subject: Online backup facilities [print this page] Online backup facilities
Online backup (storage) facilities have been mapping the internet history. The boom of remote backup systems came in late 1990s, when the number of internet users and new websites rapidly increased, which brought a new need of online storage services. This service was originally meant to be dedicated for enterprise services only due its costs and potential number of clients. More websites and more clients reduced the cost and opened this service for single users as well.
Nowadays, online storage facilities offer a free service to everyone who wants to store his files and data on remote server with confidentiality and high level of security. Free storage accounts are usually with some space and bandwidth limitations, whereas paid services provide unlimited storage space and other additional features that these users or enterprises might need.
This system is very efficient, easy to use, secure and fully automatic, because online backup providers are using so called SaaS (Software as a Service) where a piece of software installed on the computer manages all the backups of local data to remote server. What is more, the remotely stored data has its backup too which makes this service even more reliable and resistant to any unexpected disasters. In many cases a Continuous Data Protection (CDP) is applied within the enterprise online backup solutions that is a system that stores company's files in real time right after the most recent changes to any document, so if a data or entire systems is affected by virus or in other way, the most recent data copies can be retrieved.
Online backup system can have due its nature several advantages as well as disadvantages. Among the biggest advantages are:
Files and data are stored offsite, backup process is fully automatic and continuous
The transmission speed can be very high
Data storage space is very often unlimited
128-448 bit encryption is used for sending the data over internet
Nevertheless, a couple of disadvantages have to be considered too:
The confidentiality and privacy is a question
Backup process can take some time when using low speed internet connection
The remote data storage company may run out of business
The potential vulnerability of data stores
The last mentioned can represent a very serious problem from the customer's point of view. The remote data store company has to ensure that it keeps client's data safely, but this is not always the case. There are several ways how to secure the online storage facilities:
Account Protection
128-448 bit encryption (TwoFish, Triple DES, Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)) of data while transmission and also in the storage facility
Different encryption modes (Electronic Cook Book (ECB) and Cipher Block Chaining (CBC)) and password protection for accounts
Limited access for each 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 site
Server site is monitored equipped with alarm and other security appliances and locked
Authorization and monitoring of all site visitors (e.g. using finger prints)
Unfortunately in reality not all of remote storage providers follow the security requirements listed above. Tests by heise Security discovered that four out of six tested remote storage providers were vulnerable to potential 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 before the connection is established using a method called man in the middle (MITM) attack. Having the access code gives us the ability to hijack the connection from client to the server.
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