Protect Your Data

As part of a continuing theme in this technology blog is re-enforcing the need to keep your data protected, both at work and at home. Be aware that there are many ways in which you can lose your data. I believe it is important to know the various ways in which such a loss can happen so that you can be well prepared in case they occur.

Here are the most common ways in which you can lose data:

1. Virus attacks – malwares, bugs and Trojans can attack the computer system causing it to malfunction, and or distort data.

2. Theft– thieves may decide to take a person’s computer therefore taking with them a person’s files and data.

3. Disaster– floods and hurricanes as well as fires may cause damage to a computer system thus making it impossible to access files in it.

4. Own accidental mistake – This one is actually very common – so beware! You can accidentally delete a file or some data by giving a wrong command if you are distracted or you not really understand the command.

5. A hard drive can suddenly crush causing everything to come to a standstill. This is also all too common.

6. Malicious tampering with the data from a person with an evil agenda.

7. Power surges.

These as well as many other less common reasons make it necessary to find ways to protect yourself from losing important data.

Below are 5 ways to protect yourself from losing your data.

1. Back up files on an external hard drive. The external hard disk is kept at a different place from where the main computer is unless when transferring files into it. This helps when someone is trying to tamper with information and does not know that the files are saved elsewhere. The information is protected when a computer has been damaged by viruses. This is the most common way used to protect oneself from long data.

2. Have an antivirus application and constantly update it. This obviously helps to keep the viruses in check. These applications if running properly will well scan and destroy any bug that may attach itself onto files. Catching the bugs in good time protects the system from executing wrong commands which cause data to be distorted, deleted or makes the computer hard disk to crush.

3. Back files up on an offsite facility or use cloud services. There are many consumer solutions out there such as Corbomite and Mozy.

4. Print hard copies. Data that is complete when printed can be saved on hard copies. This is helpful when the said data needs to be kept for a long period of time and the soft (electronic) copy of it has been damaged or deleted.

5. Keep the computer in a good environmentand service it when necessary. This means blowing dust off of it, repairing it and generally keeping the environment around the computer clean and without clutter. You should also avoid placing food and drinks near the computer because accidental spills can cause damage.

Backup The Right Way

On August 10 I wrote an article about how relying exclusively on cloud drive services such as Dropbox and Skydrive for backing up your files can be dangerous. This is because if a file becomes corrupted it will replicate to all of your physical locations where the cloud drive service is installed as well as the cloud itself.

Good old fashion backups are still necessary and should be taken seriously. One of the best ways to remember how to back up your images safely is to use the 3-2-1 rule.

I recommend storing 3 copies of any important file (a primary and two backups).

I recommend having the files on 2 different media types (such as an external hard drive and USB media), to protect against different types of problems. You can accomplish this simply by backing your files up to 2 separate external drives.

1 copy should be stored offsite (or at least offline). There are many free services so there is no excuse. I have written articles and discussed many of these free services in our training classes.

In a future article I will discuss some examples of the reasons you need to back-up such as viruses, device failure, theft and disasters.

Backing Up Your Files with MOZY

All this talk of the cloud has me revisiting cloud services for the home user. One of the most popular “cloud services” today is in the area of remote backups. As the earthquake and tsunami in Japan has sadly demonstrated, natural disasters do strike, usually without warning. If a natural disaster, fire or theft was to occur to you and your computer was unavailable or destroyed are your files safe?

Because our computers are becoming more and more critical remote backup service providers have been cropping up everywhere these past few years. The Borough of West Chester has been remotely backing up critical data files for years. Should you?

If you store financial files, tax documents, letters, family photos and video you probably should be backing up remotely. There are many providers with many price points. Be sure to check these providers out and protect your files today.

What about Mozy?
Mozy is a great backup service. This service lets you store files online and retrieve them remotely, which is all you really need from an online storage service.

The real reason that Mozy is attractive as an online storage solution is the price; this service’s subscription is practically unbeatable. Another advantage for using this service is the strong security features. Because it is designed to be a backup service, this service has a lot of security measures in place that other online storage services don’t have. If you want to make sure that your data is safe, this service is one of the best places to store it.

Regardless of what you call the service or what it was initially designed to be, this service is a spectacular choice. The combination of cheap storage space with useful features and strong security make this service the perfect place to store files, photos, videos, documents and anything you want to safely store outside of your home computer.

