I Wuz Robbed!

Someone stole my laptop computer last week. It disappeared from the trunk of my car while I had dinner with a couple of businessmen discussing their new genealogy site that will go online soon. Naturally, I am angry about the loss. It was a high-end laptop. In other words, it was expensive. While I lost the computer, I didn't lose any data.

I have written many times about making backups in case of various disasters. Luckily, I practice what I preach: just a few minutes before powering off the laptop, the laptop automatically performed a backup to an online web service. I put it into its carrying case, and stored it in the trunk of my car. The morning after the theft, I restored all the laptop's data to a temporary folder on my desktop computer. When I receive my replacement laptop, I will copy the data to it. While the theft certainly is inconvenient, I am continuing in business with no data loss.

When I filed the stolen property report with the police department, I was told that the likelihood of recovery is slim. Stolen laptops and other high-tech equipment are rarely recovered. Insurance will cover the financial loss, but not the loss of data. For that, I depend upon online backup services.

I use an online service that makes constant backups of my critical data files whenever any of my computers are powered up and connected to the Internet. With "always online" broadband connections at home and the office, any new or modified files are backed up within a few minutes after being written to the hard drive. The backup process is automatic; backups are made of all new files with no effort on my part, whether or not I am seated at the computer. The backup copies are safely stored thousands of miles from my home and yet are available to me almost instantly, should I need to restore any files.

Best of all is the price tag of this automated off-site backup solution: free, if you have modest data storage requirements.

Mozy Remote Backup is a solution for anyone running Windows XP who is also using a broadband DSL or cable modem connection to the Internet. Mozy will not work on Macintosh or on earlier versions of Windows. However, the company promises that a Macintosh version is in the works. For now, Mozy supports only XP Home Edition and XP Professional Edition. Using Mozy on a dial-up Internet connection would not be practical since this solution requires an "always on" broadband connection.

A recent survey shows that 76.8% of this newsletter's readers use Windows XP. More than 60% use broadband connections. Obviously, the majority of this newsletter's readers can use Mozy Remote Backup.

When you first start using Mozy, the service creates a full backup of all the files that you specify. Mozy copies the files across the Internet and stores them on servers in Mozy's data center. It you are backing up nearly two gigabytes of data, this backup will require several hours to complete, even on a broadband connection. It may even require more than 24 hours.

Once the initial backup is completed, Mozy's software monitors your computer's operation. Every two hours, Mozy starts looking for idle time. Any time the computer goes idle for a half hour or more, Mozy makes a backup copy of all files that have changed since the last backup was made. For most users, this means that an updated backup is made every two or three hours as long as the computer is powered up and connected to the Internet. Because only the new or recently modified files are transferred, the frequent "incremental" backups are quick. The new files are added to the collection of files backed up earlier and already stored on Mozy's servers. As a result, Mozy always has a "mirror image" of your critical files.

All data gets encrypted before it travels across the Internet, and your data remains encrypted when stored on Mozy's servers. Mozy employees cannot read your files, nor can anyone else. You are the only person who can unencrypt your information. Your data remains secure and under your sole control at all times.

Should you ever have a disaster and lose one file or thousands of files from your computer, you can use Mozy's software to retrieve the latest versions of your files from Mozy's data center. The encrypted files are sent back across the Internet to your Windows XP system, unencrypted in your computer, and and made available to you. The end result is that your data is restored as expected. Your critical information remains available to you, despite hardware problems, human errors, or natural disasters.

You can use Mozy to make backup copies of genealogy data, family photographs, word processing documents, e-mail messages, checkbook data, last year's income tax information, or anything else that you wish to protect.

I have been using Mozy for about six months and can report that it has worked well for me so far. I never had a critical need until this past week, but Mozy handled everything flawlessly. Mozy is available in several offerings. The most attractive is Mozy's free service that will securely store up to two gigabytes of files and automatically back up any changes as they are made. If two gigabytes won't suffice, you can purchase more space: five, ten, or twenty gigabytes.

UPDATE: Some time after this article was written, Mozy changed its prices. You now can store up to 2 gigabytes of online backup absolutely free with no expiration date, or pay $4.95 a month for unlimited online backup capacity.   

When I first signed up for Mozy's service, I found that my entire genealogy database of 3,000+ individuals with full text notes, source citations, and more, plus a copy of every newsletter I have written in the past ten years, plus a few hundred other word processing documents all consumed almost one gigabyte of disk space. That's less than half the space available at no charge. I suspect you can back up your entire genealogy database in less than two gigabytes unless you have a lot of graphics images stored within that database. You will only need to pay for additional storage space if you wish to back up more than two gigabytes.

