Do you Need more than One Backup Solution?

Do you require more than one backup service? It is good to use an offline or online backup solution to secure data. But for proper safety you would require more than a single service. Your data is unsafe unless they are being backed up and with redundancy. If you are using two separate backup programs regularly then daily basis provide that extra layer of protection especially if they are backed up to different media.

You might have come across as site which was available till yesterday but has disappeared or shut down? In case it appear to the online backup solution that you subscribe to where do you stand? This is when backing up in more than one place makes sense.   

You need not be happy that because you are using a portable hard drive for the backup. You should have one for sure as it is a good asset as well as highly susceptible. In case you take it along with you can forget it and then it would get lost. It can also get accidentally damaged. While some can resist drops others cannot and if it falls from huge height then it is sure you would lose your data.  

There is another advantage to having more than one backup solution. Several providers provide free storage to some extent. Free storage can be used from several providers ensuring that all data is backed up. If you are using services of more than one provider you can surely maximize the storage space. You can use for each task a different backup provider. 

One of the major disadvantages of using several backup providers is confusion. There are several providers who offer mobile access. However you would have to find one who has a client which works with the phone OS, integrates with desktop version as well has user-friendly app which has all the features you require.

Some things are recommended to all users:

·         3 copies of the most important data

·         2 diverse formats  

·         There should be single off site backup to ward off natural disaster

Some use SugarSync on the desktop as the primary form of backup and even a portable hard drive as the secondary one. Certain files are even copied to Google Drive. Now it is upon you whether you want to rely on one or you want to use two. 

In case you want to ensure that the two backup services of your preference would work together, just test them. You can also run a complete backup with one and then with other too. You can change one existing file and create a new. Thereafter you can run incremental backups with both applications.

Related Post: Few must features for a good online backup solution

Use Email Backup Service to Protect your Email

Email is one of the most used communication channel for several businesses and individuals. What would do you do if you do not have access to email? Email outages do occur and at times when you shift to new system or change location you can miss out on some crucial data. There are various cloud and web services which is also inclusive of email backup.

DropMyEmail is an automatic Email backup service. Just login with Twitter, Facebook, Google account to start and within seconds backup would start. It would work with several email accounts and after first backup it would keep the backup in sync. Just enter email ID and password. It would even backup email attachments as well as allow you to filter via file type for quick sharing and searching. It also supports email migration if you want to move the email to a new account or restore to previous one.  

Mailkeepr helps to keep the email organized. It has secured SSL encryption which would encrypt emails prior to being stored. Email is backed up on multiple servers so there is no risk of losing the access. You can even backup attachments by sending them via email account. 

Backupify protects email as well as the entire data in the Google Apps account. Just add it via Google Apps market and application would check for latest data which would be copied to the cloud. This way you can restore the date with single click if required. The service has both search and management tools for the data. 

CloudAlly provides a backup service which covers the Yahoo Mail, Google account, Office 365, Salesforce, Google Apps and AWS. Data can be exported as well as stored locally or even restored to Google account without overwriting what is already there. The data migrations between Gmail accounts are also supported. Daily data is backed up as well as encrypted. 

In case if the emails service provider fails, then you would need a different solution like secondary MX provider. This gives you access as well as keeps the mail secure for several days while the primary service gets back on the feed. The two services which offer that includes DNS Made Easy and Cudamail.

Offline Backup

The above services are online backup services. In case you want to backup Gmail alone then it can be done offline via Gmvault which is available for Mac, Windows and Linux. It would back up Gmail as well as copes well with IMAP. Encryption and restoring of emails can be done. This solution is open sourced. Email back is in the evolving process as solution meant for enterprises. 

Access your Files while Travelling

While travelling if you have remote access to your files then you are actually updated everywhere. Protect and Access experts would guide on how you can access files while travelling:

It is easy to get your files while travelling as there are several subscription based or even free programs which sets up the connection with couple of clicks. These would help you log into the home system from the browser on the remote computer.  

These programs allow you to work on the home system as if you are in front of it. Below given some remote access programs that would help you access files:

LogMeIn is a utility which offers a free version that is meant for Macs as well as Windows PCs for remote control of the desktop and a pro version which enables remote printing, file transfer and other features.

GoToMyPC is a service based on subscription whose prices vary depending on the kind of usage for a system. Ensure that you consider how often you would be traveling or accessing the files remotely from the computer. This offers similar sophisticated features like drop and drag. This feature is also there in the paid version of LogMeIn Pro.

UltraVNC is a free program which can be easily configured and it uses Virtual Network Computing technology which is used for remote desktop sharing. It also offers several advanced features like encryption plugins, graphics drivers and Windows authentication. However the configuration can be difficult.   

Network Attached Storage is also an option to share files. If you do not control remotely or even manage the home system and want to just access shared files via net, you can make use of the NAS device which is also known as NAS box. It is a mini file server which is connected to home network through Ethernet to home router. These devices offer file access remotely through web browsers or FTP. This also holds good for sharing of files as well backup for several PCs.   

