A New Era of Data Archiving: How MSPs Can Enhance Security and Cut Costs
In today’s data-driven world, Managed Service Providers (MSPs) face a dual challenge: managing an explosive growth of client data while simultaneously protecting it from increasingly sophisticated cyber threats like ransomware. Long-term data retention isn’t just a best practice anymore; it’s a critical component of compliance and business continuity. A landmark collaboration is now set to redefine how MSPs approach this challenge, offering a powerful solution for secure, affordable, and scalable archival storage.
By integrating Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud with Seagate Lyve Cloud, this partnership delivers a robust, all-in-one solution designed specifically for the needs of MSPs and their clients. This isn’t just another cloud storage option—it’s a strategic approach to data’s entire lifecycle.
The Growing Problem with Traditional Archival Storage
For years, MSPs have juggled complex and often expensive solutions for long-term data archiving. The public cloud offers scalability but can come with unpredictable costs, especially the notorious egress fees charged for data retrieval. On the other hand, on-premise solutions require significant capital investment and ongoing maintenance, adding to operational overhead.
Furthermore, the threat of ransomware looms large. If archival data isn’t properly secured, it can become a primary target for attackers. A backup is useless if it can be encrypted or deleted by malicious actors. This is where the concept of immutability becomes paramount.
Key Benefits of an Integrated Archival Solution
This strategic integration directly addresses the core pain points of data management, providing MSPs with a competitive edge. Here’s how it transforms archival storage from a liability into a secure asset.
1. Unbreakable Ransomware Protection with Immutable Storage
The most significant security advantage of this solution is the use of immutable backups. Data stored in Seagate Lyve Cloud through the Acronis platform is designated as unchangeable for a defined period.
- What is immutability? It means that once data is written, it cannot be altered, encrypted, or deleted by anyone—not even by an administrator with full credentials.
- Why it matters: This creates a secure, tamper-proof copy of your data. In the event of a ransomware attack, you can be confident that your archived backups are completely safe and recoverable, rendering the attackers’ threats powerless.
2. Predictable, Cost-Effective Cloud Economics
One of the biggest financial headaches for MSPs using hyperscale cloud providers is the variable and often confusing pricing model. The cost to store data might be low, but retrieving it can lead to unexpectedly high bills.
This partnership eliminates that uncertainty. Seagate Lyve Cloud is built on a simple, transparent pricing model with no egress fees. This allows MSPs to build predictable revenue streams and offer competitive, all-inclusive pricing to their clients without the fear of hidden charges. You can access and restore client data as needed without financial penalty.
3. Simplified Management and Operations
Efficiency is key for any successful MSP. Juggling multiple vendors and dashboards for backup, security, and storage is inefficient and increases the risk of errors.
With this integration, MSPs can manage the entire data protection workflow from a single interface. Backups can be configured, monitored, and directed to immutable cloud storage directly within the Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud console. This unified, single-pane-of-glass approach streamlines operations, reduces administrative burden, and allows your team to focus on higher-value tasks.
4. Meeting and Exceeding Compliance Mandates
Industries like healthcare, finance, and legal are subject to strict data retention regulations (e.g., HIPAA, FINRA, GDPR) that require data to be stored securely for many years. An immutable, off-site archive is the gold standard for meeting these requirements. By leveraging this integrated solution, MSPs can confidently assure clients that their data is not only protected but also fully compliant with long-term retention policies.
Actionable Security Tips for MSPs
To make the most of modern archival solutions, consider implementing the following best practices:
- Adopt the 3-2-1-1 Rule: Maintain three copies of your data on two different media types, with one copy off-site and one of those copies being immutable.
- Audit Your Current Storage Costs: Calculate your total cloud storage expenditure, paying close attention to egress fees. This will reveal the true cost of your current solution and highlight potential savings.
- Segment Your Data: Not all data needs to be archived in the same way. Classify data based on its importance and retention requirements to optimize storage costs and security protocols.
- Regularly Test Your Backups: An untested backup is not a reliable one. Regularly perform test restores from your immutable archive to ensure data integrity and validate your disaster recovery plan.
Ultimately, the future of data protection lies in integrated, secure, and economically sensible solutions. By combining advanced cyber protection with purpose-built, S3-compatible cloud storage, MSPs can finally solve the archival storage puzzle, delivering enhanced security and peace of mind to their clients while building a more profitable and predictable business model.
Source: https://datacentrereview.com/2025/09/seagate-and-acronis-partner-on-archival-storage-for-msps/
