Keeping Your Data Safe

October 7, 2009 - 3:07 pm

Memories are precious. So are documents. But computers and the people that use them are not infallible, so it’s important to keep your data safe. We look at how to avoid all manner of disasters, from PC meltdown to hack attack.

So much data, so many ways to lose it

Now, we don’t want to sound too… pessimistic… here, but the fact is there are a lot of ways for files to go missing. Fortunately, the chances of something going wrong are low, but it’s better to be prepared. It’s important to identify as many risks as possible, so that the backup solution deals with most, if not all of them.

Human error is, of course, a big one. Picture the scene: “Are you sure?” asks the computer. “Yes, of course I’m sure! *click*” you retort, followed shortly by “…oh”. Not that we want to question anyone’s computing skills here, but who hasn’t overwritten a file by accident, or deleted something they thought they didn’t need any more? Yeah, we’ve all done it.

Worse still, we humans are veritable experts in leaving things behind. People misplace laptops, mobiles and flash drives every day and in all manner of places, from taxis to coffee shops.

Software bugs are a pest that can wreak havoc with data too, often with much greater efficiency than us mere humans. This is funny, seeing as we humans wrote the software.

Hardware failure is one to watch out for too, especially as hard disks – with their mechanical components – are the item most susceptible to failure in your computer. This, as the device that stores your precious files, isn’t reassuring news!

And sadly, we have to account for malicious attacks on our data too. Those who want to steal sensitive information or those who just want to destroy our work.

Multiple versions, multiple copies, multiple locations

These are the three key things to adhere to if you’re really keen on having good backups. But the amount of effort you put into backing up files should be influenced by what your files are worth to you (or what the cost is if they disappear).

Keeping multiple versions of a file allows you to recover previous revisions of it rather than just the most recently backed up version. Various pieces of backup software support versioned backups, often referring to them as “incremental” or “differential” backups, depending on exactly how the backups are taken.

Having several copies of a file means that if something goes wrong with your backup as well as your main storage, then you still have another means of getting the file back. Such a measure is usually only necessary for files that are of high value. But it is important to remember that backup storage can be just as fallible as ordinary storage. There are lots of options for external backup storage, from USB drives and flash cards through to external hard drives.

Putting some physical distance between backups is a good way of dealing with rarer disasters such as fire, flood and even theft. It’s convenient to keep your backup storage next to your PC if you’re taking regular backups… until something happens to both of them.

Online backups are a good option here – there’s sure to be quite some distance between your hard disk and your backup copy, then! However, capacity limitations and Internet connection speed can hinder the process. There’s no point having online backups if you cancel them because you’re fed up of waiting for them to finish. Look out for a piece on the best ways to do online backups, coming in the near future!

Encryption

So, we’ve covered disaster avoidance, but what about averting evil? External backups are great because they’ve got all your important data on them. But that makes them valuable to others who might want to get their hands on that data.

Encryption is the answer here. An encrypted file is coded so that only the original user, or a user with the correct password, can make sense of it. Encryption isn’t just used by international spies; we all rely on it for online banking and shopping, so why not use the same technology to keep your secrets safe?

Encrypt sensitive data that can be lost easily

It’s possible to encrypt files in Windows and better still there are storage devices with their own encryption built in. Encrypted drives, such as Kingston Technology’s DataTraveler Locker, are especially useful if you’re carrying sensitive data around with you a lot. If you lose the drive, you can rest safe in the knowledge that nobody will be able to view what’s on it.

Or, if you prefer a more extreme method of keeping your data “close by” at all times, with little to no chance of losing it, you could always try attaching it to a limb.

Passwords

While encryption is good for the most sensitive pieces of data, it can prove a inconvenient at time. For a safe data solution that isn’t quite as intensive, simple password protection is an option. A number of flash drives include password protection such as Kingston Technology’s Password Traveller software.

Certain programs, such as Microsoft Office, offer password protection on files. Even if your particular program doesn’t support passwords, you can zip the file up and put a password on the zip archive.

No writing, please!

For photos and videos stored on SD cards there’s a simple way to keep them safe – stop them being overwritten by flicking the write-protect switch on the card. With this switch turned on, it’s simply not possible to make changes to the card. It is, however, still possible to read the card. It’s a one-step, dead easy way of turning your SD card into a read-only backup device.

And if you’re feeling a little mischievous, flicking the write protect switch on the card of an unsuspecting friend is a sure fire way of causing them at least a few minutes of confusion and anger… sit back and enjoy the show.

Reverse it

Having a backup regime, even a simple one, is a great idea. But it’s useless unless you can restore it. Check that you can retrieve files from a backup. And if you encrypt something, check it can be decrypted and what can be done if you lose the password.

All set

Backups are inconvenient, but taking the time to make them could save you a lot of heartache and money if it avoids having to use expensive data recovery services. Plus, you can feel both smug and triumphant in the unlikely event that something does go wrong, and amidst the panic of your colleagues or family, declare “it’s OK, I’ve got backups!” Which is great, until they realise you only backed up your own stuff. Then you run away…