The auditing firm EY (formerly Ernst & Young) has made significant strides in enhancing its second-level (L2) Nightfall network, which operates on the Ethereum blockchain. On April 2, 2025, the company announced that Nightfall now utilizes a roll-up framework leveraging zero-knowledge proof (ZK) technology, a move that comes amid a renewed interest in confidentiality tools following the lifting of sanctions against the crypto mixer Tornado Cash.
Zero-knowledge proofs allow one party in a transaction to verify information from another party without revealing the information itself. This cryptographic technology is gaining traction as the demand for privacy and security in digital transactions continues to rise. It's already being actively used in decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols for lending and trading, as well as for identity verification without disclosing personal data.
Roll-ups, on the other hand, are protocols designed to enhance productivity by aggregating transactions into groups, thus improving efficiency. EY's latest announcement indicates that the new source code, dubbed 'Nightfall_4', simplifies the network architecture and offers near-instant transaction execution on Ethereum. This enhancement makes the network more user-friendly compared to the previous version, which operated under an optimistic roll-up model.
One of the key changes is that Nightfall users no longer need to dispute potentially incorrect transactions on Ethereum. This feature, which was part of the optimistic roll-up system, is absent in ZK-roll-ups. Instead, transactions are finalized as soon as they are added to the Nightfall block, streamlining the process significantly.
This update marks the fourth major iteration of Nightfall since its launch in 2019. While the Nightfall code is open source on GitHub, it remains a private network tailored for EY's client base. Similar projects in the blockchain space include Hyperledger Fabric, R3 Corda, and Quorum.
In a separate development aimed at small businesses, Cyber Backup Small Business has been introduced as a tailored solution for protecting vital data. In many small companies, the IT infrastructure typically consists of several personal computers and a limited number of servers. Desktop PCs are used to equip stationary workplaces, while some employees work remotely using laptops. The accumulation of important data on these devices is crucial, as the efficiency of the business hinges on their uninterrupted operability.
Cyber Backup Small Business enables users to set up automated protection against data loss for any Windows OS device in just a few clicks, requiring no special skills. This service allows businesses to recover both individual files and entire operating systems in the event of an unexpected failure, making it an optimal choice for safeguarding the information assets of small enterprises.
Users can choose where to store their backup copies. If a reliable local network and storage are available, backups can be placed there. For individual servers or PCs, backup can be configured to an external disk. Alternatively, the Cyber Cloud storage option allows businesses to store backups off-site, minimizing the risk of data loss while providing access from anywhere in the world via the Internet. The data processing center for Cyber Cloud is located in the Russian Federation and is designed with robust security measures.
Additional encryption features ensure the confidentiality of copied data. In case of a system failure, employees can restore necessary files, applications, or even the entire operating system on the same computer or another device. The cloud service also allows users to view corporate files directly in their browser and restore any object upon request on any connected computers.
Cyber Backup Small Business employs modern corporate-class backup technologies, allowing users to select a suitable backup creation plan. Options include full backup, differential backup, and incremental backup. The system implements data compression and deduplication mechanisms to reduce the storage space required for user data. Furthermore, a specialized archive format contains error correction technologies to guarantee the preservation of important data.
Users can customize the backup schedule for each storage device and protected folder, with the flexibility to create backups multiple times a day, weekly, or monthly. For those utilizing external drives for backups, there is an option to initiate backup when the removable media is connected.
In addition to file recovery, Cyber Backup Small Business allows users to revert any computer or server to the last available working state. This can be accomplished using a special bootable media or by pressing the F11 key during the computer's boot process. The option to create a clone of an active disk facilitates the transfer of an entire workplace to a new computer, often without interrupting employee productivity.
Cyber Backup Small Business is compatible with various Windows operating systems, including Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2022, and Windows Server 2025 in both Standard and Datacenter versions. The new data protection product is available with a one-year subscription, offering plans for one, three, five, or ten workstations. Additionally, users can purchase storage space in the cloud with sizes of 500GB, 1TB, 3TB, or 5TB.
To allow potential users to evaluate the capabilities of this product, new customers are offered a 30-day trial with unlimited devices and 1TB of storage in Cyber Cloud. Furthermore, users can access a mobile backup application for Android devices.
As Olesya Simanovskaya, head of online service development at Cyberprotect, noted, "In developing Cyber Backup Small Business, we aimed to create a data protection product for one of the most significant segments of our economy—small businesses and entrepreneurs. This product provides simple, accessible, and reliable protection for a small number of PCs and servers without requiring IT specialists or significant investments. Our solution ensures an intuitive backup and restore process on any device and is designed to encourage more users to view backup as a fundamental aspect of data protection, security, and business continuity."
