Acronis International GmbH has launched a new version of its True Image data protection solution for consumers that features an enhanced edition of the company’s Acronis Active Protection anti-ransomware technology powered by artificial intelligence.
Available immediately, True Image 2018 utilizes cloud-based machine learning models informed by threat intelligence on hundreds of thousands of malicious and legitimate processes to detect and halt ransomware attacks before they can begin corrupting data.
Those capabilities supplement the heuristics analysis functionality in Acronis Active Protection previously. Like earlier editions of True Image, the new one automatically restores files to their unencrypted state should a ransomware virus slip past those defensive layers.
Historically, innovations that debuted in True Image, like the new Acronis Active Protection artificial intelligence capabilities, have subsequently appeared in Acronis Backup, the vendor’s business-oriented data protection solution. For example, Acronis Notary, a feature that uses blockchain technology to verify that backup files haven’t been tampered with, first reached market in True Image 2017 this January before showing up in Acronis Backup 12.5 in May.
More and more security vendors, including Trend Micro Inc. and McAfee LLC, are incorporating machine learning in their products. Analyst firm Gartner recently predicted that AI will be a component of virtually every software product or service by 2020.
Other key upgrades in True Image 2018 include a virtual drive conversion feature that lets users confirm the recoverability of their full image backups in a Microsoft Hyper-V virtual machine; new block-level change tracking technology that accelerates incremental backups; and active disk cloning functionality that can make complete replicas of a protected Microsoft Windows PC in the background while the device is running. In addition to strengthening the solution’s backup capabilities, that last feature also reduces downtime for users migrating protected systems onto a new disk drive.
In addition, new continuous cloud backup functionality in True Image 2018 lets users automatically upload backups to an offsite storage site. A refined interface provides access to greater amounts of graphically-formatted information about backup activities and status, as well as statistics about matters like how much data users have stored and what file types are represented in their backups.
A new Instagram backup feature slated to become available September 4th will allow users to protect photos, comments, and data on how many likes, tags, and comments their posts attracted.
True Image 2018 is available in three editions. Paid for through a perpetual license with prices starting at $49.99 for a single computer, the Standard edition comes without the solution’s cloud storage and other cloud-based features. Both the Advanced and Premium editions include that online functionality, as well as 250 GB of initial cloud storage (upgradable to 500 GB) for Advanced users and 1 TB (upgradable to 5 TB) for Premium users.
The Advanced and Premium editions are also both subscription-priced. Advanced rates begin at $49.99 to protect a single PC for a year. Premium subscriptions start at $99.99 for one year’s coverage of a single computer.
All three versions of the product come with Acronis Active Protection and cover an unlimited number of mobile devices.
