How Buffalo NAS Can Enhance Your Data Security
For many businesses, network-attached storage (NAS) has long been valued for its functionality and affordability as a secure file server for data storage and backup. NAS devices often come with native features to prevent data loss such as RAID, antivirus, data encryption, etc., and as a result can be easily integrated into many data security strategies.
Due to the popularity of NAS, they are increasingly becoming targets in today’s era of rampant cyberattack rates. Many NAS manufacturers have appeared in recent technology headline news for ttacks that resulted in unauthorized access and data breaches, especially under ransomware strains such as eCh0raix and DeadBolt.
While there is no foolproof data protection method, a multi-layer data security strategy that integrates a NAS with robust data protection features can go a long way in keeping your data safe. Buffalo TeraStation devices are designed for data security, with built-in data security features on every level to protect your data.
A Closed System to Prevent Exploitation of 3rd Party Apps
Ransomware is a significant threat to data security. There has been a sharp elevation in ransomware attacks that are particularly targeting NAS, with attackers knowing that businesses often keep their essential data on a NAS. Apps installed on a NAS usually contribute greatly to this issue—if any apps are not promptly updated to patch vulnerabilities, attackers are only all too happy to exploit them.
While most competitors’ devices allow third party apps to be installed via an app store, which is a possible vector for malware and other cyberthreats, all TeraStations run on a closed system—with not even the system administrator having root rights. A closed system prevents third-party apps from being installed, bypassing such avenues of attack.
Two-Factor Authentication to Protect Your Credentials
Credential theft has been on the rise in recent years and is quickly becoming the top method of security breaches across the globe. Attackers typically exploit a common user oversight—weak login passwords—to gain access to user accounts, and utilize those accounts to further infiltrate the system. In order to mitigate this, Buffalo TeraStations come with two-factor authentication (2FA) to protect the integrity of your login information.
Even if you are not aware of the name, you are likely already familiar with the process. Two-factor authentication (2FA) is an authentication method that requires you to enter a verification code in addition to your username and password when you log in to your NAS before you are authorized to enter. This verification code is sent to your mobile device to prevent attackers from intercepting or compromising your login information online, especially if you are logging in remotely.
2FA can significantly improve data security for your NAS, and enabling 2FA on your Buffalo NAS is a good cybersecurity hygiene practice that can help prevent a possible data breach or ransomware attack. 2FA is available on Buffalo TeraStation 3020, 5020, and 7010 network-attached storage devices. Click here to learn how to enable 2FA for your Buffalo NAS.
Snapshots to Mitigate Ransomware and Backup Errors
To further combat ransomware, the Buffalo TeraStation 3020, 5020, and 7010 utilizes a snapshot feature: by creating a virtual copy of the data currently stored on the NAS that is merely a fracture of the actual data size, you can quickly restore from the last snapshot capture point and be on your way. The snapshot feature allows you to instantly create a virtual copy of the data currently stored in a shared folder or iSCSI volume on the TeraStation, and is a fast and efficient method to quickly back up and restore data at short intervals.
Data protection needs to be straightforward and reliable. Regardless of the business size, NAS data protection (and more importantly, recovery) needs to be fast and flexible in order to protect stored files and maintain uptime. Many competitor NAS devices offer inadequate ransomware protection in that should data become compromised, you would have to tediously restore the whole system from backup, which can create downtime that can cripple a business. Snapshot can be an invaluable tool in your arsenal to combat ransomware.
Other Native Data Security and Protection Features
Our TeraStation devices come with hard drives included, with optional 256-bit AES encryption options so they cannot be read when taken out—not even on another TeraStation. Our devices also come with a boot authentication feature that prevents the TeraStation from booting within an unauthorized environment. In other words, if the TeraStation is stolen, it cannot be accessed unless the authentication server is present.
Backups are still the best and most foolproof data protection methods, which is why the TeraStation offers a myriad of flexible features to back up your servers or the cloud. Integration with common cloud services allow you to store archived data in cloud while keeping sensitive information local. You can also enable bi-directional sync between the cloud and NAS, or replicate data to an offsite location for further safeguards against online threats.
For additional uptime assurance, the TeraStation offers both replication and failover. Replication (via rsync with SSH) essentially copies your data from one TeraStation NAS to another automatically, so if something happens with the first one, you can still easily access data on the second TeraStation NAS. Failover is a feature where a second TeraStation is connected to the first; should the first TeraStation Network Attached Storage become inaccessible, the second TeraStation immediately takes over so there is no disruption to the network.
Buffalo’s Commitment to Data Security
Network-attached storage is a reliable and flexible data storage and backup solution, but businesses should not only consider the speed and capacity of a NAS system for their IT environment, but also that it will remain secure in the long run.
Buffalo’s acclaimed TeraStations are designed to offer the perfect mix of security and utility. With nuanced data protection features such as drive encryption, two-factor authentication, and a closed system, Buffalo prides itself in providing easy-to-use data storage solutions that offer the security, stability, and simplicity you need so you can manage your data with peace of mind. Along with our award-winning, 24/7 North America-based technical support, our generous hardware warranty, and free simple logical data recovery service, we work hard to make sure our NAS contributes to your success.
