Acronis True Image 2021 offers both cybersecurity and backup

Acronis, a global cyberprotection provider, has released Acronis True Image 2021. The new release integrates advanced cybersecurity capabilities with personal backup to create a personal cyberprotection solution for home users, prosumers, and micro businesses - those under five seats - around the world.

As more people stay away from their offices, securing home machines has never been more important. Despite this, a recent Acronis survey found nearly half (47%) of remote workers have never received clear guidance on working from home.

Incorporating cybersecurity capabilities such as real-time antimalware protection, on-demand antivirus scans, web filtering, and videoconference protection into Acronis True Image ensures users have complete cyberprotection.

“As more people work or attend classes from home, the FBI documents a 400% increase in cyberattacks because hackers know home systems are not usually as well-defended as an office,” said Serguei “SB” Beloussov, founder and CEO of Acronis.

“Backup without cybersecurity is an incomplete option in that situation, as is cybersecurity without backup. Acronis True Image 2021 delivers the easy, efficient, and secure cyberprotection needed today.”

At the virtual launch of Acronis True Image 2021 Acronis executives highlighted the three pillars of the all-in-one solution: backup and recovery, antimalware and antivirus, as well as easy management.

"The traditional security perimeter of their offices are not applicable any more because, essentially, everybody is working on edge devices outside the security perimeter of their companies, " elaborated Stas Protassov, Acronis Technology President and Co-founder on why remote workers are vulnerable.

"You're not behind the firewall installed by your security officer. You're potentially quite an attractive target for attackers."

Threats can be both internal and external - data can be lost in error, through theft, hardware failure as well as through cyberattacks. Since backup software and files are often the targets of cyberattacks to prevent recovery, backup alone no longer provides suitable protection for users. Similarly, conventional cybersecurity solutions do not provide the data protection and recovery capabilities users need, said Acronis.

Relying on multiple products that were not designed to work together creates security gaps, is more complex to manage, and is more costly, the company added. Acronis True Image 2021 addresses these challenges by proactively stopping any malware attack and then quickly restoring affected files. An intuitive interface reduces the complexity of managing both security and backups.

For the last few years, Acronis True Image has been the only personal backup solution with a built-in anti-ransomware that stops attacks in real-time, while automatically restoring any affected files. With the launch of Acronis True Image 2021, those capabilities are expanded with the addition of the company’s advanced antimalware technology, which is currently deployed in Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud.

This full-stack antimalware uses both behavioural analysis and signature-based analysis engines for detection, and has been shown by independent security labs such as Virus Bulletin and AV-Test to return a 100% detection rate with zero false positives*.

Features that are new in 2021 include:

- Real-time protection, driven by artificial intelligence (AI)-enhanced behavioural heuristics, which stops all malware – including zero-day attacks**

- On-demand antivirus scans of the full system or quick scans of at-risk files, either of which can be scheduled in advance or run immediately

- Web filtering that automatically blocks Windows users from accessing malicious websites that harbour malware, disinformation, scams, and phishing attacks

- Videoconference protection prevents hackers and malware injection attacks from exploiting popular apps like Zoom, Cisco Webex, and Microsoft Teams

These advanced antimalware capabilities are included with Advanced and Premium licenses, and offered as a three-month trial with the Standard and Essential licenses.

Acronis True Image 2021 gives individuals and small businesses access to the same protection technologies relied on by global companies and professional sports teams. “Cyberprotection is a top priority for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing,” explained Bobby Rahal, co-owner of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.

“When our races were on pause, Acronis continued to provide protection for our team working remotely. Now, with Acronis True Image, everyone can safeguard their personal data against the worst-case scenario.”

Protassov said that Acronis also adds additional protection through offering training on identifying suspicious interactions, monitoring for unexpected user activities, and encrypting the data from customers that flows through Acronis. 

This data encryption can be initiated by the client, who provides the encryption key. "(Acronis cannot) actually decrypt it without you providing us with the ability to do so," Protassov said.

Acronis unifies data protection and cybersecurity to deliver integrated, automated cyberprotection that solves the safety, accessibility, privacy, authenticity, and security (SAPAS) challenges of the modern digital world. Its portfolio includes next-generation antivirus, backup, disaster recovery, and endpoint protection management solutions backed by AI-based anti-malware and Blockchain-based data authentication technologies.

Details:

Four editions of Acronis True Image are available: Standard, Essential, Advanced and Premium. One-computer licenses starting at S$82 for Standard and S$68 for Essential. Special launch prices for the Advanced and Premium licenses (starting at S$96 and S$137, respectively) are available until November 2020, at which time the full manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) will go into effect. Under the MSRP guidelines, pricing will start at S$123 and S$171, respectively.

Acronis recommends that businesses with five or more seats use Acronis Cyberprotect.

Some functionalities are not available for the Mac but the plan is for feature parity in the long term.

Hashtag: #CyberFit

*Some security solutions miss some of the malware presented in tests, so they would be classed as having a detection rate of under 100%. Additionally, some solutions will claim there is malware present when there is not. This is called a false positive.

