While the risk of cyber attacks is increasing, data protection has become a priority for businesses and individual users alike. NAS devices in particular, which are an integral part of storage and backup strategies, are an attractive target for cyber criminals. Igor Cejkovský, Sales & Marketing Director CEE at Synology, shares his knowledge of the most important threats in the area of NAS device security and innovative solutions to help users protect their data.
Bartosz Martyka, Brandsit: What are the main risks for users of NAS devices in the context of the growing risk of cyber attacks?
Igor Cejkovský, Synology: NAS (Network-Attached Storage) devices are indispensable for individuals and especially for companies to store, access and share data, which makes them attractive targets for cybercriminals. This is due to the sensitive nature of the data they store and their key role in backup strategies. With more than 20 years of experience and membership of well-known cyber security organisations, Synology has developed a strategy to help users increase protection against the growing threat of cyber attacks.
B.M.: In recent years, there has been a trend towards the use of artificial intelligence to improve the security of IT devices. What applications of artificial intelligence in the context of NAS can help detect threats and prevent attacks?
I.C.: Synology is effectively integrating artificial intelligence into different areas of its ecosystem. Artificial intelligence helps our technical engineers speed up the initial handling of technical requests and efficiently resolve a large number of issues. It is also actively used in Synology’s video surveillance solutions, providing advanced analytics for deeper insights. In addition, AI has been integrated into productivity tools such as MailPlus, where it helps summarise and edit emails. The next phase of AI integration is already underway, with many upcoming or updated apps expected to include AI support.
B.M.: How does backing up to NAS devices help protect against cyber-attacks such as ransomware, and what mechanisms ensure backup security?
I.C.: Synology NAS backup solutions play a vital role in protecting against cyber-attacks, including ransomware, by providing the ability to restore critical data in the event of an attack. The NAS is not just a backup destination, but a comprehensive backup solution that allows users to implement a 3-2-1 backup strategy: Store three copies of data (original and two backups), store backups on two different types of media (e.g. NAS and external hard drives) and maintain at least one copy off-site (e.g. in the cloud or on a disconnected device in another location). This approach guarantees the security of your backups. Advanced backup solutions such as Synology ActiveProtect offer various protection mechanisms against ransomware, such as WORM or air-gapping technology.
B.M.: Synology ActiveProtect is a brand new offering in the Synology product ecosystem. What prompted the company to introduce such a solution and how does it differ from previous Synology products such as Active Backup?
I.C.: With more than 20 years of experience in data management, Synology delivers more than 1 million NAS devices per year, each typically equipped with six 8TB drives. This results in the deployment and management of 48 exabytes (EB) of private cloud storage each year, ranking us as one of the largest providers of private cloud storage. We chose to combine this extensive data management experience with the proven success of our Active Backup Suite.
B.M.: NAS is a technology that has become standard in many companies. What are the benefits of combining NAS devices with the protection functions offered by ActiveProtect?
I.C.: NAS can seamlessly integrate with Synology ActiveProtect. This ecosystem extension enables customers to benefit from the familiar, intuitive interface and secure data management of Synology NAS, along with a powerful, comprehensive, centrally managed backup solution.
B.M.: What are the key innovations of the ActiveProtect line compared to previous Synology solutions?
I.C.: ActiveProtect is the next evolution of the Active Backup Suite. While maintaining a low total cost of ownership, it introduces additional features that enhance the 3-2-1 backup principle, bringing it up to the 3-2-1-1-0 standard. This new structure adds additional layers of security and reliability: **1 offline copy** (new addition) – ensure one backup is offline or air-gapped (disconnected from the network) and **0 errors** – regularly test backups to verify data integrity and reliability of recovery scenarios.
B.M.: How does the new Active Protect Manager software differ from DSM, the software previously used on Synology NAS servers?
I.C.: Active Protect Manager (APM) is a single-purpose operating system, while DSM is a more comprehensive and robust operating system that can be further enhanced with any of the more than 100 available packages. With its architecture, APM enhances the already high performance, ease of use and security that are the hallmarks of Synology’s DSM operating system.
B.M.: Can you explain how ActiveProtect differs from other leading solutions such as Veeam, Veritas or CommVault?
I.C.: Synology ActiveProtect is fully equipped with a robust set of features that have been developed and successfully used by millions of Active Backup Suite users. Small and medium-sized businesses, banks, technology leaders and manufacturing industries around the world have successfully implemented and used Active Backup to protect their data. Unlike some competitors, ActiveProtect is offered as a backup appliance – a combination of hardware and software. The appliances are pre-configured, eliminating the need for customers to spend time choosing the number and capacity of drives, deciding whether SSDs are needed for caching or determining how much RAM is required for smooth backups; we have made all these decisions for them. With our approach, ActiveProtect combines the advanced features of trusted solutions with competitive pricing, making it an attractive choice for any small to medium-sized business.
