Vaulten Online Backup Blog

Backup Software as a Service (SaaS)

March 22nd, 2009 · by Matts - CEO, Vaulten

Today data backup via software as a service (SaaS) is becoming the ultimate choice for businesses when it comes to protecting their valuable digital assets.

Imagine the plight of businesses until now where they not only had to take scheduled tape backups, but an employee had to mostly take the tapes/disks home. The setting up had also been challenging for many SMBs, as it required a multifaceted infrastructure of backup software, networks, servers, disk arrays and tape systems. Many companies had trouble simply completing backups in the allotted time and a significant number of backups failed or completed with errors.

Now businesses have the choice of not investing on their own backup infrastructure, which is an added advantage in the current economy. They can entirely avoid the complications that come with adding elements such as backup media (tapes or disks), devices (tape drives), storage systems etc. All they need is an internet connection and they are up and running with a backup process in place.

The challenge has now shifted to finding the right backup SaaS company, where businesses can not only their trust their data with, but also get the high security and reliability that they need for their crucial data.

Vaulten, with the right partnerships, aims to be a leader in Backup SaaS for SMBs. More information on Backup Software as a Service can be found at http://www.vaulten.com/saas.

Tags:··

Difference between Online Backup and Storage

March 16th, 2009 · by Matts - CEO, Vaulten

Further to my previous post, one user asked me what is the difference between online backup and online storage services? I am sure there are others who have this question on their mind, and I thought its best to share it here.

Online storage service offers space on a per-gigabyte basis, and sometimes includes a bandwidth cost component as well. Some companies do offer the service for free, relying on advertising revenue, but they are soon realizing that this doesn’t work.

Some of the distinguishable features of true Online Backup from Online Storage are the following:

Automation: Files are automatically transmitted, without user interruption to the online server.
In Vaulten Online Backup’s case, CDP – Continuous Data Protection technology ensures your data is backed the moment it is created or changed.

Encryption: Data is stored highly encrypted on the online server.
When you use Vaulten, data is not only stored encrypted on the online server, but encrypted before and during transmission to the online server as well.

File Versioning: Multiple versions of file are stored based on its change history.
For e.g. with Vaulten, whenever you change an office document, the changed files are stored separately. This way users not only cover compliance requirements, but also can go back and retrieve any version of the file (remember this does not increase your storage requirement proportionately).

To sum it up, online storage can be treated as an extension to your local drive and you just use it like that. On the other hand, online backup is designed for securing data automatically for retrieval and compliance purposes.

Tags:·····

How automated online backup can save your day… or even years(s)?

March 12th, 2009 · by Matts - CEO, Vaulten

Do you get sleepless nights about your precious data not surviving a hacker attack, a power failure, a computer virus, or even a hardware failure? I certainly have been there.

And that was my inspiration to start Vaulten Online Backup. I went through different online backup services available in the market and realized that there are gaps; primarily the trust factor, but I have already covered that here.

Let me quickly tell you how automated backup, like Vaulten can save your life…

It’s completely automated
Once Vaulten is installed, you don’t even have to lift a finger. Files are backed as it is created or changed. You can always optionally configure which files or section of your PC you want to be backed.

The program though working in the background never slows down your PC or internet connection. And when it backs up changes in files, it only backs the difference.

Data is stored offsite
All your data that you choose to be secured are backed up offsite to a highly secure data center. From here it is then stored in multiple, geographically segregated servers.

No more tape drives, CDs or USB drives that not only has high chances of getting compromised by fire, natural disasters etc., but also a higher chance of damage.

Recovery is on-demand
If you ever lose your data or have the need to restore any file, then recovery is just at your fingertip.  With Vaulten, you simply open the program and click on ‘Restore’, from where you just browse through and select the file(s) that need to be restored.

No CDs, tape drives and restoring complete batches. Here you may treat online backup as a secure drive available to you.

Vaulten’s aim is to provide completely automated, secure online backup to small business and individuals who earlier could not avail such a service owing its complexity and cost. But with little investment and a trusted technology partner like Vaulten and IBM, the risk can be quite small. The risk of doing nothing or operating with insufficient backup coverage, on the other hand, is much greater.