**Zero-day attacks are attacks on vulnerabilities which have just been discovered, ie zero days since discovery. Such attacks are most likely to be successful as the vulnerability has not yet been patched.

Acronis True Image 2020 automates 3-2-1 backup model

Acronis, a global cyberprotection provider, has released Acronis True Image 2020, a new version of its personal cyberprotection solution. The new version enables users to automatically replicate local backups in the cloud – making it the first personal solution to automate the 3-2-1 backup rule that data protection experts almost universally recommend.

The release helps bring to life the Acronis vision of cyberprotection, which combines traditional data protection and cybersecurity into one solution. As a result of this approach, Acronis True Image 2020 is the only personal solution to address all five vectors of cyberprotection – ensuring the safety, accessibility, privacy, authenticity, and security of data (SAPAS).

“Considering how much we rely on data today, our digital assets have never been more valuable. But that use also means we’re dealing with more data and more devices than ever before. Protecting it all from the ever-growing risk of cyberthreats presents a few challenges – such as increased complexity, security, and cost concerns,” said Serguei “SB” Beloussov, founder and CEO of Acronis.

“By making comprehensive cyberprotection easy, efficient and secure, Acronis can help individuals ensure all of their data is protected.”

According to Acronis, the backup rule refers to:

- Creating three copies of data: one primary copy and two backups

- Storing the copies in at least two types of storage media, such as a local drive, a network shared/network-attached storage device, or a tape drive for example

- Storing one of the copies offsite, such as in the cloud - dual protection, as it were.

The Dual Protection replication feature is one of more than 100 enhancements and new capabilities incorporated into Acronis True Image 2020. While independent labs have already concluded that Acronis True Image is up to 10 times faster than the competition, the 2020 release introduces a new backup format that delivers better overall performance, including even better backup and recovery speeds. It also enables users to browse files in their cloud backups more quickly.

In addition to the improved technology behind its backups, Acronis True Image 2020 ensures users can keep their data safe wherever they are. The new release lets users select which Wi-Fi networks they allow backups to run on, allowing them to avoid the metered connections and insecure public networks that can put their data at risk.

Users also want to ensure their backups don’t interfere with their computer use, such as having a backup drain the battery of their laptop while they are using it. With Acronis True Image 2020, users control when backups run while the laptop is operating on battery power. They can prevent backups when on battery completely or customise a minimum power level – so if the battery goes under 40% capacity, backups will not run.

A new Tray Notifications Center provides users with real-time updates about the status of backups so they can resolve issues quickly. They will also receive the latest news to improve their cyber protection. 

For the last three years, Acronis True Image has been the only personal backup solution with a built-in antimalware defense that is powered by artificial intelligence (AI). The integrated technology, called Acronis Active Protection, stops ransomware and cryptojacking attacks in real time – automatically restoring any affected files.

Rather than scanning for known malware signatures, the technology monitors the system for behaviours that indicate attacks. As a result of this approach, it is effective at detecting and defeating any kind of attack, including ransomware strains that have never been seen before. In fact, it blocked more than 400,000 ransomware attacks last year. The company has further enhanced this AI-powered defense for the launch of Acronis True Image 2020. The new version includes enhanced machine learning models to make Acronis True Image 2020 even more effective at stopping cyberthreats of all kinds.

Enabling automatic replication of local backups in the cloud is the latest Acronis innovation. Acronis firsts for data protection include being the first to offer full image backups* to home users and the first backup to offer the ability to clone a system disk – on both Windows and Mac systems – when it is in use. It is still the only personal backup solution that includes an integrated anti-malware defense powered by AI, as well as Blockchain-based data authenticity certification and verification.

Acronis solves SAPAS challenges with backup, security, disaster recovery, and enterprise file sync and share solutions that run in hybrid cloud environments. The company is trusted by 80% of Fortune 1000 companies and has over 5 million customers.

Details:

Three versions of Acronis True Image are available:

Standard is a perpetual license designed for customers who store their data on local drives only. No cloud storage or cloud-based features are included. This option includes local backup of an unlimited number of mobile devices. Pricing starts at US$29.99 for one computer.

Advanced, the most popular option, is a one-year subscription that includes 250 GB of Acronis Cloud Storage and access to all cloud-based features, including both local and cloud backups of an unlimited number of mobile devices. Pricing starts at US$49.99 per year for one computer.

Premium is a one-year subscription that includes Blockchain-based data certification and electronic signature capabilities, as well as 1 TB of Acronis Cloud Storage. This starts at S$99.99 per year for one computer.

All versions include Acronis Active Protection, the AI-powered antimalware defense, and cover an unlimited number of mobile devices. Subscription customers can purchase additional cloud storage as needed.

Explore:

Watch a video illustrating the 3-2-1 backup rule

*An image refers to making an exact copy of the software and operating system of a computer, right down to application configurations.

