Module+9 - Data Security
Module+9 - Data Security
Introduction
In this module, you learn about security and protecting your data with a Data
Domain system.
Introduction
As data ages, Dell EMC recommends moving this data to archive storage where it
can be accessed, but no longer occupies valuable storage space.
Unlike backup data, a secondary copy of data for shorter-term recovery purposes,
archive data is a primary copy of data that is retained for several years. In many
environments, corporate governance and/or compliance regulatory standards can
mandate that some or all this data be retained “as-is.” In other words, the integrity
of the archive data must be maintained for specific time periods before it can be
deleted.
The Data Domain Retention Lock feature provides unchangeable file locking and
secure data retention capabilities to meet both governance and compliance
standards. Data Domain Retention Lock ensures that archive data is retained for
the length of the policy with data integrity and security.
This lesson presents an overview of Data Domain Retention Lock, its configuration
and use.
After the retention period expires, files can be deleted, but cannot be modified.
Files that are written to a Data Domain system, but not committed to be retained,
can be modified or deleted at any time.
DD Retention Lock Governance edition maintains the integrity of the archive data
with the assumption that any actions taken by the system administrator are valid as
far as the data integrity of the archive data is concerned.
The capabilities that are built into Data Domain Retention Lock are based on
governance and compliance archive data requirements.
The storage system has to securely retain archive data per corporate governance
standards and must meet the following requirements:
Allow archive files to be committed for a specific period during which the
contents of the secured file cannot be deleted or modified.
Allow for deletion of the retained data after the retention period expires.
Allow for ease of integration with existing archiving application infrastructure
through CIFS and NFS.
Provide flexible policies such as extending the retention period of a secured file,
revert of locked state of the archived file and so on.
Ability to replicate both the retained archive files and retention period attribute to
a destination site to meet the disaster recovery (DR) needs for archived data.
A user assigned the security privilege is called a security officer. The security
officer can run a command through the CLI called the runtime authorization policy.
Updating or extending retention periods and renaming MTree, requires the use of
the runtime authorization policy. When enabled, runtime authorization policy is
invoked on the system for the length of time the security officer is logged in to the
current session.
The security officer is the only user that is permitted to change the
security officer password. Contact support if the password is lost or
forgotten.
After an archive file has been migrated to a Data Domain system, the archiving
application must set and communicate the retention period attribute to the Data
Domain system. The archiving application sends the retention period attribute over
standard industry protocols.
The retention period attribute the archiving application uses is the last access time -
the atime. DD Retention Lock provides granular management of retention periods
on a file-by-file basis. As part of the configuration and administrative setup process
of DD Retention Lock, a minimum and maximum time-based retention period for
each MTree is established. This setting ensures that the atime retention expiration
date for an archive file is not set below the minimum, or above the maximum,
retention period.
The archiving application must set the atime value, and DD Retention Lock must
enforce it, to avoid any modification or deletion of locked files. For example,
Symantec Enterprise Vault retains records for a user-specified amount of time.
When Enterprise Vault retention is in effect, these documents cannot be modified
or deleted on the Data Domain system. When that time expires, Enterprise Vault
can be set to automatically dispose of those records.
Locked files cannot be modified on the Data Domain system even after the
retention period for the file expires. Files can be copied to another system and then
be modified. Archive data retained on the Data Domain system after the retention
period expires is not deleted automatically. An archiving application must delete the
remaining files, or they must be removed manually.
You can configure DD Retention Lock Governance using the System Manager or
by using CLI commands. System Manager provides the capability to modify the
minimum and maximum retention period for selected MTrees.
DD Retention Lock Compliance Edition ensures that all files locked by an archiving
application, for a time-based retention period, cannot be deleted or overwritten until
the retention period expires. Data is archived using multiple hardening procedures
by requiring dual sign-on for certain administrative actions. Before engaging DD
Retention Lock Compliance edition, the System Administrator must create a
Security Officer role. The System Administrator can create the first Security Officer,
but only the Security Officer can create other Security Officers on the system.
Data Sanitization
Introduction
In this lesson, you learn the function of data sanitization and how to run a
command to sanitize data.
With the data sanitization function, deleted files are overwritten using a DoD/NIST-
compliant algorithm and procedures. No complex setup or system process
disruption is required. Existing data is available during the sanitization process, with
limited disruption to daily operations. Sanitization is the electronic equivalent of
data shredding. Normal file deletion provides residual data that makes it possible to
recover the data. Sanitization removes any trace of deleted files with no residual
remains.