Tags:······

How valuable are your digital assets?

March 9th, 2009 · by Matts - CEO, Vaulten

One user of Vaulten Online Backup had asked me which data package he should subscribe to. With further discussions, it came to light that he had more than 150GB of data on his PC… mainly a lot of TV shows that he had recorded and kept. Effectively, for his emails and business documents he required only 5GB. I advised him to take up a 5GB plan and keep a local backup of his TV shows.

I would say this applies to everyone who is looking for an online backup solution. You need to ask yourself on how valuable your digital assets are, and then ensure the most valuables are stored in the safest location.

With Vaulten you can always manage this from your computer by clicking the ‘Backup’ button, from where you can select the files you want to backup and leave the ones you do not wish to backup. Remember when you backup your files to any provider including Vaulten; you not only have to look into the space you wish to utilize, but also the bandwidth usage. To backup 150GB of space you may need weeks, depending on your internet speed and watch out if you are paying for additional GB usage to your internet provider. 

After all it only makes sense to pay for securing your files if it’s valuable to you.

Tags:···

Success comes with focus. Like pure online backup.

March 5th, 2009 · by Matts - CEO, Vaulten

I am a big believer in focus. Many friends and users have asked me repeatedly about adding multiple features complimenting Vaulten Online Backup.

These included files sharing, remote access, syncing multiple devices, photo sharing and the list goes on…

Let me take you back to the era when there was this army of online storage companies, all trying to support their services through advertising. They failed miserably because, as Om Malik pointed out in his blog: http://gigaom.com/2008/08/06/how-to-stand-out-in-a-sea-of-storage-startups

“In order to make a decent amount money off advertising, these startups need to generate hundreds of millions of page views, unlikely unless they allow people to share large files, which can often lead to a legal mess.”

These services generally came with hoards of features and all of them had one thing in common: Lack of focus. It was obviously hard to market and by then they realized that the more features they had the worse they seem to sell, they were dead.
If you are doing too many things you are not doing one thing right. An example would be of Amazon S3, which may be the only online storage company that makes sense, as they actually charge for storage.

There is no denying that pure Online Backup is growing with leaders enjoying double-digit month-over-month revenue growth. And investors and corporations are paying good money for companies in this space; EMC paid $63M for Mozy, Symantec paid $123M for Swapdrive, and recently Hitachi has agreed to acquire Fabrik Inc, to name a few.

Online backup, as opposed to online storage, is a great subscription business. And in this industry you get what you pay for.

Tags:·····

The story of data encryption

March 2nd, 2009 · by Matts - CEO, Vaulten

The definition in English: Encryption is a means of scrambling information for transmission.

Sounds good! So if my data is encrypted while being sent to offsite servers then it is safe? The answer would be ‘No’. What you need to check is three things:

  1. Encryption before transmission,
  2. Encryption during transmission and
  3. Encryption after transmission

Many online backup services don’t provide even one of the above. This is very critical for the safety of your crucial files.

Vaulten uses high-level technology to safeguard data before, during and after transmission: 128-bit Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption, which is used by banks and online trading and financial companies to transmit highly confidential information, helps ensure that data is protected at all times.

See this and more details on how Vaulten is so secure, at our website: http://www.vaulten.com/IBMsecurity

Tags:···

IDC predicted fourfold growth for Online Backup services. And then…

February 26th, 2009 · by Matts - CEO, Vaulten

Last year IDC mentioned “Fueled by Tremendous Growth in Data Generation, Online Backup Services Market Is Emerging and Poised to Grow Fourfold by 2011”.

Well to me it looks like these estimates are being outpaced quickly, but that’s another story. The reason this topic came to my mind is because they had mentioned another important factor in their study:

“Year-over-year growth will slow beginning in 2010, as services practices begin to standardize, pricing competition has an impact, the supplier community consolidates, and in some cases online backup becomes a built-in feature in other online/Web-based services offerings.”

