Barracuda, AWS Release Public Cloud Data Replication Tool

August 15, 2017 - Barracuda announced the expansion of its data protection solutions by adding public cloud data replication to Amazon Web Services (AWS) for backup and disaster recovery.

Organizations currently using Barracuda Backup now have the ability to replicate their data to AWS from an on-premises server or virtual backup appliance. Entities can replicate their data onto the public cloud so the data is still accessible if the on-premises data is compromised.

The tool allows users to replicate to their own AWS Simple Storage Service (S3) Bucket, which gives them the choice of deciding where the data will live. Users also have control over the replicated data.

The tool does not require organizations to deploy compute resources in AWS for data replication to take place. This potentially saves organizations money because they don’t need to invest in additional tools or hire AWS infrastructure experts to configure replication and restore features.

The solution is ready to be set up without additional cloud configuration and is managed through the Barracuda Cloud Control administration console.

“Efficient data protection, in the cloud or on-premises, includes a strategy to rapidly recover data in the event of data loss or disaster, as well as the many security practices involved in preventing unauthorized access,” Barracuda Senior Vice President and General Manager of Data Protection Solutions Rod Mathews said in a statement.

Barracuda emphasizes the need to backup data offsite to protect it from local threats and disasters. However, many organizations cannot afford to build, manage, and monitor another data center specifically for backing up data. This makes public cloud back up an attractive option for organizations with strict IT infrastructure budgets.

Entities only need to pay for the space they use and have the option of scaling up or down as needed. They also don’t need to buy hardware or hire experienced IT staff to manage and monitor the backup data center.

Previous Barracuda research indicated that 83 percent of organizations use the public cloud for storage and 62 percent use it for data recovery.

Healthcare organizations need backup and recovery to continue to treat patients in the event of a cyberattack or local data loss. Many entities are tuning to the cloud for backup as well as recovery services because it is flexible and cost effective.

Only backing up data and not investing in recovery tools is one of the biggest mistakes a healthcare can make. Clinicians need to still do their job while IT deals with the local data.

Webair CTO Sagi Brody told HITInfrastructure.com in a previous interview that healthcare needs a recovery solution that allows them to hit a button on their interface to prevent further damage from a cyber-attack. Entities also need an option that brings applications back online so clinicians and patients are not interrupted.

“A lot of organizations thinking about protection for ransomware and disasters are only thinking about copying data off-site and replicating data,” he continued. “The replication is the easiest part. The thing to really consider is that when the button is hit to cut over, the applications need to be consumable to the end users in the same way the production infrastructure was."

“When they’re logging into the EHR, it needs to look and feel exactly how it did before IT needed to hit the button to cut over.”

Public cloud backup gives healthcare organizations a cost effective and flexible way to replicate and recover their data. Data recovery is especially important in healthcare because a patient’s life can depend on how fast a clinician can access their data.