A couple weeks ago, I blogged about how important it is to back up your data, and I recommended using a flash drive for your data back ups, which is what I did. A few people commented and others emailed me about this topic, and a few of those notes suggested that an online data backup should be used because a flash drive or other device would be harmed in a fire, stolen, or lost. I did some research, and I found a company called Mozy, which is an online data back up system to help protect your data.
The way it works is that you sign up for an account and download their software. Upon opening up the software, you check off the boxes next to the files you want to back up, and it backs up your data using 128-bit SSL encryption and protects it with 448-bit Blowfish encryption. I am not a technical person, but the company says that the encryption is the same that banks use to encrypt data, so I assume it’s safe.
One of the nice features of Mozy is that you can set it to back up your data at specific times, and it will automatically back up your data for you. Mozy can be used by both Mac or PC users, which is nice for me because I have a Macbook. Additionally, if you want to transfer files to another computer, it’s easy to do with Mozy.
The price is also a good selling point – just $4.95 a month for unlimited data, and there is also a free account for limited data transfer. I think this is a valuable service for anyone, but especially for people who have business ventures online and need to make sure their data is safe and secure.
I believe Mozy has a valuable service, which is why I am happy to blog about it.
I think that Carbonite also does this for $50/yr (25% less then $4.99/month).
I use an external harddrive for it. That is the cheapest method in the long run.
@Troy – I use an external drive, too and keep it in a safe spot but that isn’t always the best system.
I tried Mozy and it refused to back up some file types. I use Carbonite now and it is bullet proof.
Didn’t say it was the best, just the cheapest in the long run.
I agree that it has some real drawbacks like the drive breaking, being lost, becoming infected, or being destroyed in a fire or something else.
I guess I bought the drive as my backup method because I like owning thing=).
Thanks Elliot…I’ve been meaning to find an online service and keep putting it off…
I used to use an external drive until I had a kitten pee in it!
you never know what will happen to a thumb drive or any device!
E- As a MAC user you surely know about me.com??? It does all that and much more.
Elliot, I am sold on Mozy, too. It works while I’m asleep!
I would be interested in a non-biased discussion of the best online backup service.
Maybe Consumer Reports did one. I guess it doesn’t matter where you look, there is bias in everything.
I love my MacBook and am happy to recommend it to others. I also own Apple stock, so I guess it could be seen as biased too.
Great suggestion.
You should also look into backing up your bookmarks and locking down your computer physically and with password protection. Of course having your email web based is a must. All existing email addresses can be sent and received via Gmail so no need for thunderbird or outlook… ever.
I am 100% web based and backed up.
If I wake up in the morning and find that someone has stolen my computer and even shipped me off to a foreign country, so long as I have an internet connection, I am 100% confident that I won’t miss anything.
If you plan for that worst case scenario, you will never be worried about your hard drive crashing, your computer being stolen or having to just get on a plane and working from somewhere else.
Since everything is digital these days, you should have a digital backup and failure plan.
Because of trouble getting the Mozy to backup one evening, I contacted their service dept. They suggested installing a new form of Mozy.
My problem: I am slightly less computer savvy than my cat and I need someone to install the new Mozy version. Is there anyone in Manhattan you can recommend to help me.