Since my first experiments with Mozy, I have added a second desktop and a laptop to the backup service. I now consume more than two gigabytes of storage space.

Keep in mind that you do not need to make backups of the operating system or application programs. If you have a hard disk disaster or a stolen computer, you can always install the programs again. The only need to back up your DATA. Your total storage requirements will be much, much less than the size of your disk drive.

In my case, I will be buying a new laptop that already has Windows XP installed. I don't need to keep a backup copy of XP nor do I need a backup of my genealogy program.  I only need to backup my DATA. That includes genealogy data, family photographs, word processing documents, e-mail messages, checkbook data, last year's income tax information, and other data. Therefore, any one computer will probably require less than two gigabytes of storage space. My two desktops and one laptop combined only require about three gigabytes to store all my data. I do not back up many images, however. I have them stored elsewhere on CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks.

Your space requirements will vary, depending upon how much data you need to store and what format the files are in. (Graphics files are often quite large.)

Most users will be happy with the free service that stores up to two gigabytes of data. Should you require more storage space, you will find the price for the extra storage is a fraction of what most other companies charge: $4.95 a month for unlimited storage. I doubt if you will find any other backup services with prices that low. You can compare competitors' prices at http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=online+backup+service&btnG=Google+Search

By default, Mozy starts a backup whenever your computer has been idle for at least a half-hour and the CPU is 20% busy or less. You can tweak these settings, or you can specify to back up only at a daily scheduled time. Regardless of the busy/idle state, Mozy waits until at least two hours after the last backup. Mozy can even back up open files, so you can even safeguard the files you're working on.

Mozy not only keeps the latest copy of your files, but it also keeps previous copies. For instance, you might have a word processing document that you change every few days. This newsletter might be such an example. Not only can I restore the latest version at any time, but I can also restore previous versions. For instance, I can tell Mozy to restore the version of the file as of last July, even though I may have changed it many times since then. Mozy will supply a backup copy of the file as it existed last July. This is very good when you accidentally change something but do not realize the error until some days later. Mozy will give the old file back to you.

I found Mozy to be simple to install. All I did was go to the Mozy web site, fill out a small form with my name, e-mail address, and some personal information, and then click on "Download." Once the software download completed, I double-clicked on the new file and followed instructions that appeared on my screen. About two minutes later Mozy's backup software was installed and operating. I then had to specify which files to back up.

The first backup took nearly a day to complete. That was no surprise. After all, it was sending copies of all the files that I had specified.

Once the initial backup has completed, future backups transfer only the differences in any changed files. For instance, this article will automatically be backed up to Mozy's servers soon after it is written. I do not need to take any action to make that happen as everything is handled automatically for me. Once my editor makes her changes, Mozy will back up this article again. I can even later retrieve the first, unedited version, should I wish to do so. Of course, the latest version is always available as soon as it is backed up. So is every version in between, if any.

All backups after the initial load are performed quickly and easily. In theory, the PC will slow down somewhat when backups are being made. However, Mozy only makes backups when the computer has been idle for at least a half-hour and the CPU is 20% busy or less. As a result, most backups are made when I am not seated in front of the computer. While it may slow down a bit, I am never there to see the slowness for myself.

Mozy backs up your data more or less forever if (and only if) you keep using the service. With the free service, the backups are maintained as long as you keep using the service at least once every 30 days. This means that you keep the software loaded and allow it to run in background every time you boot your computer. If you do not use the service for 30 days, the backups are deleted from Mozy's servers. This is to insure that Mozy's servers don't get clogged with data from people who try it once or twice and then move on.

If you pay for even more storage space, as I do, your files will remain available on Mozy for as long as you keep paying the bills.

I am pleased with Mozy and will keep using it until I find something even better. After using Mozy for six months, I have not yet found anything better. For anyone with less than two gigabytes of data to protect, it may be a long time before anything better than this free backup service appears. In fact, with these prices it may be a long time before I can find a better deal for 60 gigabytes of storage!

Without a backup system in place, you're taking a gamble every day on the survival of your important files. Your data absolutely will be deleted or corrupted some day. It may even be stolen, as mine was. Disasters happen to everyone sooner or later. Mozy provides file protection free of charge. If you have Windows XP and a broadband connection, you now have no excuse for not backing up your most critical files several times every day.

