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Encryption: secure encrypted backups by careful key management; Second article in a series on encrypting backed up data stored to tape or other mobile media.

Article Excerpt
When it comes to encrypting your backup data: Encryption is easy. Key management is hard.

The (forgive the pun) key to encryption is managing keys. Key management falls into two interrelated categories: procedures (involving people) and software (supplied by your encryption solution). The two are interrelated because the people aspect of handling keys is in part governed by the key management features supplied by the encryption solution.

First: Decide on the Right Balance

Before you can implement encryption, you need to define the level of security that's right for your site. More security typically means more steps and more processes because complexity helps keep keys secure. That security needs to be balanced with ease of use, because too much of either leaves data unprotected. If it is just too hard to track keys, someone will stash keys a CD or USB device and stick it in a drawer near the library. Then your data is truly at risk.

As a case in point, look at how network and system password use has evolved. When passwords were just becoming ubiquitous, every...

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