MozyEnterprise backup tool finds a new key for security
Dell EMC’s Mozy has unlocked a new encryption key security feature for its enterprise backup product.
MozyEnterprise now provides support for the Key Management Interoperability Protocol (KMIP), which automatically generates per-user encryption keys that can be managed through an on-premises key management server (KMS).
The update features a “single pane of glass to manage all those encryption keys across all applications,” said David Hartley, product management consultant in research and development at Mozy.
MozyEnterprise now has more automated, granular encryption key management, Hartley said.
Mozy backup previously offered three other encryption key options:
• Mozy default encryption key: Mozy assigns an encryption key to users, stores and manages it.
• Personal encryption key: Each user manually creates a unique personal encryption key.
• Corporate encryption key: A Mozy administrator can create a key for all users in the company or a unique one for each user group.
MozyEnterprise backup customers most often used the corporate encryption key method.
The key management under Mozy backup had leaned traditional, but now it’s more isolated and controlled, said Robert Rhame, research director of backup technologies and storage for Gartner.
“This updates their methodology, silos individual users to protect them and gives them centralized control while having granularity,” Rhame said.
Dell EMC claims more than 900 customers for MozyEnterprise, a cloud backup product that includes file sync and mobile access. It’s aimed at large companies, ones with full-time IT staff and thousands of endpoints.
A couple of Mozy’s large customers had requested the KMS option. Hartley said Mozy was happy to oblige because of the trend in enterprise IT towards the centralized management of encryption keys across multiple applications using a KMS.
David Hartley
The KMS enables backup administrators to create and manage per-user local encryption keys.
“At-rest security is better because you have an encryption key per user,” Hartley said.
KMIP is now generally available for MozyEnterprise, for free, on Windows. Mac support is expected soon.
Mozy backup finds home in Dell EMC
Mozy is part of the Dell security suite, Hartley said. EMC bought Mozy backup in 2007. Dell bought EMC in 2016.
Rhame noted that Dell EMC does a solid job with its security overall.
“This is just an additional layer of isolation,” Rhame said of the MozyEnterprise update. “Key management was a little bit — but not much — behind.”
The Dell-EMC merger has worked well so far for Mozy because EMC had an enterprise focus, and Dell brings more consumers and SMBs to the table, Hartley said. In addition, Mozy is recommending SafeNet, a Dell technology partner, for the KMS aspect.
Rhame said it’s refreshing to see this additional feature from Mozy.
“It gives you an indication that this product has legs inside the new Dell EMC,” Rhame said. Conversely, Dell EMC in April spun out its Spanning cloud-to-cloud backup to Insight Venture Partners.
Rhame said he sees Mozy positioning itself toward more remote and branch office (ROBO) backup.
“A lot of endpoint backup vendors are moving in that direction,” towards ROBO, Rhame said.
For example, Druva went ROBO with its Phoenix product.
Mozy backup products also include MozyPro for smaller businesses and MozyHome for personal use.