Acronis rolls out Acronis True Image 2019

- The new Acronis Survival Kit: An all-in-one universal recovery tool for your system

- The new active disk cloning for Mac: Migrate all your data from a Mac to another device

- Acronis Active Protection: AI fights off ransomware attacks

- Acronis Notary and ASign: Blockchain tech ensures data integrity with notarisation and e-signing

- Backup for Social networks: All profiles are now defended

Acronis, a global player in cyberprotection and hybrid cloud solutions, has released the 15-year anniversary edition of its personal backup software, Acronis True Image 2019. Acronis' artificial intelligence (AI)-based anti-ransomware technology – which is integrated into all of its backup solutions, including the new product – stopped more than 200,000 ransomware attacks on 150,000 customers last year. With current ransoms demanding an average of US$522 per attack, the defense has prevented at least US$104 million in damage.

Acronis says Acronis True Image 2019 is the only home solution that allows users to make full image backups to both local and cloud storage, or lets users clone an active system disk on either a Windows or Mac machine – capabilities that strengthen the user’s control over their data protection and management.

Acronis President John Zanni notes, “How people use data is constantly changing, as are the threats to that data. To create the kind of modern protection users need, our approach is to deliver total cyberprotection, blending proven backup with effective security features. The Anniversary Edition of Acronis True Image continues that long-standing commitment.”

In an August survey done by users on websites in the Google Surveys Publisher Network, Acronis discovered that Singapore users believe human error causes the most data loss, but are generally not willing to pay to recover lost files.

Nearly 29% said data loss had been mostly caused by human error, while another 28% attributed losses mostly to hardware failure.

Slightly under one-third (32.5%) had heard of ransomware, but the majority (65.4%) said they would not pay to get their files back, whether the files were lost because of ransomware or data loss. A further 21% said they would not pay more than US$50, though 1.9% of respondents said they were willing to cough up more than US$500.

Survey findings included:

- More than half (53.9%) of respondents do not back up their computers

- Four in 10 (42.9%) had lost important files and photos from their computer or mobile device

Easy backup

By adding the ability to create an all-in-one recovery tool on an external hard drive, Acronis True Image 2019 makes restoring a system as easy as plugging in the external drive. Called the Acronis Survival Kit, it is meant to be as comprehensive and flexible in emergencies as a Swiss army knife – containing everything a user needs to restore a system from boot media to the system partition and all of their backups.

Creating backups is also easier with new event-based scheduling options, such as automatically backing up when an external USB drive is attached. For a personal backup solution that already offers tremendous customization, the new trigger-based options provide even more flexibility to users.

While Acronis True Image is known for its ability to let users recover their system to the same or dissimilar hardware, improved WinPE media makes the power of Universal Restore even greater. The new WinPE builder streamlines media creation by detecting network adapters and configuring network settings so a user can recover their system through an Ethernet connection as well as a Wi-Fi network. WinPE stands for Windows Preinstallation Environment, a version of Windows used for troubleshooting and installation.

Efficient operations

Not everyone wants things to be automated, and the new Backup Cleanup utility builds on that desire for data control. It allows users to free up disk space by manually selecting unnecessary versions of backups and deleting unneeded files – so they can keep what they need.

Some of the enhancements in the 2019 release relate to improving performance. A new file-to-cloud format, for example, increases the reliability and performance of cloud backups for both Windows and Mac, and the user interface is now more intuitive.

Secure data and devices

Acronis True Image 2019 features an improved version of the Acronis ransomware defense. In addition to protecting the data, files and systems on the local PC or Mac, the updated Acronis Active Protection technology now protects data on network shares and NAS, addressing the increased reliance of these devices in home networks.

Acronis technology is deployed by users of all types, including the Arsenal Football Club and Williams Martini Formula 1 Racing.

Source: Acronis survey. Causes of data loss.

Details:

There are three editions of Acronis True Image 2019:

- Standard is a perpetual license designed for customers who store their data on local drives only. No cloud storage or cloud-based features are included. Pricing starts at US$49.99 for one computer.

- Advanced is a one-year subscription that includes 250 GB of Acronis Cloud Storage and access to all cloud-based features. Pricing starts at US$49.99 per year for one computer.

- Premium is a one-year subscription that includes Blockchain-based data certification and electronic signature capabilities, as well as 1 TB of Acronis Cloud Storage. Starts at US$99.99 per year for one computer.

All versions include Acronis Active Protection against ransomware and cover an unlimited number of mobile devices. Subscription customers can purchase additional cloud storage as needed.

Acronis True Image 2018 has AI technology for ransomware detection

Beloussov introducing Acronis ahead of the launch of Acronis True Image 2018.

Acronis, a global player in hybrid cloud data protection for business and consumers, will be leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) in all of its products. "AI is a very conceptually complicated field today but it doesn't require many people," Serguei Beloussov, co-founder and CEO of Acronis, shared. "We will invest in the use of AI across all products."

What's new in Acronis True Image 2018. Eight of the over 240 new enhancements are highlighted.

Beloussov was speaking at the launch of the flagship Acronis True Image 2018, an intelligent backup solution with an AI-based ransomware defense for both personal and home office data protection. While classic cybersecurity tools focus on discovering and preventing malware, Acronis True Image safeguards the data directly so that even if data loss should occur, the data is safe, Beloussov said.

