[Taipei, Taiwan = Digital Today reporter Hyunwoo Choo] Global storage company Synology on Tuesday unveiled its next-generation DiskStation Manager (DSM) roadmap and ActiveProtect Manager (APM) 2.0 at a Computex 2026 press briefing. It plans to upgrade core software that runs NAS (network-attached storage) into an AI platform while more strongly protecting corporate data from hacking and ransomware.

Philip Wong (필립 웡), Synology chairman and CEO, said, "Introducing AI itself is no longer a challenge for companies. Now the key is data control." He added, "The next-generation DSM provides an AI-ready platform that allows organisations to firmly control their own data."

■ Use AI without sending data outside the company

The most notable change is that AI functions can be used internally without an external cloud. Previously, using AI services such as ChatGPT required sending company documents or data to external servers. The next-generation DSM works by storing company documents, work records and system logs inside the NAS and having AI analyse them. This allows users to get AI support without worrying about important internal information leaking outside.

The DSM agent acts as an AI assistant. It guides administrators step by step through detecting security anomalies, checking backup status and automating repetitive tasks. It also adds a new Cluster Manager feature for companies operating dozens or hundreds of NAS devices. It enables managing multiple devices at once on a single screen, greatly reducing the workload for IT staff. On security, it includes a function to finely set access rights by employee, and it is also working toward obtaining the international security certification FIPS 140-3 required in regulated industries such as finance and healthcare.

■ Stop hacking and ransomware before it hits

The core of the APM 2.0 data protection solution is a shift from "recovery after an incident" to "detection before an incident." Jia-Yu Liu (지아-위 리우), head of Synology's data protection group, stressed, "With AI-based threat detection functions, we are shifting the direction of data protection from post-incident recovery to proactive defence."

Its AI anomaly detection engine continuously analyses backup data to automatically detect suspected signs of ransomware infection, such as sudden mass deletion or encryption of files. It immediately isolates files where anomalies are detected to prevent damage from spreading. For recovery, it also includes an Auto Fallback function that automatically rolls back to the safest point in backups while avoiding versions that may contain hidden malware.

Backup targets have also been significantly expanded. Protection has been extended from mainly on-premise servers to major cloud and virtualisation environments such as Azure, AWS, Google Workspace and Nutanix. Data can be freely moved and recovered between the cloud and in-house servers, enabling rapid business recovery even in disaster situations. APM 2.0 is scheduled for release in the third quarter of 2026.