Gartner: '10% Increase in Data Leaks Compared to Last Year'

Acronis, a provider of system and data backup solutions, urged office workers today, ahead of the Lunar New Year holidays in February, to back up their systems and data on work PCs, mobile devices, and the cloud.

Acronis, a provider of secure access and security solutions for corporate data, emphasized the importance of organizations of various sizes checking the security status of all PCs and laptops used for work, as well as all mobile devices capable of accessing servers from outside the company, in anticipation of the Lunar New Year, a traditional Korean holiday.

In this announcement, Acronis cited InfoWatch's Global Data Leakage Report (H1 2015) and a recently published mobile report by Gartner, stating that data breaches occurred more than 10 percent more globally in the first half of 2015 compared to the previous year, and that more than 90 percent of these breaches involved personal and business digital data and various credit information. In addition, it was emphasized that sufficient preparations must be made for cyber attacks on mobile devices, as it is predicted that the targets of endpoint attacks in 2017 will shift from traditional PCs to smartphones and tablets.

Acronis advised that the likelihood of intensive cyber attacks on corporate servers and PCs is high, particularly during holiday periods when all employees, including IT personnel, are away for extended periods. They also emphasized that comprehensive security and backup plans must be established at both the corporate and individual employee levels, as this is a time when internet financial transactions become particularly active.

Before leaving their desks for the holidays, employees are advised to back up important documents stored on their PCs and personal smartphones to external storage such as PCs or removable devices, as well as to email and the cloud, and to update their antivirus software to the latest version. Furthermore, at the enterprise level, IT personnel should upgrade systems to enhanced security solutions for corporate data access to manage work and access in a safer environment, and establish customized recovery plans to ensure the rapid restoration of systems and data in the event of any issues. In addition, it is advisable to frequently check relevant information and announcements on the Korea Internet & Security Agency (http://www.kisa.or.kr/main.jsp) or the National Police Agency's Cyber Bureau (http://www.netan.go.kr/index.do) and report any problems that may arise.

Last November, Acronis announced a suite of cloud solution products capable of complete data and system backups on both local and cloud platforms, and officially launched 'Acronis Backup Cloud,' an integrated hybrid data protection solution boasting top-tier security and IT infrastructure scalability, in the domestic market.

Seo Ho-ik, General Manager of Acronis Korea, stated, “As Acronis works with customers worldwide, we are most concerned about data protection for our customers, especially in Asia, during the year-end or Lunar New Year holidays every year.” He added, “As the number of companies and institutions in Korea that allow the use of mobile devices for work increases, awareness regarding data protection and security must be strengthened not only at the company-wide level but also at the individual employee level.”