Data loss through ransomware may have captured the public imagination in recent months but the truth is that data loss can occur in many ways. Acronis has found that people can lose data through accidental deletions, malware, damage to hardware, hardware failure, theft, or through simply forgetting their passwords. This makes a good backup solution paramount. Acronis True Image 2018 includes major updates to the software's backup and recovery capabilities, and is the first personal backup tool to incorporate AI-based technology designed to actively protect data against ransomware, Acronis said.

“As the first company to offer full image backup for consumers, Acronis pioneered intelligent backup for home use,” said Beloussov. “Acronis True Image 2018 continues that tradition as the first and only personal backup software that uses artificial intelligence to defend consumers against one of the fastest growing threats to their data.”

Acronis True Image is built on the three pillars of reliability, ease of use, and security, said Beloussov: users want recovery success every time, on every device; they want setups completed in a handful of clicks, with no interruptions or maintenance time; and they want their data to be protected. “We believe that everybody should be completely protected in what they do without making an effort,” he said.

By combining the company’s artificial intelligence (AI) based ransomware defense, called Acronis Active Protection, with a new generation of enhanced backup and recovery capabilities such as active disk cloning and automated WinPE boot media creation, Acronis is positioning Acronis True Image 2018 as a new standard of intelligent backup for individuals, families and small businesses.

In a survey of Acronis customers during July 2017, 95% of respondents said they choose and recommend Acronis True Image because the backups are so reliable. The 2018 release improves on those core backup and recovery capabilities even more, with enhancements such as:

Active disk cloning

Users can create an exact replica of an active Windows system without stopping and restarting using bootable media, making migration to a faster or larger disk even easier. More than 50% of Acronis customers use disk cloning to migrate from smaller drives to larger drives, from hard disk drives (HDD) to solid state drives (SSD), and from old drives to new ones.

Updated media builder

Acronis further found that over 50% of Acronis customers use bootable media to recover or migrate to the new hardware. Acronis True Image 2018 automatically creates boot media for a Windows preinstallation environment (WinPE), so users can quickly resolve driver configuration issues and recover their systems to the same or new hardware.

Continuous backup to the cloud

Users can update their backups as they work on files while securely storing an offsite version in the cloud. Updates are made every five minutes, on a low system footprint that has no visible impact on system performance, the company said. Acronis statistics show that 50% of Acronis customers use both local and cloud backup.

Support for slow connections

Incremental backups are now up to three times faster with new Changed-Block Tracker technology that tracks image changes in real time. This helps the 90% of Acronis customers who use incremental full image backup. Acronis shared that 30% of them have slow Internet connections.

Network-attached storage (NAS) support

More than a quarter of Acronis users (26%) have NAS at home, Acronis notes. With this feature, backing up a mobile device can begin automatically, as soon as the mobile device connects to the same Wi-Fi as the NAS. The process can be done with a QR code and a mobile app.

Instagram backup - available in Asia in September

Acronis True Image 2018 also addresses the needs of digital users by expanding its support for social media with automatic backups of Instagram accounts, including photos, comments and statistics, such as the number of likes, tags or comments a post gets. The company noted that Instagram backup is the feature that is most requested by users of Facebook backup.

Virtual drive conversion

Users can test the recoverability of the full image backups, or run their system in a Hyper-V virtual environment to test various applications without risking the primary system,. They can also move complete system image as a virtual drive to another computer.

Status updates

A new visual interface addresses the preferences of 83% of Acronis customers who reported that they want more information and insights into their backups. Graphically displaying backup activity and statistics, it allows users to manage their backups at a glance – including how much data they have stored, the types of files in storage, and the status of backups.

Ransomware protection through Acronis Active Protection 2.0

Expect to see more ransomware, so much so that it will be like catching the flu - it will be everywhere, and everyone will get it sometime, Beloussov said. "The number of ransomware attacks will only grow because it is a very, very good way to make money," he observed, predicting that ransomware protection will become mandatory for any backup software.

More than 60% percent of Acronis customers surveyed said they worry about ransomware, and Acronis has addressed their concerns across different stages of the ransomware cycle in the 2018 edition. "We believe that at the moment we have the best anti-ransomware software on the market – with Windows Defender and Acronis True Image installed on top of it you are completely safe from a ransomware attack," Beloussov said.

Ransomware damages are expected to top US$5 billion this year, and Acronis’ self-defense of backup files is Acronis True Image 2018’s way to ensure a user’s data remains untouched. While cybercriminals increasingly target backup files to keep users from restoring their system without paying the ransom, Acronis’ technology specifically defends backup files as well as the original data.

Acronis True Image 2018 not only makes recovery automatic, it takes the initial protection a step further by preventing ransomware from corrupting a user’s data in the first place. With new real-time monitoring, Acronis Active Protection 2.0 verifies all processes so approved activities are allowed to run, while potentially dangerous behaviour is detected and stopped. Should any files be encrypted during a ransomware attack, Acronis True Image 2018 automatically restores those files from backup.