I doubt this. Millions of newer computers keep coming and with the death of tape drive now inevitable, the growth of online backup may continue for another couple of years more than predicted by IDC.

And yes, it may eventually become part of other services such as anti-virus or a bundled suite from your ISP.

Tags:··

Is your data really safe with online backup companies?

February 23rd, 2009 · by Matts - CEO, Vaulten

I was reading this article on CNET by Michael Horowitz, which goes as “Everybody likes Mozy–except me”.

I couldn’t agree more with Michael on the ‘Big Sin’ part where he mentions:

“An obvious reason for making backups is to be protected from accidentally deleting files. If your fingers slip while typing, you can wipe out dozens of files and not realize it. Or someone else using your computer might delete them. Or there may be a glitch in the file system and Windows loses track of some files.

If you delete a file by accident and don’t notice it, Mozy will delete the backups of the file too. I kid you not.”

This is the case with most leading consumer focused online backup companies. And that may be the most compelling reason why businesses and individuals need something they can count on.

Thanks to Michael for the crucial insights that many reviewers missed. He goes on to point out:

“In their free service Mozy offers 2GB of storage space to anyone who feels like asking for it. The less space someone uses, the better it is for them. In their paid service, Mozy offers unlimited storage for $55 per year. Here, too, the less space a customer uses the better it is for Mozy. In this context, it makes sense for them to delete as many files as possible. It’s a natural outgrowth of their business model…

…Mozy customers are, in effect, trying to get something for nothing with unlimited storage for only $55 per year. It’s too good to be true.”

Take a deep breath. It’s still not too late…

Tags:··

“Spare me the ticket…” Vaulten Support is now available through Twitter

February 21st, 2009 · by Matts - CEO, Vaulten

We at Vaulten are big believers of social media. So here we come at: http://twitter.com/vaulten

Vaulten users can now interact with our team using twitter. With this, now not only our customers can avoid support tickets, but also get a quicker response. And I personally recommend this to all who can use it.

twitter-bird

That also would be the secret of avoiding support tickets at Vaulten.

Tags:····

Are you covering the risk of compliance?

February 18th, 2009 · by Matts - CEO, Vaulten

Regulatory compliance requirements have become stricter in the past and it is mandatory for all publicly traded companies in the US and other regions.

You may not be a publicly traded company, but you may be one who provides services to these companies as a small business or consultant. Let me share some of the Data Regulations in place today:

Sarbanes-Oxley Act
Known as SOX, this Act requires company financial executives to be culpable for financial reporting. Independent auditors review financial controls and processes to ensure accurate financial reporting. Controls of records and processes are preserved to prevent fraudulent activities. 

Healthcare Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
The Healthcare Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requires, among other things, the securing of patient information.

Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard
The four major credit card associations in the United States (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover Network) adopted a consolidated data security standard (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard; PCIDSS). Compliance is required of merchants accepting these cards.  

European Union Data Protection Directive
The European Union Data Protection Directive (EUDPD) standardizes the protection of data privacy for citizens throughout the European Union (EU) by providing baseline requirements that all member states must achieve through national implementing legislation

Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act
The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act addresses the protection of nonpublic personal information, requiring that financial records are properly secured, safeguarded, and eventually disposed of in a manner that completely destroys the information.

Breach Notification Legislation
California’s Senate Bill 1386 (SB1386) requires notification to California residents regarding any breach to the security of a computing system containing personal information. 

Japan’s Personal Information Protection Act
 The Personal Information Protection Act applies to government or private entities that collect, handle, or use personal information of 5,000 or more individuals. 

So briefly, you will note that if you are keeping all your data, securing it and preserving it, then you are covering the compliance requirements. And one of the most important aspects to regulatory compliance is full accessibility to the stored data.

With Vaulten, all your data is stored in multiple versions as long as you do not manually delete it. And as with most other online backups, there is no limit on how long your data is stored on our secure backend.  Besides, data is stored on highly secure, redundant (geographically segregated) IBM powered and managed servers.

Tags:·····