Another great ability of Mozy is that you can back up to 3 computers and remote (usb) drives. Many services such as Carbonite charge additions fees for devices and drives outside of the primary computer. This cost can add up.

Cost for Mozy's Services
2GB for free
125GB, up to 2 computers for $9.99 per month
You can learn more about Mozy at mozy.com.

Backing Up Online Could Save The Day

Today there is no excuse to backup your files. You don’t even need to purchase any additional equipment. All you need to do is sign up with a service, install the software, follow the directions and before you know it your data is safe and sound, even if your computer isn't.

Why Online Backup?
Backing up to an Internet service makes a ton of sense, for three important reasons: For one, the data is stored off site, usually in Fort Knox-type secure servers. This means that in case of flood or fire or other property damage, you're covered.

A second argument for going with online backup is because it's automated. There's no need to insert or even have any CDs or DVDs or plug in a USB drive that may be susceptible to the calamities listed above. Online backup services automate the process of getting your files from your machines to the backed up storage, usually on a daily basis, and in some cases, they'll watch folders or files you've protected and upload the changes on the spot.

Finally, when you back up to online storage with most of these services, you'll not only have access to your files from any Web browser, but with some services, such as SOS and MiMedia, you can share the files to contacts via links in e-mail or even view photos in the web interface. MiMedia goes even beyond this with the ability to play video and music files.

Stay in Sync
In addition to the traditional online backup services listed below, you might consider syncing services like SugarSync, DropBox, Nomadesk, and Syncplicity. These keep folders on multiple computers up to date with any added or changed files. They also usually keep a copy in the cloud, so you could use one of these as a sort of minimal, hands-off form of online backup. A couple of services, like Nomadesk and MiMedia fall somewhere in between regular online backup and syncing services.

Price and Other Considerations
Within traditional online backup, services you have further subdivisions. One is price: Some, like Carbonite and Mozy, offer unlimited storage—but only for one PC. Others like SOS charge by the gigabyte, but let you backup multiple machines. In the end, expect to pay from $5 to $10 a month for a reasonable amount of backup. The unlimited providers will tell you that their option is best, but from what I've heard from industry executives, the average user backs up from 10 to 20GB, so you may find a better deal with a multi-PC plan than an unlimited.

Another differentiation is whether the service keeps all previous file versions when you save a change. Most do this, but the better ones like SOS even keep files that you delete from your protected machine. Since accidental deletions are a real possibility, this feature can really be a lifesaver, and is one reason why SOS is our Editors' Choice.Other niceties to look for in online backup are the ability to share files from your online storage and marks in Windows Explorer entries that show which files are backed up. Right-click menu options in the better products like SOS and Norton Online Backup also let you tell the service to back up a file or folder immediately.

Another option is to go with your security software provider's online backup. Most of the big suites now include at least some level of remote backup storage, and some rebrand products listed here. Webroot, for example, rebrands SugarSync.

As you can see, though it seems like a simple concept at first blush—store files from my PC on a server on the internet—there are plenty of options and features involved. After careful reading of the reviews below, you should be equipped to make the choice of which service best fits your needs. Note: this isn't every online backup service in the world, but we think these are most of the best. We'll be updating this roundup as we look at more of them.

Here are my top three picks for online backup services at home.

Carbonite 4.0

$54.95/year for one PC with unlimited storage
Carbonite is a mature online backup service, but it lacks many desirable features you'll find in the competition. It offers unlimited remote backup storage, and handily marks backed-up files in Windows Explorer. It also has a good Mac version and a so-so iPhone app. But an account only covers one PC and its backup servers aren't geographically redundant. It also lacks file sharing or viewing, live protection, and doesn't back up external or network drives.

IDrive (Spring 2010)

$4.95/month per PC with 150GB
IDrive's support for up to five computers in one account, version saving, Web interface and fast operation are welcome, but you can't mix Macs and PCs, and there are still some rough edges, compared with the competition. Still, the service is much improved since our last review.

MozyHome 2.0

$54.45/year
Mozy improves ease of use and setup, but still supports just one computer per account and doesn't let you back up network or removable drives. That keeps it a step behind the competition.