Using machine learning models and trained on a dataset of over 100 million events, Acronis Active Protection recognises unusual patterns of file access in real-time, even if they are disguised as legitimate processes. These models are generated in Acronis’ dedicated Cloud AI infrastructure, and incorporated directly into Acronis Active Protection, allowing Acronis True Image 2018 to protect a system’s data independently, without the need for an Internet connection.

When Active Protection detects unusual activity, it checks the process using both heuristics analysis as well as those models of expected and unexpected behaviour. If the process is identified as potentially malicious, Acronis True Image 2018 alerts the user of the suspicious activity in one or two millseconds. Beloussov shared that the software has 99.95% accuracy in detecting ransomware and that the capability to predict potential software, hardware and system failures are in the works.

He explained: "We can deal with things that are not known to be ransomware. As more and more users use our software we will get better and better at the prevention of ransomware." Ransomware like Cerber, for instance, do not follow the typical profile of ransomware today, he said. The malware will work very slowly to encrypt file headers instead of the entire file, corrupting files at an undetectable rate versus ransomware which encrypts all of the files at one time.

A new Security Dashboard gives users complete visibility over Acronis Active Protection so they can track the number of processes that have been flagged as potentially dangerous, see which ones were blocked, and manage a whitelist of trusted applications.

Active Protection 2.0 is also available for the Mac, and has already identified the Patcher ransomware masquerading as Adobe Premiere CC as well as KeRanger, distributed as a popular BitTorrent app.

Acronis True Image has more than 1 million consumer customers in Asia, more than 100,000 business customers in Asia and 30,000-plus partners worldwide. Acronis Active Protection, developed in Singapore, had over 10,000 unique users globally with version 1.0 that released January 2017.

Interested?

Review the new features in Acronis True Image 2018. Instagram backup is available in selected markets and will be available worldwide on September 4, 2017

Acronis True Image 2018 is available for purchase online and through major software resellers and retail stores worldwide. Three editions of Acronis True Image 2018 are available, all of which include Acronis Active Protection against ransomware and cover an unlimited number of mobile devices:

The Standard version is a perpetual license that is offered without any cloud storage or access to cloud-based features for customers who prefer to store their data on local drives only. Annual pricing starts at S$69.99 for one computer.

Advanced is a one-year subscription that includes 250 GB of cloud storage and access to all cloud-based features. Pricing starts at S$69.99 per year for one computer.

Premium is a one-year subscription that includes Blockchain-based data certification and electronic signature capabilities, as well as 1 TB of cloud storage. Pricing starts at S$99.99 per year for one computer.

Advanced and Premium subscribers can purchase additional cloud storage within the application. Advanced Licenses can upgrade to a maximum of 500 GB. If more storage is needed, Advanced users can upgrade to a Premium License, which offers cloud storage of up to 5 TB.

Watch the Instavideo on disk cloning in Acronis True Image 2018

Seagate makes desktop backup solution more versatile

Seagate has introduced the Seagate Backup Plus Hub, with up to 8TB capacity, for backup storage.

Based on Seagate’s Backup Plus Desktop the solution includes two USB 3.0 ports for connecting and charging devices. The USB slots can charge up to two devices even if the computer is not powered on.

Devices connected directly to the Backup Plus Hub can be used for data transfers as if they were plugged directly into a computer. The Backup Plus Hub is also compatible with Android and iOS devices.

Cloud backup is available with the Seagate Dashboard software, which includes 200GB of Microsoft OneDrive cloud storage free for two years.

Interested?

The 8TB Backup Plus Hub is available at Challenger outlets in Singapore for S$599.

posted from Bloggeroid

Acronis True Image 2017 supports Facebook, backups, wireless and remote backups

Source: Acronis. Acronis True Image 2017.

Acronis, a leading provider of hybrid cloud data protection, today announced Acronis True Image 2017, the latest release of the world’s fastest personal backup software.

Acronis True Image 2017 combines the Acronis full image local and cloud backup for computers with new wireless backup for mobile devices to local Windows computers or the secure Acronis Cloud, support for an unlimited number of mobile devices, and complete backup of Facebook account data.

“Personal data is increasingly residing on mobile devices and in social media accounts,” said Serguei Beloussov, co-founder, and CEO of Acronis. “Acronis True Image 2017 protects all data no matter where it resides and provides the fastest and easiest backup in the industry.”

Acronis True Image technology is the fastest full image backup and recovery software for personal use on the market*, including:

•  Three to six times faster on Windows computers than competing products for backing up and recovering using an external USB 3.0 drive.
• Thirty percent faster than the Apple Time Machine on Apple computers.
• Sixty percent faster than previous versions of Acronis True Image in popular scenarios.

Source: Acronis. Acronis is a global partner for the Scuderia Toro Rosso Formula 1 Racing Team.

As a global partner of the Scuderia Toro Rosso Formula 1 Racing Team, Acronis put its technologies to the test in workloads demanded by the most technologically advanced sport. “Instant access to the massive amounts of data we generate every race is an absolute requirement for our team to win,” said Scuderia Toro Rosso Team’s Principal Franz Tost. “If we lose data even for a few seconds, the race is lost, which is why we rely on Acronis for the most complete backup.”

