SecureCom Online Backup (powered by Attix5), offers clients highly secure and fail-safe protection against loss of critical business information while reducing cost and risk normally associated with legacy tape backup solutions.

With banking level security, data is sent via the Internet, from a user's computer (whether it is a server, desktop or laptop) to fully mirrored, offsite data storage platforms in separate locations, ensuring that your valuable data is safe and secure.

Recovery is just as easy, either via an intuitive explorer-type interface on the device itself, or from any internet enabled device via a secure browser interface – including handheld devices and mobile phones.

SecureCom Online Backup is more reliable than traditional tape backup systems, and up to 98% faster. With costs from as little as £5.00 per GB of data per month, the appeal of our online backup is extremely wide ranging across all industries and departments.

How it Works

First, a full backup is made of the identified data set, compressed, and transmitted to the Storage Platform. Proprietary snapshot technology allows for large initial data backups.

An incremental patch backup is then executed that sends only the binary changes made to data files and then copies the data to the remote server.

The backup works over any TCP/IP network. The administrator can access the data over the corporate Intranet, Direct Dial-up or from anywhere in the world via the Internet using our unique virtual control interface.

All backed up data is stored on highly redundant Storage Platforms, using RAID5 file servers, in SecureCom's secure Data Centres, which are located in disaster recovery buildings owned and run by IBM Business Continuity & Recovery Services.

The primary Storage Platforms, are used for processing backups and act as the primary data store; thereafter the data replication takes place every 15 minutes and is transferred (via the SecureCom Private Network) to a second remote site, otherwise known as the Mirror Storage Platform, thus providing the highest level of redundancy for customer data.

SecureCom Online Backup utilises the Attix5 Backup Professional software.

Attix5 Backup Professional intelligently gathers critical data from fixed and remote desktops and laptops throughout the organisation. Attix5 minimises data transfer and maximises security, allowing data to be backed up from remote laptops even across a dial-up connection. Pre-deployment administrator settings enable existing backup policies to be hard-coded into the client application, ensuring maximum user compliance.

Attix5 is remotely deployed to user devices and automates the secure backup of data according to customisable file filters and scheduler settings.

Monitoring and Deployment

The SecureCom Online Backup service also includes a centralised Monitoring and Deployment Console that allows the network administrator to customise departmental file filtering and backup schedules, as well as manage and track individual account usage. Using SecureCom Online Backup helps to maximise employee productivity, improve IT control and enables businesses to regain ownership of their most valuable asset - their data!

Features & Benefits

• Intelligent file selection and exclusion facilitates rapid, transparent backups over low-speed and dial-up connections.
• Byte-level patch incremental backups minimise data transfer by identifying only the changed bytes in modified files.
• This process is more efficient than block level comparisons and is not file type dependent.
• All data is compressed in transit and storage, further minimising transfer times, network loads and storage requirements.
• Data can be recovered from any previously backed up state allowing file and system rollbacks.
• Disconnections are resumed from the last byte sent – no need to resend partially transferred files.
• Advanced scheduling allows multiple backups per day.
• Desktop and Laptop Edition supports Microsoft Outlook PST files and MS Volume Shadow Copy Services (VSS) from Windows XP.
• Network detection initiates policy-based transparent backups, ensuring full user compliance.
• Status display shows optional progress bar for easy monitoring and estimates of backup completion time.
• Adjustable thread priority for minimal performance impact.
• Remote WebAccess for anywhere, anytime recovery.
• Client is 100% JAVA for OS independence.
• File storage can be local, remote or both.

What Makes SecureCom Online Backup Such A Trusted Solution?

Security
The transfer and storage of critical information poses several problems for organisations, and data privacy is high on the list. Backup Professional makes use of the SSL (Secure Socket Layer) protocol standard for secure data transmission (1024 bit RSA key exchange, 128 bit RC4 stream cipher and SHA-1 integrity checking). Data is stored using 448-bit Blowfish encryption in CBC mode. Encryption keys are not stored with the data and globally recognised techniques are applied to ensure the integrity and security of all data protected with Backup Professional.

Reliability
Sophisticated scheduling and advanced data filtering are well and good but the most important feature of any backup system is its ability to get the data through. Backup Professional was designed from the ground up to ensure that users comply with policy. A robust JAVA client works transparently on the user device in accordance with administrator enforced settings, making use of intuitive error trapping and fault recovery techniques to ensure that data is comprehensively protected. Similarly, Attix5 employs audited best practice development and quality management methodologies to produce only best-of-breed products.

Desktop and Laptop Edition

Installation: The Storage Platform includes the NameServer (authentication) and FileServer (storage), and can be installed on a single server or on remote servers. They are installed as services and controlled by the Backup Server Console, which itself can be installed on the same server or a remote device. The services require a signed certificate and activation key to be started. A user group can then be created for each department or user profile.

Initial Backup: Backups can be initiated by the user, the automated scheduler or on network detection. The client application establishes a Secure Socket Layer connection with the NameServer and once authenticated, it is handed over to the relevant FileServer. The initial backup requires that all selected files are compressed and streamed to the storage server where they are stored in a compressed form, and encrypted using a 448-bit Blowfish algorithm in CBC mode

Subsequent Backups: A record of previous backups is stored on the local device allowing subsequent backups to identify added, modified or deleted data. The modified bytes of any changed files, together with any new files, and an updated directory structure are then similarly transferred to the FileServer. The remote image is then updated and the modification patch is archived. This allows for later version rollbacks without storing the entire previous version.

Restoring Data: An intuitive client interface allows the user to restore individual files, folders, or entire data sets by simply selecting the data required, and the required version date. A search facility is just one of many features that empowers the user to find and recover data without calling on the IT department for help.

System Requirements

Operating System
Microsoft Windows 2000, XP and Vista (with administrative privileges)
Mac OS X (from version 10.3)

Processor
Required: Pentium processor (Mac: PowerPC G3)
Recommended: Pentium III-500Mhz for more than 500 documents (Mac PowerPC G5 or Intel Core)

Memory
Memory requirements mainly depend on the amount of files selected for backup.
Required: 128MB RAM above operating system and application requirements
Recommended: 256MB RAM above operating system and application requirements

Disk Space
Required: 50MB plus space for local cache.
Recommended: Amount of free space equal to the backup account limit. The local cache can be as large as the total size of all files selected for backup; a file selection of 100MB needs up to 100MB extra disk space for the cache.

Other Hardware
Network interface card/Internet access
800 x 600 Resolution, 256 colours

More information on Online Backup can be found by visiting our FAQ page

The SecureCom Online Backup and Attix5 brochures are available for download in PDF format by clicking HERE.