I believe the Mozy Remote Backup service is one of the best services available on the web today. It runs automatically in the background and is available free of charge.

To learn more about Mozy or to sign-up for Mozy's free online backup service, go to http://mozy.com.

Whether you agree with my assessment of Mozy or not, I will caution you that you need to use some method of making frequent backups of your important data. If you do not make frequent backups, sooner or later you will wish that you did.

Comments

[Peter]

I find http://www.BackupReview.info to be the best site for online backup and storage related news and articles. The site ranks the top 25 online backup companies on a monthly basis in addition to listing more than 400 online backup companies.

[cheryl McGregor]

Since you do so much traveling, you might want to invest in one of the tracking services that are now out for Computers. Lo Jack is one of the providers of this service. http://www.lojackforlaptops.com/
Computrace® LoJack® for Laptops is a theft protection service that tracks, locates and recovers stolen laptop and desktop computers. "Software installed on your computer works behind the scenes to silently and securely contact our Monitoring Center, and if stolen, reports its location using any Internet connection.
Our Recovery Team then tracks your computer’s location and partners with local law enforcement to get your computer back. If your stolen computer is not recovered in 30 days, you’ll receive a full refund for the purchase price of the software." $50.00 a year is better than $1000.00 for a new laptop. Backup's are great but hopefully you didn't have any financial or personal stuff on that laptop. You don't want the spectre of Identity theft following you around.

Cheryl

[Margaret Harris]

I'm concerned, Dick, for your private data that may be on your computer. How is it protected? Are you concerned that the person who stole your laptop will now have your e-mails and passwords, your checking account access, etc.?

[Bob Juch]

I back up to an Iomega external drive. I just happened to have to use that last night when something totally wiped out my user profile (I got the grassy hill wallpaper, etc.).

I could also have used my free Earthlink Backup for my data (but not my programs). I used that while on vacation to backup My Documents.

[Dick Eastman]

I do have some concerns about the data that was on the laptop. However, it was well protected. First, it was a Windows XP Pro laptop. The thief would have to be able to crack the Windows log-on and password. It was as long password with a mix of letters, numbers and punctuation marks. A technically sophisticated person theoretically could do that but it won't be easy.

Next, most of my personal data was encrypted using a different method that is much more difficult to break into. I doubt if anyone can break into that. I also had little personal information on that laptop: no checking account, no passwords stored, etc. In fact, I never store passwords on laptops; I have to enter passwords every time I use e-mail or other sensitive information.

Finally, in a bit of irony, I am hoping that the thief cracks the laptop's user name and password and then logs onto the Internet. The laptop has VPN software installed. As soon as it is connected to the Internet, the laptop automatically attempts to connect to a Virtual Private Network (VPN) in my home. (I plan to write about that VPN software in a future newsletter article.)

As soon as I realized the laptop had been stolen, I changed the passwords on the VPN network and then also specifically blocked the laptop's name. The thief will not be able to connect to the VPN. HOWEVER, the log files for the VPN software will still capture the date/time of any attempted connection AS WELL AS THE I.P. ADDRESS of the computer that attempts to connect.

If the thief cracks my passwords and then if he does log onto the Internet, I will have his I.P. address captured within seconds in the VPN log files at my home. Law enforcement officials can then trace the computer.

I am checking the VPN log files frequently. So far, the thief has not connected to the Internet.

I suspect that the thief or his accomplices will simply reformat the hard drive. I am told that is the most common method of "recycling" a stolen laptop. If so, that destroys all information on the drive as well as the passwords. Still, I would get some enjoyment out of seeing the thief come on line and thereby becoming traceable.

- Dick Eastman

[Dino (All Dino, All the Time)]

Dick,

Sorry about your loss, but I am very happy to hear that your hard drive was encrypted.

The Windows XP logon passowrd provides no security at all. All you have to do is to put in a KNOPPIX bootable CD and turn the system on. It'll boot up into Linux and you have full access to whatever is on your hard drive. But since you've encrypted it, that should keep the bad guys at bay.

I would suggest that everyone have a KNOPPIX bootable CD around (free software downlaodable from http://www.knoppix.org/). That way if your PC does get hosed up, you'll be able to copy whatever data you can off of your hard drive onto a CD.

[Dick Eastman]

Thanks Dino.

I am traveling right now but have a Knoppix DVD in my suitcase. Really! I always travel with a small collection of software tools. A CD or DVD weighs a half ounce so it is easy to travel with several.