Acronis True Image 2017 delivers more than 50 new features, including:

Wireless mobile device backup to Windows computers – Back up an unlimited number of iPhones, iPads, and Android mobile devices to your computer at the full speed of your local Wi-Fi network. Recover all content to the same or another device, even if it is just a single photo or contact.

Remote backup management – Protect all your computers and help others with protecting theirs, even if they are far away. Review the data protection status in real-time for any computer or mobile device data via a touch-friendly online dashboard.

Incremental Facebook backup – Automatically back up all your Facebook account content, including photos, videos, contacts, comments, and likes. Users are protected from accidental deletions, hacker attacks, application failures, or social network errors that can erase precious memories.

Archiving to the cloud or external storage devices – Free up disk space by moving large or rarely used files from your Windows or Apple computer to an external drive, network-attached storage (NAS) device, network share, or the Acronis Cloud. Access the archives by using File Explorer, Finder, or a Web browser.

Enhanced NAS – Automatically discover NAS devices available on the local network, preconfiguring them for backup storage, and automatically reconnecting them if they are temporarily unavailable.

Acronis True Image 2017 has many additional new features, such as search-in-local and Cloud backups, encryption for archives, comments for backups, Windows Explorer integration, a refreshed touch-friendly user interface on iOS and Android devices, and much more.

“It's not if your computer will crash, it’s when—and I learned that the hard way,” said Robert Tarver, an Acronis True Image user since 2015. “I was using another vendor’s file and folder backup product when my hard drive crashed. A computer repair technician informed me that only my data files were backed up; not my operating system (OS), program files, and settings. To properly back up, he recommended Acronis. It has since saved not only my computer but my wife’s computer as well. I am very thankful to Acronis for keeping my data safe.”

Interested?

Acronis True Image 2017 is available for purchase as a perpetual license, starting at S$69.99, or by subscription, starting at S$59.99 per year.

Read the TechTrade Asia blog post about the 2016 version of Acronis True Image
*According to internal testing. Third-party confirmation and details are forthcoming.

Back up Office 365 emails with new Dropsuite cloud solution

Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) can take advantage of Dropsuite's Microsoft Office 365 (O365) Email Backup & Archiving solution via resellers such as Australia-based Ozhosting and Singapore-based ICONZ-Webvisions.

Dropsuite CEO Charif Elansari said: “At Dropsuite, our engineering-first culture is all about designing intuitive solutions that can be easily purchased and used by SMEs.”

CEO of Ozhosting Doug Endersbee said: “We’re delighted to be able to offer our customers Dropsuite’s O365 Email Backup & Archiving, a comprehensive email archiving service to a ‘legal hold’ standard.

“Many of the businesses we serve are professional services such as lawyers, accountants, health, architects, and every email has the potential to contain advice or a commitment that is legally binding and must be permanently retained - these businesses need the ability to protect themselves from inadvertent or malicious deletion of emails.

“A solution that is easily deployed, completely independent and isolated from the email platform, connected in real time to capture every file, and simple to search is just what our customers need.”

Microsoft Office 365 has over 60 million monthly active commercial users, and  50,000 small businesses added every month, according to Microsoft as of Q116.

It's World Backup Day. Is your data safe?

A new global study sponsored by Acronis, a global player in hybrid cloud data protection, reveals a growing understanding about the value of, and attitudes toward, the protection of personal data on computers, mobile phones and tablet devices.

Nearly half of survey respondents have more than four devices in a household to protect and 45% of survey respondents fear losing photos and videos the most. Security and privacy were cited as key requirements for backing up data.

Emerging concerns for personal data protection

The traditional fears of hardware failure and accidental deletion are no longer the sole reasons people fear data loss. Cyberthreats like ransomware, a type of malicious software designed to block access to a computer system and its data until a sum of money is paid, is a growing threat to individuals and businesses. According to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), a partnership between the FBI and the nonprofit National White Collar Crime Center in the US, the IC3 received 992 Cr yptoWall-related (ransomware) complaints between April 2014 and June 2015, with victims reporting losses totalling over US$18 million.

According to the Kaspersky Security Bulletin 2015, Singapore suffers from malware attacks in banking ahead of other countries, with 11.6% of surveyed users targeted at least once by banking trojans throughout the year. Backup is one effective recovery option for CryptoWall and malware-related attacks.

The data protection survey, conducted by Acronis with Google Consumer Surveys, focused on understanding data protection behaviour. Key findings from the more than 4,000 individuals include:

·       The most important data protection features were security (cited by 30% of respondents), ease-of-use at 36%, and privacy at 26%.

·       Nearly half (46%) have more than four devices (computers, laptops, smart phones) in their homes.

·       Currently, 38% back up to external drives and 30% back up to the cloud.

·       58% percent of consumers back up at night and 27% perform backups while watching TV.

A new category of “data protectors”

With the median household having at least four devices, an emerging trend of users called “family data protectors” is also gaining traction. The sheer growth of data captured in mobile pictures and videos, music files, and scanned family documents means the family data protector ensures the immediate and extended family is prepared for, and protected against, data loss.

