Online backup facilities

On-line backup facilities

On the web backup (storage) facilities have been mapping the web history. The boom of remote backup systems came in late 1990s, when the number of net users and new sites quickly increased, which brought a new require of online storage services. This service was originally meant to be devoted for enterprise services only due its costs and possible number of clients. Much more websites and far more customers reduced the cost and opened this service for single users as nicely.

These days, on-line storage facilities offer a cost-free service to everybody who wants to store his files and data on remote server with confidentiality and high level of security. Totally free storage accounts are normally with some space and bandwidth limitations, whereas paid services offer unlimited storage space and other extra capabilities that these users or enterprises might require.

This technique is extremely effective, easy to use, secure and completely automatic, because on the web backup providers are employing so referred to as SaaS (Software as a Service) where a piece of software program installed on the pc manages all the backups of nearby information to remote server. What is much more, the remotely stored information has its backup too which makes this service even much more reliable and resistant to any unexpected disasters. In many circumstances a Continuous Data Protection (CDP) is applied within the enterprise online backup solutions that is a method that stores company’s files in actual time correct following the most recent changes to any document, so if a data or whole systems is affected by virus or in other way, the most current information copies can be retrieved.

On the internet backup system can have due its nature several positive aspects as nicely as disadvantages. Amongst the biggest advantages are:

Files and information are stored offsite, backup method is totally automatic and continuous
The transmission speed can be really high
Information storage space is really typically unlimited
128-448 bit encryption is employed for sending the information over internet
Nevertheless, a couple of disadvantages have to be regarded as too:
The confidentiality and privacy is a question
Backup approach can take some time when using low speed net connection
The remote data storage company could run out of company
The possible vulnerability of data shops

The last mentioned can represent a quite significant difficulty from the customer’s point of view. The remote data store company has to guarantee that it keeps client’s data safely, but this is not always the case. There are a number of techniques how to secure the on the web storage facilities:

Account Protection

128-448 bit encryption (TwoFish, Triple DES, Advanced Encryption Normal (AES)) of information even though transmission and also in the storage facility
Different encryption modes (Electronic Cook Book (ECB) and Cipher Block Chaining (CBC)) and password protection for accounts
Restricted access for every single account (only selected users have granted access)

Network Protection

Firewall (HTTP/HTTPS Proxy and Socks v4/v5 firewall) monitoring connections and limiting all activities to a single TCP port
Authentication for connections to port and monitoring of failed access attempts

Physical Security

Security staff monitors nonstop the server website
Server website is monitored equipped with alarm and other security appliances and locked
Authorization and monitoring of all internet site visitors (e.g. employing finger prints)

Regrettably in reality not all of remote storage providers follow the security needs listed above. Tests by heise Security discovered that 4 out of six tested remote storage providers were vulnerable to prospective attacks. Whilst all the services are using secure SSL communication between clients and remote storage server, in four cases the access code can be sniffed prior to the connection is established making use of a technique called man in the middle (MITM) attack. Getting the access code gives us the ability to hijack the connection from client to the server.