Data "encryption" for secure online backups
Backing up data is a critical business issue. Increasingly delegated to online servers, how secure is it? And how can we assess the quality of existing solutions?
Online backups: the importance of data encryption
Physical backups and their limits
Online backup is gradually replacing physical backup. Remember that local backup was not without risk. External threats, such as fire, water damage, power surges and the like, could damage data. But there were also internal threats associated with human responsibility: errors, oversights, lack of time to deal with them, etc.
Online backup...
... in practice...
SaaS (Software as a Service) has the great advantage of being mobile. Your backed-up data can be accessed from any device, at any time, wherever you are, as long as you have an Internet connection. Mobility therefore becomes synonymous with productivity. You don't have to be physically in one place or dependent on a workstation to access your data.
... and secure
When we hear SaaS, we often worry about the security aspect. This is a point on which software publishers are very vigilant. By deploying specific devices, they secure your Internet connection and protect access to your data infrastructure. Encryption is the process of transforming a clear message into one that is incomprehensible to anyone without the decryption key. Commonly used, the term "encryption" of data is a misnomer in French, coming from the Anglicism " encryption". Encryption consists in conditioning access. You need a key - a kind of code - or the answer to a secret question, to gain access. Encryption is :
- symmetrical: the same key is used to encrypt and decrypt the protected content,
- or asymmetric: the two keys are separate. The encryption key is called the public key, while the decryption key is called the private key.
The second option is considered the most secure, and virtually inviolable. With Neobe's online backup solution, only the user knows the key. Data is encrypted, element by element, in 256-bit (AES Rijndael). This makes the data unreadable throughout the entire process, from backup to recovery. And the key is the only way to make them readable. On a solution like oodrive_save from Oodrive, the key is a passphrase. The user chooses a question, and must give the answer to access the saved data. This data is also encrypted end-to-end with a 256-bit AES key.
Keys to evaluating existing backup solutions
User-friendliness
Asymmetric encryption may be very powerful, but it can also have a drawback: slowness. But if you want your data to be backed up and protected, you don't want it to be difficult to access. After all, on a day-to-day basis, this can be a laborious task. And if backup and restore actions become time-consuming, that's just as much unproductive time spent on a non-value-added support task. In the long run, this will be detrimental to your business. That's why publishers like Oodrive have designed comprehensive backup plans that are simple to deploy and maintain. So you can operate in a secure, fluid environment, without having to devote time or energy to it.
Automation
Backup is not always a reflex. Unless you write it down as a reminder, you run the risk of forgetting to make or update it. This is where your service provider can help. Several of them offer to automate the process. On Beemo2cloud and Neobe, for example, you set the desired frequency, and the software takes care of synchronizing your saved data with any new ones detected, on one or more devices or servers. Alerts and reports can be systematized to help you monitor the status and scope of your data.
Restoring your data
Restoring your data can temporarily overload your hosting provider. If your files are large, and stored elsewhere, transferring them is likely to saturate bandwidth, and may even cause errors or corrupt your files. To avoid this, data exchange must be incremental. The Delta-Bloc mode of the oodrive_save solution is designed to achieve this. The publisher can also offer you a DRP (Disaster Recovery Plan ), in which it provides for the possibility of restoring your data to the machine of your choice, or to a hard disk delivered to your address.
To find out more, download the white paper on DRP:
Guarantees
Geography is a very popular argument. Rather than entrusting their data to far-flung players with no visibility or tracking, companies still prefer to know that it's on home soil. That's why publishers emphasize it: Oxibox, Oodrive, Neobe and Beemo2cloud servers are all located in France. Certifications are also an indication of reliability: Oodrive, for example, meets ISO 27 001 standards. The availability of support is also reassuring. This is a point that Neobe particularly emphasizes. The SLA (Service Level Agreement) of each publisher also reveals their level of commitment. Some go so far as to offer exceptional insurance cover in the event of data loss, ranging from 3 million euros at Oodrive to 8 million euros at Oxibox.
Backing up business data online has become an imperative. For a company, understanding the security issues involved means appreciating data encryption systems, and being sensitive to reliability criteria when choosing a service provider.
Article translated from French