New software release broadens platform support, enables cross-platform recovery, and sets the stage for AI-powered threat detection
Synology has launched ActiveProtect Manager 2.0 (APM 2.0), the latest software update for its ActiveProtect data protection appliances, expanding enterprise backup coverage, improving disaster recovery flexibility, and strengthening data security for organizations managing hybrid IT environments.
The release adds support for more cloud and virtualization platforms, including Amazon EC2, Microsoft Azure Virtual Machines, Proxmox VE, Nutanix AHV, and Google Workspace. It also introduces cross-platform recovery capabilities, allowing organizations to back up and restore workloads across different environments to support disaster recovery and workload migration.
According to Synology, the update addresses the operational challenges of managing fragmented backup infrastructure, which can increase costs and complicate recovery processes.
“Managing fragmented backup infrastructure drives up costs and slows recovery. The ActiveProtect appliance unites purpose-built storage with powerful data management software into a single, predictable investment,” said Jia-Yu Liu, Executive Vice President of the Synology Data Protection Group.
“APM 2.0 builds on that value, enabling organizations to safeguard their entire hybrid infrastructure through one centralized, scalable solution,” Liu added.
Broader Platform Support and Flexible Recovery
APM 2.0 expands backup destination options to give organizations greater flexibility in storing and protecting business-critical data.
ActiveProtect Vault now supports a wider range of Synology network-attached storage (NAS) models, while Azure Blob Storage has been added as a supported destination for backup copies and data tiering.
The update also enables backups stored in Amazon S3 Storage or Azure Blob Storage to be restored directly to Amazon EC2 or Azure Virtual Machines. This cloud-based disaster recovery approach can reduce reliance on on-premises hardware during recovery and help organizations restore workloads more quickly.
By extending protection across cloud services, virtualization platforms, and productivity applications, Synology aims to help businesses simplify data management while maintaining recovery options across different IT environments.
Strengthening Security With Encryption and AI
Security enhancements in APM 2.0 include software-based, volume-level storage encryption designed to protect data at rest. The feature helps keep backup data and system configurations inaccessible if drives are stolen or hardware is lost.
Synology also outlined additional security capabilities planned for the upcoming ActiveProtect Manager 2.1 update, including AI- and machine learning-based anomaly detection.
The planned system will monitor backup versions for unusual changes in data modification rates, file activity, mass deletions, and data entropy. When suspicious activity is identified, affected backup copies will be quarantined for administrator investigation, helping reduce the risk of compromised backups being used during recovery.
The detection model is also designed to learn from investigation outcomes to improve accuracy and minimize false-positive alerts.
APM 2.1 is further expected to introduce malware scanning before backup restoration, using integrated third-party antivirus solutions such as Microsoft Defender, Bitdefender, and ESET. If malware is detected in the latest backup, an Auto Fallback feature will restore the latest clean version instead.
These planned capabilities are intended to strengthen organizations’ ability to identify potentially compromised backups and improve recovery confidence in the face of evolving cyber threats.
Available at No Additional Cost
ActiveProtect Manager 2.0 is available for all Synology DP-Series appliances at no additional cost, giving existing users access to the latest software capabilities without an added software fee.
As organizations face increasingly complex backup requirements across cloud and on-premises systems, the update positions Synology’s ActiveProtect platform as a centralized option for managing data protection, recovery, and security across hybrid infrastructure.
For product information and additional details, visit the official Synology ActiveProtect Manager product page.
