Are those online data backup services really secure?
They are, according to Joe Campana, an expert on identity theft, privacy, and information security. Many people get a wake up call the day their computer crashes, and it’s too late to back up those documents, photographs, emails and other data. Campana says we need to be concerned about more than just technical problems.
“There are the issues of fire, tornado, flood, handling your computer — if it’s a laptop, if you drop it you can lose all the information by damaging the hard drive — just electronic and hard drive failures are issues, and then there’s also the issue of theft.”
So, Campana says it’s important to save that backed up data in another location. Those online data backup services work remotely, they’re relatively inexpensive, very easy to use and you don’t have to remember anything. And, Campana says, the information IS secure.
“Most of these services actually encrypt the information before it leaves your computer and then it transmits it also over secure Internet lines. So the information is stored encrypted.”
And Campana says, your personal files will remain private. He suggests you read each service provider’s privacy policy. Campana adds, when you consider the time, convenience and peace of mind, it’s a cost-effective insurance policy for your data at about five bucks a month.
Two most popular services are carbonite and mozy.
Jackie Johsnon 1:40
Related sites:
privacydiary.com
twitter.com/dr_privacy
privacymakeover.com