I couldn't agree more with that. But NetApp is not alone -- at least one vendor, Atempo, has already started to build security into their systems. Atempo's data-protection solution, Time Navigator, was one of the first products to offer data recovery from any point in time.

Other products built around Time Navigator include continuous data protection, e-mail archiving, and disk-to-disk-to-tape, which makes Atempo a likely partner for a customer pursuing ILM (information lifecycle management).

Early in November, Atempo added SCM (Security and Compliance Manager) to the suite, an application that makes it easier for companies to comply with the dictates from Sarbanes-Oxley, SEC, HIPAA, and other regulations.

Compliance is an interesting proposition in itself, but Atempo built several layers of security into SCM, including the capability to manage security certificates, enforce several encryption methods, and diversify security policies depending on business requirements.

"Protecting data security is a bigger and bigger issue, something that has not been addressed effectively to date primarily because of the tools available to the customers," says Stephen Terlizzi, vice president of global marketing at Atempo.