RDX Media Secure Makes Enterprise Level Encryption a Reality for Any Small or Midsize Business
"Encrypt it. Encrypt it all." That's a policy almost every small and midsize business (SMB) plans to implement as they look to move or store their archival, backup and compliance data offsite. But implementing that policy is easier said than done, especially when one factors in encrypting data stored to removable disk media and then the overhead associated with managing it. This is what makes Imation's recently announced RDX Media Secure significant: data encryption on removable disk media (RDX) becomes a reality without becoming a hassle.
Most SMBs would agree that the amount of data that they need to archive and backup is on the rise. Most would also concur that they must store this data offsite to ensure the recoverability of their business as well as to satisfy regulatory requirements. But where it starts to get a little hazy is in determining the best method to accomplish these tasks especially as they make RDX their preferred media for this data.
RDX is rapidly becoming a preferred removable media for SMBs to use to store their archival and backup data. The most recent data from RDX manufacturers shows that there have been over 1.4 million media units shipped with a 34% cumulative annual growth rate from 2007 to 2011. But as the adoption of RDX media accelerates and companies either store more sensitive data on them or simply use them to move data from one site to another, more SMBs need to encrypt data stored on RDX cartridges.
To date, that has not been easy to accomplish for at least two reasons.
When then trying to read encrypted data from these RDX cartridges at a remote site, the RDX Media Secure software must again be first installed on a server attached to an RDX docking station. Then when it goes to read the data from the RDX media, it will recognize that the data is encrypted and prompt the user for a password to decrypt and read the data.
In both cases (when the data is written to the media or when it is restored) the password is stored on the server attached to the RDX docking station. In this way the password only needs to be entered once so administrators do not need to be continually entering passwords to read or write encrypted data from RDX media.
SMBs may find Imation's encryption technology appealing in light of the level of encryption it offers. Over the last couple of years, Imation has acquired a number of security companies in anticipation of producing a scalable but secure storage solution for SMBs.
In the RDX Media Secure software we see some of the first fruits of that acquisition as the CyberSafe™ Pro security software is baked into it. This gives SMBs access to FIPS 140-2 Level 1 software encryption so they may confidently store and recover their most sensitive data from RDX media - something they could not easily do before.
But maybe what is most helpful for SMBs is how Imation implemented this solution. Often when SMBs implement a solution like this, they implement it at one site but then forget or run out of time to install the RDX Media Secure software at the second site. Then fter a couple of years pass and it is time to do a recovery, no one recalls where the original RDX Media Secure software is located.
Imation takes these practical realities that SMBs deal with every day into account with its RDX Secure Media. As it encrypts and writes data to each cartridge, it also installs the RDX Secure Media software driver on the RDX cartridge. In this way if encrypted data needs to be retrieved, the driver is ready to be installed without anyone needing to frantically look for the right software to do so. All that the SMB needs to do is install the software from the RDX cartridge, provide the correct password and the data may then be successfully decrypted and restored.
RDX media already solves a lot of problems on many levels for SMBs. But the new Imation RDX Media Secure closes some of the key security gaps that RDX media itself was never designed to solve. By giving users the option to encrypt data at a level that meets the most stringent of compliance requirements, SMBs get access to a level of data encryption normally only found in enterprises in a product and at a price that is specifically tailored for their environments and their budgets.
Most SMBs would agree that the amount of data that they need to archive and backup is on the rise. Most would also concur that they must store this data offsite to ensure the recoverability of their business as well as to satisfy regulatory requirements. But where it starts to get a little hazy is in determining the best method to accomplish these tasks especially as they make RDX their preferred media for this data.
RDX is rapidly becoming a preferred removable media for SMBs to use to store their archival and backup data. The most recent data from RDX manufacturers shows that there have been over 1.4 million media units shipped with a 34% cumulative annual growth rate from 2007 to 2011. But as the adoption of RDX media accelerates and companies either store more sensitive data on them or simply use them to move data from one site to another, more SMBs need to encrypt data stored on RDX cartridges.
To date, that has not been easy to accomplish for at least two reasons.
- Backup software used to do encryption. This approach is OK but it only works for backup data. This leaves a data protection gap for data that was archived; it requires the backup software to be installed before a recovery could occur; and, it does not take into account where organizations simply needed to copy data to an external device and have a need to encrypt so they could move it from one site to another (such as they may do when doing cloud seeding.)
- No encryption option on RDX drives. The latest generation of LTO tape drives have an encryption feature on them which, when turned on, gives organizations the option to encrypt all data stored on tape cartridges regardless of what application stores data to the tape. This feature is not available on RDX docking stations.
When then trying to read encrypted data from these RDX cartridges at a remote site, the RDX Media Secure software must again be first installed on a server attached to an RDX docking station. Then when it goes to read the data from the RDX media, it will recognize that the data is encrypted and prompt the user for a password to decrypt and read the data.
In both cases (when the data is written to the media or when it is restored) the password is stored on the server attached to the RDX docking station. In this way the password only needs to be entered once so administrators do not need to be continually entering passwords to read or write encrypted data from RDX media.
SMBs may find Imation's encryption technology appealing in light of the level of encryption it offers. Over the last couple of years, Imation has acquired a number of security companies in anticipation of producing a scalable but secure storage solution for SMBs.
In the RDX Media Secure software we see some of the first fruits of that acquisition as the CyberSafe™ Pro security software is baked into it. This gives SMBs access to FIPS 140-2 Level 1 software encryption so they may confidently store and recover their most sensitive data from RDX media - something they could not easily do before.
But maybe what is most helpful for SMBs is how Imation implemented this solution. Often when SMBs implement a solution like this, they implement it at one site but then forget or run out of time to install the RDX Media Secure software at the second site. Then fter a couple of years pass and it is time to do a recovery, no one recalls where the original RDX Media Secure software is located.
Imation takes these practical realities that SMBs deal with every day into account with its RDX Secure Media. As it encrypts and writes data to each cartridge, it also installs the RDX Secure Media software driver on the RDX cartridge. In this way if encrypted data needs to be retrieved, the driver is ready to be installed without anyone needing to frantically look for the right software to do so. All that the SMB needs to do is install the software from the RDX cartridge, provide the correct password and the data may then be successfully decrypted and restored.
RDX media already solves a lot of problems on many levels for SMBs. But the new Imation RDX Media Secure closes some of the key security gaps that RDX media itself was never designed to solve. By giving users the option to encrypt data at a level that meets the most stringent of compliance requirements, SMBs get access to a level of data encryption normally only found in enterprises in a product and at a price that is specifically tailored for their environments and their budgets.
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