, however, the technology has evolved to seamlessly integrate with a wide range of platforms, from on-premises data centres to hybrid and cloud environments.
This expanded compatibility allows organisations to deploy cleanroom solutions without overhauling their infrastructure. Whether managing legacy systems, modern hypervisor workloads, or a mix of both – cleanrooms can now accommodate diverse environments.
An early pioneer of recovery orchestration technology, Veeam Software, offered recovery testing as a feature of its enterprise backup solution, but its support was limited to VMware workloads only. For large enterprises, cyber recovery cleanrooms need to support more than just VMware – other popular hypervisors such as Microsoft’s Hyper-V and Nutanix’s AHV are required. Support for UNIX platforms such as AIX which often house the most critical business applications are non-negotiable for many organisations too.
We believe cyber recovery cleanrooms are primarily a security technology, not a storage one. The largest security companies including Palo Alto, CrowdStrike and Fortinet are server and storage vendor agnostic. For the acceleration of cleanroom adoption, multi-vendor support is a prerequisite since security officers want to invest in tools which support a range of different server, storage and network vendors.
Additionally, many cleanroom solutions now offer integrations with popular cybersecurity tools, SIEM and SOAR platforms. These advancements simplify deployment and ensure that cleanrooms can connect into existing security ecosystems. As compatibility and support continue to improve, the barriers to adoption are quickly falling away.
3. Reduced Cost and Complexity
Adoption of the automobile in the early twentieth century accelerated dramatically as the price of the Ford Model T fell from $780 in 1910 (equivalent to $25,506 in 2023) to $290 in 1924 (equivalent to $5,156 in 2023) [Wikipedia].
One of the biggest challenges to cyber recovery cleanroom adoption has been its perceived cost and complexity. Early implementations required significant investment in hardware, software, and services, making it an option primarily for large enterprises. In addition, the hardware technology was proprietary, a good example being the Dell Cyber Recovery Vault – a highly successful (if expensive) solution targeted at large enterprises.
Today, advancements in technology are driving down cost and complexity, making cyber recovery cleanrooms more accessible to organisations of all sizes. At Predatar, we have seen the average time for implementation reduce from 20 days for Predatar’s first generation Cleanroom (1.0) to just 2 hours for Cleanroom 3.0. And by utilising commoditised infrastructure, cleanrooms are becoming affordable for all.
For further reading on the business value of Cyber Recovery Cleanrooms we recommend this Guide to Building a Business Case for Cyber Recovery Assurance.
Automation and orchestration have played a significant role in this transformation. Modern cleanroom solutions often come with preconfigured templates, automated workflows, and user-friendly interfaces with integrated AI chatbots, that reduce the need for specialised expertise. This democratisation of technology has opened the door for mid-sized businesses and small enterprises to adopt cleanroom strategies.
Furthermore, as competition in the market increases, providers are offering more affordable pricing models, including pay-as-you-go and SaaS subscription options.
4. Increasing Regulation and Awareness of Cybercrime
The regulatory landscape is another powerful driver of cleanroom adoption. Whilst no regulation explicitly demands the use of cyber recovery cleanrooms, the direction of travel is clearly towards proving recoverability, in addition to the current focus of threat detection and mitigation. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the European Union, with DORA and NIS2 coming into force in 2024 and 2025.
For a country-by-country view on where each country stands on NIS2, this blog is very useful.
At the same time, the rising prevalence of cybercrime is driving awareness and urgency. According to QBE Insurance , the number of disruptive and destructive global cyber-attacks taking place each year has doubled from 2020 to 2024. The cost to UnitedHealth Group of its subsidiary’s Change Healthcare cyber-attack has risen to $2.457 billion, according to the Group’s Q3 2024 earnings report.
And remember, recovery assurance is not just about protecting businesses from human-driven cyber-crime but also plain old accidents and acts of nature. In the second half of 2024, in the largest IT outage in history, Fortune 500 companies alone suffered more than $5 billion in direct losses because of the CrowdStrike outage.
As I write this, 2025 has already witnessed the costliest wildfire in US history, with losses expected to exceed $135 billion. The risk premium will continue to rise as growing losses from traditional disasters are compounded by cybercriminals targeting organisations of all sizes, across all geographies and verticals – causing widespread damage. This growing threat landscape is compelling organisations to invest in solutions that can mitigate the impact and ensure business continuity.
Cleanroom technology, with its ability to isolate and neutralise threats while facilitating rapid recovery is emerging as a cornerstone of compliance and resilience strategies. As regulatory pressure and cybercrime awareness continue to grow, the demand for cyber recovery cleanroom technology is set to accelerate.
5. Focus from Major Tech Vendors
The involvement of major IT vendors is perhaps the strongest signal that cleanroom technology is moving into the high-growth phase. When industry leaders invest in, acquire, and promote a new technology, it validates its importance and potential.
In recent years, we’ve seen significant activity from major vendors in the cleanroom space. Some have launched dedicated cleanroom solutions as part of their cyber resilience portfolios, while others have formed strategic partnerships with specialist providers. These moves not only enhance the credibility of the technology but also expand its reach through established sales channels and customer bases.
Here are a few examples. In 2024 Commvault launched the Commvault Cloud Cleanroom Recovery, a secure Microsoft Azure cloud environment to help recover an environment post attack. IBM continued to advance its Storage Defender solution, a multi-vendor cyber solution spanning both primary and secondary storage, with options to add cyber recovery cleanrooms. HPE has made significant strides in establishing market presence with its HPE GreenLake Cyber Resilience Vault, a new air-gapped solution offering ‘superfast’ recovery.
Moreover, major vendors are investing in R&D to further enhance cleanroom capabilities. From AI-driven threat detection to advanced automation, these innovations are making cleanroom technology even more robust and appealing. The focus from IT giants is a clear indicator that cleanrooms are no longer a niche solution—they’re a critical component of modern cybersecurity strategies.
The Road Ahead: From Emerging to High-Growth Market
The convergence of these five accelerators is creating a perfect storm for the adoption of cyber recovery cleanroom technology. As use cases multiply, compatibility improves, costs decrease, regulations tighten, and major vendors double down, the conditions are ripe for rapid growth.
In the coming months, we can expect to see cleanroom technology move firmly into the high-growth phase of the adoption curve. Organisations that act now to explore and implement cleanroom solutions will be well-positioned to stay ahead of cyber threats and regulatory requirements. Those that delay may find themselves at the mercy of rising insurance premiums and damaging losses.
Conclusion: Recommendations for adopting Cyber Recovery Cleanrooms
Cyber recovery cleanrooms are rapidly transitioning from niche tools to essential components of cybersecurity strategies. To capitalise on this momentum, organisations should:
- Prioritise Proactive Implementation: Don’t wait for a breach or regulatory pressure to take action. Implement cleanroom solutions early to build resilience and validate recovery processes. Start with a pilot project to demonstrate value before scaling.
- Invest in Compatibility and Training: Ensure your cleanroom solutions integrate seamlessly with existing IT environments and security ecosystems. Equip teams with the necessary training to maximise effectiveness, leveraging vendor support and automation tools for simplicity.
- Collaborate with Leading Providers: Partner with vendors offering proven, multi-platform solutions and a focus on continuous improvement. Opt for partners who demonstrate commitment to innovation, regulatory compliance, and flexibility to meet your organisation’s unique needs.
By addressing these areas, organisations can position themselves at the forefront of cyber resilience, safeguarding operations while adapting to the evolving threat landscape.
Learn more about Predatar’s unique Cyber Recovery Assurance capabilities at www.predatar.com
