#Japan #Tokyo #Synology #ActiveProtect #APM 2.0

Synology Unveils ActiveProtect Manager 2.0: A Leap in Data Protection

Tokyo, Japan — On September 3, 2026, Synology proudly announced the release of ActiveProtect Manager 2.0 (APM 2.0), the latest software update for its ActiveProtect data protection appliances. This new version brings significant enhancements, including a broader platform support, cross-platform recovery capabilities, and improved security features. Notably, future updates are expected to incorporate AI-driven threat management tools.

Jia-Yu Liu, Executive Vice President of Synology's Data Protection Group, highlighted the challenges faced by organizations in managing fragmented backup infrastructures. “Managing a distributed backup infrastructure can increase costs and slow down recovery times. The ActiveProtect appliances integrate dedicated storage and data management software to provide a single predictable investment,” Liu said. “With APM 2.0, we enhance this value by enabling organizations to protect their entire hybrid infrastructure through a centralized, scalable solution.”

Expanded Platform Support

The advancements in APM 2.0 are noteworthy, particularly the expansion of platform support to encompass major players in the cloud and virtualization domains. This includes protection for Amazon EC2, Azure VM, Proxmox VE, Nutanix AHV, and Google Workspace. Furthermore, the new cross-platform recovery feature allows workloads to be backed up and restored seamlessly across different environments, thus enhancing disaster recovery capabilities and facilitating smooth workload transitions.

Additionally, the backup targets have been broadened. ActiveProtect Vault now supports a wider range of Synology NAS devices, and Azure Blob Storage has been introduced as a new target for copy and tiering operations. This means that backups stored in Amazon S3 or Azure Blob Storage can be restored directly to Amazon EC2 or Azure VM without needing on-premises hardware, significantly reducing recovery times.

Proactive Resilience Through AI

To bolster data security, ActiveProtect Manager 2.0 implements software-based storage encryption at the volume level. This added measure ensures that even in scenarios of stolen drives or hardware loss, backup data and system configurations remain inaccessible. Moreover, an upcoming update, APM 2.1, will introduce AI/ML-driven anomaly detection. This feature will monitor changes in backup versions, such as modification rates, file changes, bulk deletions, and entropy levels. In the event of suspicious backup copies, these will be moved to an isolated area for investigation by administrators, thereby mitigating the risks of backup contamination. The system is designed to learn from investigative outcomes, consequently enhancing accuracy and reducing false positives.

APM 2.1 will also integrate third-party antivirus solutions, including Microsoft Defender, Bitdefender, and ESET, to execute malware scans on backups before restoration. If any malware is detected in the most recent backup, the system will automatically fallback to reconstruct the latest clean version.

Availability

ActiveProtect Manager 2.0 is available at no additional cost to all DP series appliances. For further details, users can refer to the product page on Synology's website.

This remarkable update reinforces Synology's commitment to providing robust and cutting-edge data protection solutions, enabling businesses to safeguard their data efficiently and effectively.