#Taipei #Japan #NAS #QNAP #JC-STAR

QNAP Achieves JC-STAR Level 1 Certification for NAS Products

In a significant milestone, QNAP Corporation has announced that its NAS products have successfully obtained Level 1 compliance under the JC-STAR certification program managed by the Information-Technology Promotion Agency (IPA) in Japan.

JC-STAR is an evaluation system designed for IoT products that assesses compliance with specific security requirements. The Level 1 designation indicates that QNAP's NAS solutions meet fundamental security standards recognized across IoT products. This certification serves as a reliable benchmark, allowing customers in various sectors—such as enterprises, municipalities, educational institutions, and healthcare facilities—to make informed decisions about their network storage solutions based on verified security levels.

NAS systems play a crucial role in managing a plethora of business data, including file sharing, backups, surveillance footage storage, virtualized environments, and backup solutions for ransomware protection. Given this critical function, the importance of security in the selection process cannot be overstated. Customers are increasingly required to prioritize security measures alongside product capabilities and performance when choosing IT solutions.

With the JC-STAR Level 1 certification, QNAP NAS products provide customers with a clearer understanding of their security postures. This is particularly beneficial for IT departments, resellers, system integrators, municipalities, educational institutions, and healthcare organizations, all of whom are tasked with selecting IT equipment that meets specific security requirements. This certification serves as a valuable comparison tool during the procurement process.

QNAP has a strong history of commitment to data protection and security enhancement. This is evidenced by its ongoing updates of operating systems and applications, responsiveness to vulnerability information, access control measures, snapshots, backup solutions, WORM (Write Once, Read Many), Air Gap configurations, and ransomware mitigation strategies. The recent approval of JC-STAR Level 1 compliance acts as a transparent indicator of these efforts.

Importance of JC-STAR Certification for NAS Products

NAS units are vital IT infrastructure components for organizations and enterprises, used extensively for file sharing, backups, storing surveillance footage, virtualized environments, and even cloud integration. In light of rising cybersecurity threats, including ransomware attacks and the need for business continuity planning (BCP), more organizations are leveraging NAS as their go-to solutions for securing backup data and vital files.

However, because NAS products operate over network connections, they directly interact with various internal and external systems and users. Organizations must carefully assess not only the performance and capacity during procurement but also the overall security posture of these products. Particularly for banks, financial institutions, government agencies, educational entities, and health organizations, having objective metrics to evaluate product security during procurement is crucial.

The JC-STAR program addresses previous challenges faced by buyers and users regarding the difficulty in assessing product security measures. QNAP's attainment of Level 1 compliance now enables customers to utilize this certification to review security measures when evaluating NAS solutions, subsequently facilitating discussions for IT system departments, resellers, and system integrators during the selection, proposal, and procurement phases.

QNAP NAS Products Achieving JC-STAR Compliance

The primary QNAP NAS products that have received Level 1 compliance include:

• - TS-64 Series
• - TS-73A Series
• - TVS-h74 Series
• - TS-h77A Series
• - TS-h87 Series
• - TS-h90 Series

For detailed information about more compliant products, please refer to the IPA's JC-STAR compliant product list and QNAP's official site.

Security and Data Protection Features of QNAP NAS

To safeguard and optimize the management of critical data, QNAP NAS offers multi-layered security and data protection functionalities, including access protection, threat mitigation, and comprehensive backup and recovery options.

For instance, account protection mechanisms such as two-factor authentication and password-less logins enhance security against unauthorized access risks. Furthermore, tools like QuFirewall control communication flows, and Malware Remover conducts thorough malware scans, ensuring safe operation of the NAS on the network. Additionally, QNAP operates a Product Security Incident Response Team (PSIRT), committed to enhancing transparency concerning vulnerability information via its role as a CVE Numbering Authority (CNA).

For data protection, QNAP provides rapid recovery via snapshots, backup solutions through Hybrid Backup Sync (HBS), and replication capabilities. Models equipped with QuTS hero take advantage of ZFS-based data protection features, ensuring backup integrity with WORM compliant configurations that prevent unwanted changes or deletions. QNAP recognizes that immutable technologies like WORM and Object Lock offer additional defense layers against ransomware threats.

Moreover, QNAP's 'Airgap+' solution effectively isolates backup data from the network during normal operations, thus complicating potential attackers' efforts to locate critical backup data post-attack. By integrating HBS, ZFS WORM, immutable snapshots, and Airgap+ solutions, users can establish a robust backup environment for the safekeeping and recovery of crucial data.

Commitment to Data Protection

QNAP NAS units will help support various applications, such as file sharing, backup, surveillance storage, virtualization, BCP, and ransomware countermeasures, ultimately facilitating secure data operations.

As stated by a QNAP representative, "NAS serves as the backbone for storing vital data in enterprises and organizations. Given the heightened focus on cybersecurity measures, supply chain security, and verification of security during the procurement of IT devices, the Level 1 JC-STAR compliance of QNAP NAS provides customers with a reliable assurance during their selection processes. QNAP will continue to deliver trustworthy storage solutions that aid in customer data protection and secure IT operations."

About JC-STAR

The JC-STAR program, governed by the Information-Technology Promotion Agency (IPA), assesses and labels compliance with security requirements for IoT products. By visualizing the levels of product security, it simplifies the evaluation process for users and procurement personnel during product selection.

QNAP NAS's attainment of JC-STAR Level 1 signifies compliance with basic security requirements shared across IoT products.

About QNAP Corporation

Quality Network Appliance Provider (QNAP) Systems, Inc. is dedicated to delivering highly innovative and comprehensive network-attached storage (NAS) and network video recorder (NVR) solutions with user-friendliness and reliability at the forefront. With relentless innovation and passion, QNAP aims to provide effective solutions that meet the needs of modern users.