One simple way of eliminating the risk of security breaches is to encrypt data stored on back-up tapes or any other media, especially if it is to be stored off-site. Most back-up products have included the ability to encrypt data for some time, but clearly many organizations are not using this function, in many cases because of the impact that encryption has on back-up windows and decryption on recovery. However, there are vendors with encryption solutions that are simple to implement and encrypt data without, the vendors claim, the impact that software within back-up solutions has.
DisUK is a UK start-up offering its Paranoia family of in-line tape encryption appliances. A range of interfaces for SCSI low voltage differential (LVD), SCSI high voltage differential (HVD), fibre channel, and iSCSI hosts, and SCSI LVD, SCSI HVD, and fibre channel tapes, means that it can support a wide range of environments and platforms.
It also has a SafeTape range of encrypted tape solutions that use LTO-2 and 3 (LTO – linear tape open), AIT-4 (AIT – advanced intelligent tape), and SuperDLT 320 and 600 drives (DLT – digital linear tape).
In addition, the company has recently announced a data encryption appliance for optical libraries, which are often preferred for long-term archiving. This has been certified by Plasmon, a vendor that specializes in optical storage, following integration testing with its ultra density optical (UDO) media libraries.
PGP, meanwhile, is a US-headquartered company, which was founded 10 years ago. Its Universal product family unifies all encryption applications under an automated key management system, and provides multiple encryption solutions that are managed from a single console.
The PGP Encryption Platform provides automated operation, central security policy, unified key and client management, and 10 encryption applications for gateway, end-point, server, and mainframe data security. Whole disk encryption allows the centrally managed encryption of entire disks, volumes, and archives. It can be used to encrypt data, including email, which is transmitted to external partners as well as back-up data. It is a policy-based encryption system that requires no user training and has very little impact on IT staff.
With the range of data encryption solutions available, as well as encryption facilities within back-up software products, there is now no excuse for organizations not to encrypt data. However, it could be the case that, in the UK, security breaches will continue to occur until the UK has a law similar to that in California, which forces organizations to disclose publicly when customers’ personal details are compromised.
Source: OpinionWire by Butler Group (www.butlergroup.com)
