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Skip to ContentMIT Technology ReviewFeaturedTopicsNewslettersEventsAudioMIT Technology ReviewFeaturedTopicsNewslettersEventsAudioSponsoredComputingAligning VMware migration with business continuityCyber incidents now outpace natural disasters, forcing IT leaders to rethink recovery as a daily operating capability.
By MIT Technology Review Insightsarchive pageNovember 25, 2025In partnership withPresidio For decades, business continuity planning meant preparing for anomalous events like hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, or regional power outages. In anticipation of these rare disasters, IT teams built playbooks, ran annual tests, crossed their fingers, and hoped they’d never have to use them. In recent years, an even more persistent threat has emerged. Cyber incidents, particularly ransomware, are now more common—and often, more damaging—than physical disasters. In a recent survey of more than 500 CISOs, almost three-quarters (72%) said their organization had dealt with ransomware in the previous year. Earlier in 2025, ransomware attack rates on enterprises reached record highs. DOWNLOAD THE ARTICLE Mark Vaughn, senior director of the virtualization practice at Presidio, has witnessed the trend firsthand. “When I speak at conferences, I’ll ask the room, ‘How many people have been impacted?’ For disaster recovery, you usually get a few hands,” he says. “But a little over a year ago, I asked how many people in the room had been hit by ransomware, and easily two-thirds of the hands went up.” Download the full article.
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Aligning VMware Migration with Business Continuity: A Response

This article, produced by MIT Technology Review Insights in partnership with Presidio, addresses a critical shift in IT disaster recovery planning. For decades, business continuity strategies centered on preparing for physical disasters like hurricanes and floods. However, the surge in cyber incidents, particularly ransomware attacks, has dramatically altered this landscape, rendering cyber threats a more frequent and impactful concern than traditional natural events. The survey data highlights a sobering reality: over 72% of CISOs reported dealing with ransomware in the previous year, a number significantly higher than those impacted by physical disasters.

Mark Vaughn, senior director of the virtualization practice at Presidio, illustrates this change by noting a stark difference in audience response when asking about ransomware versus physical disaster recovery. Initially, only a small faction of attendees would raise their hands in response to the former, while a substantial portion—over two-thirds—would do so when asked about ransomware. This demonstrates the growing prevalence and seriousness with which organizations now view cyberattacks.

The core argument presented is that IT teams must proactively align VMware migration strategies with comprehensive business continuity plans, specifically designed to mitigate the risks associated with increasingly frequent and damaging cyber incidents. The article does not explicitly offer technical solutions or a step-by-step process, instead focusing on the fundamental need to re-evaluate and adapt disaster recovery protocols to account for the evolving threat landscape. The article’s data underscores a crucial adjustment: organizations are no longer simply responding to physical disasters, but actively preparing for, and recovering from, attacks. The emphasis is on recognizing the urgency of integrating cybersecurity into core business continuity strategies, acknowledging that ransomware is now a leading cause of disruption and loss for enterprises.