B.M.: What features of ActiveProtect make it a groundbreaking data protection solution, especially for small and medium-sized companies that are new to advanced backup systems?
I.C.: The simplicity and ease of use of our solution makes it easier than ever to create a comprehensive 3-2-1-1-0 backup strategy. With our strong foundation in NAS and consumer products, we understand the importance of creating intuitive solutions that are easy to install and maintain. For consumers, this translates into convenience and for businesses, it means lower cost of ownership. There is no need to hire a highly skilled team of professionals to configure, maintain or restore data when needed.
B.M.: What benefits does Synology’s ActiveProtect payment model, which includes an annual fee based on capacity used, offer businesses?
I.C.: Synology ActiveProtect appliances are fully functional as standalone backup solutions without the need for a licence. The devices can be integrated into a cluster or created by combining ActiveProtect devices with NAS using ActiveBackup. Only larger deployments with more than three appliances will require a licence, which is affordable. This pricing structure can help users save more than 90% of costs compared to other popular solutions.
B.M.: Is ActiveProtect only for new Synology NAS devices, or can it be implemented on older models?
I.C.: ActiveProtect is a brand new Synology product line, and APM cannot be installed on a Synology NAS. The hardware and software are designed as an integrated appliance for optimal performance, reliability and security. ActiveProtect devices can be clustered with Synology NAS, allowing you to centrally manage multiple NAS devices from a single ActiveProtect device or use your NAS as external backup storage.
B.M.: How can Synology ActiveProtect improve the efficiency of NAS device management in companies with distributed IT resources or multiple locations?
I.C.: Centralised management is a key feature of ActiveProtect. In larger installations with multiple NAS devices in different locations, the Active Backup Suite can incur higher maintenance costs. Adjusting backup policies, schedules and other settings can require significant time to update all NAS devices in each location. With ActiveProtect and its centralised management, this challenge is no longer an issue.
B.M.: What are the advantages of using incremental copy and data versioning in ActiveProtect? What challenges do these functions solve in day-to-day IT administration?
I.C.: Incremental backup and data versioning are core features of the Active Backup Suite. However, ActiveProtect takes performance to the next level, reducing not only the time required for backups, but also bandwidth consumption by significantly minimising the amount of data required for this process. According to our tests, compared to traditional backup methods, ActiveProtect can eliminate 99% of duplicate data transmission when backing up devices. In addition, email backups are seven times faster and backup copy speeds are now twice as fast.
B.M.: File-level, bare-metal and instant restore to a virtual machine are advanced features available in ActiveProtect. What business scenarios are most likely to benefit from these capabilities?
I.C.: There is a saying that there are two types of people – those who back up their data and those who eventually start to do so. In other words, every business needs a backup. Although strategies such as the 3-2-1-1-0 backup principle are widely applicable across industries, the specific needs of one company may differ significantly from another, even if they appear similar. The advantage of Synology ActiveProtect is that it allows system integrators and IT administrators to easily configure backups to meet the unique needs of their organisation.
B.M.: What are your predictions for the future when it comes to integrating artificial intelligence and security into NAS devices? What innovations are likely to emerge in the coming years?
I.C.: Artificial intelligence has become an integral part of our daily lives, making many tasks faster and easier than we could have imagined just a few years ago. However, this convenience comes with a number of challenges. Companies are increasingly concerned about the data that their employees can copy and paste onto various AI chat platforms to speed up their work, as this data becomes exposed and vulnerable. To address this concern, Synology’s upcoming productivity solutions, due to be released later this year, will be equipped with advanced features designed to protect company data while enabling employees to take advantage of generative AI.
B.M.: How does Synology plan to develop ActiveProtect in the future? Can you expect new features that will further strengthen data protection?
I.C.: We are focusing on increasing the speed and efficiency of backups, while expanding support for additional platforms that can be backed up with Synology ActiveProtect appliances. In addition, we are developing features that will enable our MSPs to offer Synology as a Backup-as-a-Service solution for their customers. Finally, we plan to expand the range of ActiveProtect appliances to meet the needs of deployments of all sizes.
Interested in more information? Join Synology’s free webinar on this topic: Simplifying data protection with Active Protect Manager
Date: 27 February 2025
Time: 10:00am
Learn how Active Protect Manager simplifies and streamlines backups.
Register today and don’t miss the opportunity! ? Link to registration
