Q&A with Andres Rodriguez of Nasuni - Page 4

VSM: What mechanisms are required to ensure data is protected in the cloud?

AR: Security is not a primary focus of cloud service providers offering remote storage, so the Nasuni Filer provides multiple methods to ensure data is protected in the cloud. First, all files are encrypted before they are forwarded to the cloud so the data is secure. Data is encrypted at the customer’s premises, using OpenPGP with AES-256. Data and metadata are sent over a secure channel and remain encrypted in the cloud.  Second, the Nasuni Filer offers “snapshot retention” features. With these features, IT administrators need not worry if files are inadvertently deleted, because the Nasuni Filer regularly creates and saves synchronous, de-duped snapshots that capture the entire file system, ensuring that lost files can always be quickly and easily restored. If the customer wants to delete these snapshots, they can set up time or volume-based policies that will permanently purge them, ensuring that deleted files on these snapshots remain irrevocably deleted. As a result, mid-sized enterprises can safely enjoy the benefits of cloud storage: automatic data protection, infinite on-demand capacity and, thanks to Nasuni’s intelligent caching technology, performance on par with a local NAS.