Use syncing and online Backup Services

You can avail cloud computing too. It is apt for accessing files remotely without having to set up any hardware. The devices are also configured thereby helping you to access the files easily. This is helpful for syncing Web apps and online backup. Online backup would provide offsite storage as well as allow you to download files individually form the web browser or even mobile app. The file syncing services as well as applications are designed specifically to keep important documents with you as well as access it wherever you would be going.

Set up own server

You can even set up your own server but it is one of the expensive solutions. It is time consuming but offers maximum control.   

But cloud computing is simple, fast as well as increases the trouble of installing things. It is highly secure. You would have to just figure out best plan which would suit the PC requirements. 

Do not Run Antivirus Manually

Do you open the security suite and execute scans? The default Windows antivirus Microsoft Security Essentials and other such programs think that the system needs it and provides a warning else the computer would be at risk.  

These manuals are not what they are meant to be. If you have a relevant suite then it would do its job in the background without any external help. It would alert when there is any problem.

Manual scans are not necessary

Irrespective of whatever software you use it would always run in the background. Everything that runs on your system is monitored thereby ensuring that no malevolent processes are being executed. Whenever a new file is downloaded or the program is opened it would start its work in order to examine the file and compare it to viruses prior to allowing it to run. If the virus is downloaded the antivirus support software would notice without you having to scan anything. It would deal with the file without manually scanning. This is called real time protection or background scanning or on demand scanning and so on.

The application would check every malware that has arrived. You would not have to click any button as it has already started its work. Normally it runs once a week in the background without interrupting the user. 

When the manual scans should be executed

These scans are useful but it need not be opened regularly. Manual scans are still useful in some cases. When an Antivirus is first installed it would perform a full-system scan right away. This allows ensures that the system is in a clean state and the viruses would not loiter in unopened files on the hard drive. But when you would open the files they would be scanned again. 

Regularly the definition files of antivirus are updated. They contain a list of identified malware and the antivirus compares programs in order to see whether they match or not. There is a possibility that there is a virus in the executable file on your hard drive and the security program missed during the first scan manually. In case a virus definition has been added it would catch the dormant virus when the scan is performed. If you run the file which has the virus then it would be caught. 

At a time run a single antivirus support as implementing multiple ones can cause issues problems with your computer. In case you want to scan with a second application then do a manual scan with the second one instead of the background feature of scanning. 

Background Protection is preferable

In some programs background scanning can be disabled and perform manual ones only. A manual scan is like telling a security guard to search each and every part of the house for intruders. That way it is better to guard the house entrance so that the threats can be caught before even entering the house. When the program can hide itself as well as prevent the antivirus program, Windows Task Manager from running. This is called root kit.

The malware can be detected before the virus can run on your PC. So make use of automatic background scanning and not manual scans. Make use of automatic scans as it provides maximum protection.

Buy Trustworthy Extended Warranty for your Electronic Devices

The hymn of consumer advocates: Never buy extended warranties as it would finish you. We have been advised that this service is a poor deal for all products. There are several products which require extended warranty. But one cannot blindly believe the consumer report.  

Extended warranties are beneficial and would not dupe customers as generally believed. There are several benefits associated with this. They allow the users to avoid any anxiety as well as an unexpected high bill of repair. In case a product breaks then the user has no time to search for third party to execute the repair. In case a product cannot be repaired it would be replaced then. These actually alleviate the concern of being ripped off on the repair as companies get an incentive to mend issues effectively. 

  

There are several services which has additional benefits. There are on site services available. There are third party services available too, where they have friendly customer care executives who address our concerns easily. They would either send a technician at your place or repair it remotely. The entire repair process is efficient, convenient or free of trauma. 

Your decision centers on risk forbearance and the value you have for its features. The customers who consider do want to take risk would willingly pay you more for peace of mind. It’s also important to realize that offering this peace of mind whether consumers choose it or not can create differences for the business.

This is a way to protect your investment for a high end product like any electronic device or a vehicle. It demands repair or replacement of any parts in the future. This can be considered as a health insurance as you would pay in advance for any future repairs as well as problems which arise. You as a naïve user need not pay huge amount of money for maintenance or repair later.   

However prior to purchasing it, ensure that the product needs it. Check its history, reputation and the frequency of repairs or replacements. This would give a good idea about the cost which you would spend on the service and the actual amount you have to pay in case you need to replace or repair parts without the help of this service. 

This service provided by external agencies can be trusted as long as you chose a reputed service provider. Thoroughly go through the conditions and terms of vendor so that you would not have to go through any shock later regarding a rider which has been there in the documents. Do check out for things which have been covered in the plan. Call customer service and check with them about the plan. Check their eagerness to discuss plan as you would have to deal with them later on. Protect and Access has been in the business for some time with a 24x7 customer service back up plan.