Colorado Springs-based StorServer Inc., a provider of data backup solutions, has announced 256-bit encryption to its software products aimed at the midmarket.
The encryption has been added to its Archive Backup Client (ABC) and StorServer Data Protection (SDP) software, agents written specifically for Open VMS customers backing up to IBM’s Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM).
The 256-bit encryption is an encryption algorithm providing security for sensitive digitized content, according to the company. Previously, the products has 126-bit encryption. The security improvement will make a difference in the healthcare and banking industries, where personal records are increasingly becoming digitized, said Bill Smoldt, the company’s president. Education is another area where this level of secure data is needed, since student data can’t be intermingled, he said.
“It’s totally transparent to the user. All the data, even at rest, in the backup server can be totally encrypted,” he said. “All the data is basically totally protected to the point that nobody could ever get to it unless they have to get to it.”
Apart from an IT manager or staff having to know a password, the added encryption won’t disturb the current workflow, he said. “Users aren’t going to know that any encryptions going on.”
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“Our channel partners are then able to sell this into some areas perhaps where they wouldn’t be able to before,” he said. Industries with a need for good backup security can now be targeted, he said.
As of last year, the company had two channel managers dedicated specifically to the Canadian market, though they are based in the United States and was looking to add more channel partners in Canada.
“It’s just one of those peace of mind things,” he added. Partners can now be more comfortable that their customers won’t face significant data loss.
While Smoldt said there has never been a case of data loss from a StorServer customer, the added encryption was the logical step to stay compliant and offer strong security. “It’s easy to put off because there’s never been problem,” he said. “You have to get in ahead of time.”