25 July 2019
Synology urges all users to take immediate action to protect data from ransomware attack
02 February 2021
Synology to enforce use of validated disks in its NAS. And guess what? Only its own disks exceed 4TB
Synology has introduced its first-ever list of validated disks and won’t allow other devices into its enterprise-class NAS devices. And in a colossal coincidence, half of the disks allowed into its devices – and the only ones larger than 4TB – are Synology’s very own HAT 5300 disks that it launched last week.
Seeing as privately held Synology is thought to have annual revenue of around US$350m, rather less than the kind of cash required to get into the hard disk business, The Register inquired if it had really started making drives or found some other way into the industry.
The Taiwanese network-attached-storage vendor told us the drives are Synology-branded Toshiba kit, though it has written its own drive firmware and that the code delivers sequential read performance 23 per cent beyond comparable drives. Synology told us its branded disks will also be more reliable because they have undergone extensive testing in the company’s own NAS arrays.
Slightly worrying - but this only applies to Synology's enterprise-class NAS devices - their "Big Iron". So the "smaller stuff" for Personal & Home User, IT Enthusiast, Small and Midsize Business - you can still use WD or Seagate branded approved Hard Drives. Phew!
11 March 2020
Backup and protect your important data with a Synology NAS
04 June 2019
PC Magazine UK votes Synology best Server / NAS device for work
18 July 2025
Police dismantle DiskStation ransomware gang targeting NAS devices, arrest suspected ringleader
"Operation Elicius", a joint international law enforcement operation involving Europol and police forces in Italy, France, and Romania, has successfully dismantled a Romanian ransomware gang that targeted network-attached storage (NAS) devices and arrested its suspected leader.
The so-called "DiskStation Security" ransomware group has targeted and compromised NAS devices - particularly those manufactured by Synology - since 2021, leaving the data of businesses and non-profit organisations encrypted, and demanding a ransom for its recovery...
...Synology has been advising users on how to protect their NAS devices from ransomware attacks for several years. Much of the advice revolves around minimising the exposure of NAS devices to the internet, hardening password security, and ensuring that regular backups are made of critical data.
The accounts used to secure NAS devices are no different from any other when it comes to security - you should ensure that passwords are unique, and not easy-to-crack. Attackers will often use automated tools to brute force their way into poorly-secured devices, or take advantage of users who have used easy-to-guess, predictable passwords.
Donline supports dozens of business & home clients in specifying, building, deploying & ongoing management of Synology NAS devices. They are excellent, reliable, cost effective devices to manage your network & data. HOWEVER, as with all IT: internet connectivity, credentials, patching, etc - MUST be carefully managed. Got questions about IT? Contact Donline.
04 January 2019
Synology - upgrade DSM, SRM, and VS960HD for a critical vulnerability
14 June 2023
Western Digital sparks panic, anger for age-shaming HDDs
When should you be concerned about a NAS hard drive failing? Multiple factors are at play, so many might turn to various SMART (self-monitoring, analysis, and reporting technology) data. When it comes to how long the drive has been active, there are backup companies like Backblaze using hard drives that are nearly 8 years old. That may be why some customers have been panicked, confused, and/or angered to see their Western Digital NAS hard drive automatically given a warning label in Synology's DiskStation Manager (DSM) after they were powered on for three years. With no other factors considered for these automatic flags, Western Digital is accused of age-shaming drives to push people to buy new HDDs prematurely.
The practice's revelation is the last straw for some users. Western Digital already had a steep climb to win back NAS customers' trust after shipping NAS drives with SMR (shingled magnetic recording) instead of CMR (conventional magnetic recording). Now, some are saying they won't use or recommend the company's hard drives anymore.