When you issue the system sanitize start command, you are prompted to
consider the length of time that is required to perform this task. The system advises
that it can take longer than the time it takes to reclaim space holding expired data
on the system. If there is a high percentage of space to be sanitized the process
can be several hours or longer.
During sanitization, the system runs through five phases: merge, analysis,
enumeration, copy and zero.
Enumeration: Reviews all the files in the logical space and remembers what data
is active.
Copy: Copies live data forward and clears the space that it used to occupy.
You can view the progress of these five phases by running the system sanitize
watch command.
Introduction
In this lesson, you learn about the features, benefits, and function of the Encryption
of Data at Rest feature. You also learn about the purpose of other security features,
such as file system locking and when and how to use this feature. Also, this lesson
covers changing the encryption passphrase and disabling the encryption, file
system locking and unlocking.
Data encryption protects user data if the Data Domain system is stolen, or if the
physical storage media is lost during transit, and eliminates accidental exposure of
a failed drive if it is replaced. Also, if an intruder ever gains access to encrypted
data, the data is unreadable and unusable without the proper cryptographic keys.
If you have an encryption license, you can use the Encryption of Data at Rest
feature on DD Extended Retention-enabled DD systems. Encryption is not enabled
by default.
You can use all the supported backup applications that are described in the Backup
Application Matrix with the Encryption of Data at Rest feature.
Key Management
A key manager controls the generation, distribution, and life cycle management of
multiple encryption keys. There are three available key management options: the
Embedded Key Manager, the RSA Data Protection Manager (DPM), or SafeNet
KeySecure Key Manager. Only one key management option can be in effect at a
time. Support for Key Management Interoperability Protocol (KMIP) was introduced
with DD OS 6.1.
If the external Key Manager is configured and enabled, the Data Domain systems
use keys that are provided by the RSA DPM Key Manager Server. If the same
DPM Key Manager manages multiple Data Domain systems, all systems have the
same active key (if they are using the same key class) when the systems are
synced and the file system has been restarted. The Embedded Key Manager
generates its keys internally.
When using Embedded Key Manager, key rotation can be enabled or disabled, if
enabled, type a rotation interval between 1 and 12 months. The RSA DPM Key
Manager rotates keys on a normal basis, depending on the key class.
Inline Encryption
With the encryption software option licensed and enabled, all incoming data is
encrypted inline before it is written to disk. This software-based approach requires
no additional hardware. It includes configurable 128-bit or 256-bit advanced
encryption standard (AES) algorithm with either confidentiality with cipher-block
chaining (CBC) mode, or both confidentiality and message authenticity with
Galois/Counter (GCM) mode. Encryption and decryption to and from the disk is
transparent to all access protocols: DD Boost, NFS, CIFS, NDMP tape server, and
VTL (no administrative action is required for decryption).
For the RSA DPM Key Manager, the Data Domain administrator can select a 128-
bit or 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) algorithm for encrypting all data
within the system. SafeNet KeySecure Key Manager only supports AES-256.
Authorization Workflow
For example, to set encryption, the admin enables the feature and the security
officer enables runtime authorization.
A user in the administrator role interacts with the security officer to perform a
command that requires security officer sign-off.
In a typical scenario, the admin issues the command and the system displays a
message that security officer authorizations must be enabled. The security officer
must enter their credentials on the same console at which the command option was
run. If the system recognizes the credentials, the procedure is authorized. If not, a
Security alert is generated, and the authorization log records the details of each
transaction.
Configuring Encryption
The DD Encryption tab within the File System section of the Data Domain System
Manager shows the status of system encryption of data at rest.
To configure encryption:
1. Click Configure
You are prompted for a passphrase. The system generates an encryption key
and uses the passphrase to encrypt the key. One key is used to encrypt all data
that is written to the system. After encryption is enabled, administrators use the
passphrase only when locking or unlocking the file system, or when disabling
encryption.
Unless you can reenter the correct passphrase, you cannot unlock
the file system and access the data. The data will be irretrievably
lost.
Only administrative users with security officer credentials can change the
encryption passphrase.
Disabling Encryption
Only administrative users with security officer credentials can disable encryption.
The CLI command is filesys encryption disable.
In the example on the slide, sysadmin is logged in. Notice that the security
Username and Password is required.
Use file system locking when an encryption-enabled Data Domain system and its
external storage devices (if any) are being transported. Without the encryption that
file system locking provides, a thief with forensic tools could recover the data—
especially if local compression is turned off. This action requires two-user
authentication – a sysadmin and a security officer – to confirm the lock-down
action.
Before you can lock the file system, encryption must be enabled and the file system
must be disabled.