“Data loss via hardware failure, file deletion, and ransomware are factors most people don’t think about on a daily basis, but when they do occur the results are devastating,” said Steve Goh, Vice President and GM of Sales, APAC & EMM of Acronis. “Our survey results illustrate a growing general recognition of the value of data stored on family computers and devices, especially given the price people are willing to pay for their data. We hope that this new information, presented on World Backup Day, will encourage even more people to back up their data and protect their personal information.”

Three steps to improve data protection

For anyone, but especially for family data protectors, keeping digital memories and fiduciary documents safe, secure and private, is a responsibility that can be easy and inexpensive to exercise. Below are some tips:

1.      Always have a backup of a family’s critical data, documents, pictures and videos.

2.      Keep your operating systems on the most up-to-date version. Those security patches and software updates are important

3.      Be mindful of suspicious emails or clicking on links sent by unknown sources, it could be a phishing scheme or ransomware.

Interested?

Acronis True Image can protect data in three clicks and 10 minutes, the company says. Take advantage of World Backup Day special offers on Acronis True Image

posted from Bloggeroid

Dropmysite rebrands as Dropsuite

·        Brings  cloud-based website backup, email backup and archiving, mobile backup, and newly launched server backup solutions under the Dropsuite brand

·        Reaches millions of SMEs worldwide through global partners such as GoDaddy and Singtel

·        Takes aim at the US$11.92 billion disaster recovery-as-a-service (DRaaS) market

·        Helmed by former Google and Dell executive; backed by global investors

Dropmysite, a provider of cloud-based backup solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), has rebranded to Dropsuite. The rebrand sets the stage for a new global vision, business strategy and ambition around business continuity, data recovery and protection.

Dropsuite now offers backup, recovery and archiving, having consolidated standalone brands Dropmysite (website and database backup); Dropmyemail (email backup); and Dropmymobile (mobile data backup).

Dropsuite has also launched a new solution, DSE Server Backup, which provides file-based server backup. DSE Server Backup is a business continuity tool that makes data backup and recovery quick and affordable. It looks to eliminate business risks caused by avoidable data loss through public or on-premise cloud integrations of software.

The company, backed by global investors Hatcher and 500 Startups, is helmed by former Google and Dell executive Charif Elansari. Singapore-based Elansari said that “downtime and data loss is a massive issue, with a wide range of consequences, yet the backup experience for SMEs is often difficult and expensive. We see a tremendous global opportunity in helping small and medium businesses. They are underserved by IT security programmes and system architectures. We help SMEs recover and get back to business as quickly as possible, ensuring they are not out of business; it’s simply better backup.”

According to Sophos, around 30,000 SME websites are hacked each day. British insurance company Lloyd's estimates that businesses lose around US$400 billion to hackers each year. Meanwhile, research firm MarketsandMarkets estimates the disaster recovery as a service market will see significant growth, from US$1.42 billion in 2015 to US$11.92 billion in 2020 – a CAGR of 52.9%. Key to this is a sharp rise in SMEs demanding effective disaster recovery and backup services to reduce downtime costs, recovery time and complexities, and data loss.

Dropsuite recently signed partnerships with OzHosting in Australia. Other partners include GoDaddy, the world’s largest domain name registrar, GMO Internet, the No.1 hosting company in Japan, and Singtel, the leading communications group in Asia.

John Sharp, CEO of venture capital fund Hatcher, a Dropsuite investor, said: “Data backup for SMEs is a complex task, which Dropsuite has simplified. It has fantastic complementary set of products and skills, having put in place a team with a proven track record in developing platforms and cloud-based solutions. In just a short amount of time, Dropsuite has signed a number of leading global partners. We are confident of Dropsuite’s potential to continue solving complex business issues around continuity, fast achieving its global ambitions and capabilities.”

Interested?

Watch the rebranding video

posted from Bloggeroid

Acronis unveils enhanced True Image family, promises frequent updates

Beloussov kicking off the Acronis True Image 2016 launch.

Acronis, the global new generation data protection provider, yesterday announced the release of Acronis True Image Cloud and Acronis True Image 2016 in Singapore, where it is headquartered.

Serguei Beloussov, Acronis Co-Founder and CEO, predicted that data protection will soon become one of our basic needs, on par with air, water, food and shelter. "Data is like a complete life record. Preserving data is important today and it is going to be more important in the future. At some point... every piece of data should be kept forever," he said. "We believe is that backup should be really really easy."

The newest versions of its backup solution for consumers have gone beyond packages for individuals to families and home office users as well. The family comprises an updated Acronis True Image, a universal full image backup solution that can complete a 20 GB full image backup in eight minutes; and the new Acronis True Image Cloud, which provides complete protection both locally and in the cloud.

Acronis True Image Cloud features multi-device and new mobile device support – including Android, iPhone, and iPad devices and Windows tablets – a new easy-to-use online dashboard that lets users manage all devices from a single place, unlimited cloud storage and a new personal archiving feature.

Danny Ong, Business Manager to the CEO, Acronis, demonstrates how easy it is to back up to the Acronis cloud.

