AES Encryption Archives - Latest News from Backup Technology

For those who are extremely nervous about entrusting their valuable mission-critical data to strangers over the Internet, Backup Technology Limited (BTL) Cloud Backup is a very reliable option! You can trust your data to BTL professionals without a qualm. BTL has years of experience and a proven track record in data security. The client testimonials and partner stories say it all. If you are still not convinced, here is how BTL works on data security for you.

Your data is secured against access in three ways:

Data is encrypted once at the point of transmission and again at the point of storage. This double encryption makes unauthorised access difficult and even fruitless.
BTL uses superior technology to ensure that your data is backed up quickly and efficiently, and optimally.
Your data is made highly available by replication/mirroring for disaster recovery.

Encryption:

BTL protects data by deploying a 256 bit cryptographic, powered by Asigra, an industry leading cloud backup technology.

The 256 bit cryptographic feature is installed when the BTL software agent is installed on server or computer you want to backup. The installation process prompts the user to input several character strings. The string is then, converted into a 256 bit encryption key and is made available only to the user. It is never transmitted over the Internet and is not stored on the servers of the company. Users are expected to secure this key against deletion and access by unauthorised personnel. Since the data is stored in an encrypted format on the server, the availability of the key is an imperative. Loss of the key implies loss of access to data stored on the servers.

BTL software kick starts when you begin to transmit information over the Internet for secure, encrypted storage on BTL servers. The agent software installed on your computer communicates with the BTL server, using SSL (Secure Socket Layer) technology that deploys its own encryption protocol. This results in a double encryption of the data you finally store. This technology is similar to the technology that is used by banking companies to secure bank accounts of their customers.

High Availability

BTL ensures that customer data is stored securely for high availability and disaster recovery. They monitor the data centres 24/7 with advanced bio-metrically controlled access. Backup generators and redundant Internet connections are used to ensure that customers are never locked out of the server storage if the encryption key, user name and password are available with them. Files in storage are constantly reviewed for ease of restoration, maintenance of user logs, and optimisation of versioning controls.

Software Features

BTL’s technology backs up data, differentially or incrementally at the block level after the first full backup. Users can configure the software to apply to specific data sets as per company policy or on the basis of the importance of the data. This enables users to backup more files during an available backup window and optimise on storage space. Users can also set BTL Cloud Backup and Recovery solution to backup a number of versions of files for compliance and archiving regulations.

Whether you run a big corporation or a small business or you are an IT service providers, BTL offers a secure cloud based data backup solution, combined with a robust partner program, the efficiencies of full web-based account management, and an industry leading technical support team. Visit: www.backup-technology.com

There was a felt need for standardised practices in cloud management as public, private and hybrid clouds gained popularity. Over the decades, a few standards have emerged and there are many more in the pipeline. Reputed cloud service developers and enablers like Asigra constantly update their software to include new tools that help IT managers and CIOs retain control over their data, maintain security of the systems, and manage their users efficiently. Here are a few cloud tools that help IT managers in their quest for data control.

The cloud democratises computing. While this is good for business, it creates a few headaches for the management. For instance, mobile and remote users can upload or download data from wherever they are, with whatever device they have on hand without obtaining permissions from the IT Administrator. The security of the information, the type of applications in use on the connecting device, and so forth, can create security problems that the Administrator must anticipate and provide for. It follows that there is an urgent need for policies and procedures that enforce access boundaries and user permissions, and for tools that enable the Administrator implement these policies and procedures.

A number of cloud service providers use software agents with administrative dashboards that equip the manager with the necessary tools for creating and managing users, who have the necessary company-defined rights and permissions to access the network, and perform some or all operations on the data that they access.

The cloud entrusts data to third party servers. As a consequence, IT managers worry about security. The cloud addresses a few of these issues by provisioning for layered data security. Most cloud service providers use third party (FIPS-140-2) certified cryptographic algorithms to encrypt data. These algorithms are often described as bank grade or military grade and generally use AES 128,192 or 256 or Blowfish that have proven to be impregnable to date. The symmetric keys that are used are often user defined and private keys that can remain secure with the data owner.

The third party service provider does not have access to the content of the data store that is hosted on their cloud server as a result of the encryption. Security and availability of data is further strengthened with the institution of “as is” replication and disaster recovery systems and guarantees that the information will not be accessed by the service provider or their associates at any time. Managers can recover or purge the information contained in the cloud service stores at any time they wish to rescind from the contract using tools provided for the purpose.