Acronis True Image Cloud provides complete protection against data loss disasters and mishaps, including accidental file deletions and user errors, as well as damaged devices, loss and theft. Acronis True Image Cloud makes it easier than ever to:

Protect all devices
PCs, Macs and newly expanded support for Android, iPhone, and iPad devices, and Windows tablets, extends protection to the world's most popular computers, laptops, and mobile devices in use today.

Manage multiple device backups centrally
The new online dashboard allows a single user to manage the backup and recovery of multiple devices from one place – with the ability to access it from any device and location via a web browser.

Store and archive data in the cloud
Unlimited cloud space and the new personal archiving capability for moving large and rarely used files to the secure Acronis Cloud makes sure that users can conserve physical storage,l while freeing-up hard drives to keep computers running smoothly. Users can access and view archived files from any device and can archive data by type and size.

Powered by the Acronis AnyData Engine 
A set of powerful data protection technologies that capture, store, recover, control, and access any data from any location – Acronis True Image features full image technology that ensures users never lose data by protecting everything with the ability to restore only what is needed – from a single lost file to an entire computer. The new Acronis True Image features:

Speed 
Saves time with the fastest backup and restore in the industry both locally and in the cloud – up to 50% faster than the competition.

Safety, security, privacy 
Ensures that data is always secure with a user-defined private key that uses AES-256 encryption and secure communication channels, securing data in transit and in the cloud. Only the owner of data can access and manage data protected in the Acronis Cloud, using a password - not even Acronis knows what is in the encrypted data.

Flexible storage options 
Back up data to multiple sources and destinations, including a local drive, external drive, local or remote network, and the Acronis Cloud, as well as third party cloud storage destinations available through local file system integration. Different backup plans may be set up for full system backup, specific files and/or folders.

Optimised for Windows 10 and the Mac OS X operating systems 
Also includes support for Master Boot Record (MBR) and GUID Partition Table (GPT), BIOS and Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI), and WIMBoot.

Real-time release updates 
Get the latest technology updates with a cloud subscription model that ensures users get immediate access to every new release.

Acronis True Image 2016 is now available for local-only backup and recovery. Acronis True Image 2016 provides entire computer backup and bare-metal restore, and/or migration to new computers using a local hard drive.

The 2016 edition also brings back 'try & decide' capability, providing a controlled, temporary environment to safely test new software, drivers, and system configurations. Acronis True Image 2016 is also powered by the Acronis AnyData Engine.

"The new Acronis True Image combines the most advanced technology for backup with an extremely easy and intuitive user experience to provide complete data protection – from pictures, videos and precious personal information to applications and entire computer systems," said Beloussov. "It's the only solution on the market that gives users complete freedom to protect their data anywhere – in the cloud, locally or a mix of both – on any device."

Interested?

Acronis True Image Cloud with unlimited cloud backup and archiving space costs:

o S$139.99 per year for one computer and three devices
o S$214.99 per year for three computers and ten devices
o S$269.99 per year for five computers and fifteen devices

Acronis True Image 2016 for local only backup and restore costs:

o S$69.99 for one computer
o S$109.99 for three computers
o S$139.99 for five computers

Purchase, or get a free trial

Acronis True Image is also available at major retailers. In Singapore, Acronis True Image is also available at Challenger and Digital Style.

posted from Bloggeroid

Veeam launches free backup tool

Source: Veeam video.

Veeam has released a free solution for backing up Windows-based desktops and laptops that requires no additional software or purchases. 

Backup destinations include external hard drives, and shared folders on the network in addition to other options. Veeam Endpoint Backup FREE also enables the creation of bootable recovery media, which helps users to fix issues with their machine which may prevent the operating system from booting. 

Download Veeam Endpoint Backup FREE here, and view the associated video here.

Hitachi drives receive vote of confidence

In a January 2014 blog post, cloud-based backup provider Backblaze says Hitachi and Western Digital drives have been the most reliable of the drives it has used so far. 

Brian Beach, Distinguished Engineer, Backblaze, shared that the annual failure rate of a Seagate 1.5TB drive was about 14% for its data centre, against Hitachi's 2TB drives at roughly 1% and Western Digital 1TB drives, which had a failure rate of 3%. The company uses 3TB drives from all three storage manufacturers, and Seagate had the highest failure rate at about 9%, followed by Western Digital at around 3%, and Hitachi at around 1%. In the 4TB space, Hitachi drives performed more reliably than Seagate drives, while Western Digital 4TB drives were not used.

"If the price were right, we would be buying nothing but Hitachi drives. They have been rock solid, and have had a remarkably low failure rate," he said in his post. 

While the choice may be easy to make on the face of these figures, Beach further explains that older drives are generally failing more, and that some of the Seagate drives which failed were replacements provided as part of warranties, and possibly refurbished drives rather than brand-new. 

The comments for the article are a mixed bag, with no clear support for any one brand and notes that batches of a particular model can turn out 'bad'. Still, it is useful to note which models various users have warned against.
 
However reliable the hard drive, it is always best to back data up somewhere, whether on cloud storage through a service like Backblaze, manually onto Dropbox, Google Drive or OneDrive, or onto a separate disk.