I have used Knoppix to "rescue" unbootable Windows computers for clients a number of times. It is a great tool.

I have mentioned Knoppix several times in past newsletters. Click on "Search Past Standard Edition Newsletters" and then search for "Knoppix" to find those past articles.

- Dick Eastman

[Melinda]

First off, I'm sorry to hear about your laptop.

I have been looking for a place to backup my data, as I will be migrating everything to a new laptop in the (hopefully) near future and was looking for a backup service.

I'm at work right now, but as soon as I go home, I'll definitely check out the service more indepth.

[Sally]

So sorry about the theft, but you truly are a poster child for backing up your data. Thanks for being such a tireless advocate for responsible computing!

When I read your comments about tracking the thief via your VPN, it reminded me of a book called The Cuckoo's Egg by Clifford Stoll. It's over 15 years old now, but it's a fun true story about a tracking down a computer hacker who turned out to be a spy. If you haven't read it already, I think you'd enjoy it, Dick. Of course by now it's also a history of computing book in addition to a cyberchase book.

-Sally

[rjvint]

Is there a free service sililar to Mozy Remote Backup for Windows 98 users?

[soccermom]

Dick, sorry about your laptop! I'm going to start using Mozy, too.

Questions: how do you backup email (Outlook)?

[Margaret]

Sorry that your loss had to occur, but thank you for using this infuriating event to benefit your readers!

It seems like a great idea to have an offsite respository for one's data. We use external hard drives, but any destruction of our household would negate the value of our system.

I will bring this article to my husband's attention -- his computer just crashed and he is expecting his new Dell tomorrow. Mozy would have been ideal.

[Dick Eastman]

---> Questions: how do you backup email (Outlook)?

Simple. Never, ever use Outlook! It is a very insecure program.

I normally use Thunderbird and store its data in an encrypted subdirectory. I have to enter the password when logging on, before reading my e-mail. Then I do not need to enter it again until I re-boot.

Sometimes I use a web browser to read my e-mail. I typically do that when I have a high-speed connection. It doesn't leave data on the hard drive except for the web browser's cache. That's a risk although a small one.

- Dick
(using a one-pound Windows XP computer on a wireless connection in Anaheim)

[soccermom]

One more question, Dick, about off site storage. If Mozy is constantly updating, what prevents it from uploading a virus, etc., if my computer gets infected? I schedule a full system scan every night while I'm asleep, and have the usual incoming/outgoing email scans, etc. (Knock on wood, I've never had a virus in 20 years,) and I'm really careful. Does Mozy scan as it copies?

Are you on the Wholly Gene cruise now?

[Dick Eastman]

Mozy (and all other backup services I can think of) will back up whatever is on your hard drive. If there is a virus already on your hard drive, any backup procedure will back that up as well. However, your data is stored in encrypted form on Mozy's servers as is everyone else's. You cannot get a virus FROM Mozy as it only restores whatever you backed up.

You always need a good anti-virus program, regardless of what backup procedure you use.

- Dick Eastman

[Tim Agazio]

Dick, thanks for posting the info on Mozy. As I write this, I'm using Mozy to back-up my genealogy data. I've been concerned about this and thought of buying a back-up drive, but the cost always held me back. Plus, if my house burned down, I would still lose it all...with Mozy, I can do the same thing for free. Thanks again.

[Frank Henderson]

It might be helpful to some of us who have stored our laptops in the trunk of the car and happily didn't suffer the consequences you did to know just how the thief got in. Did he jimmy the trunk in some manner, gain entrance to the interior of the car and pull the lever, what?

[Peg]

Congratulations to all of you who find Mozy easy to use. I find it the craziest registration I've ever seen and impossible to do! I've never seen numbers that resemble theirs; I've no idea what they were trying to do. Needless to say, I deleted the information that I had entered. I enjoy puzzles but only if they make sense. As far as I'm concerned, forget Mozy! This is one time I'll ignore your recommendation, Dick.

[Leslie Lawson]

Dick,
I figured I've tempted fate long enough, I've downloaded Mosy with no problem. And it has backed up my system. But, not being the technical person you are I have one question! I see the files it is backing up, but "Programs" is not on that list. My concern: my genealogy program, with it's data is part of the Program>Rootsmagic>family file name... Is my genealogy being backed up? Or, do I need to change that to another folder? I see it has backed up "Desktop", does that mean I'm Ok and just don'e know it? Thanks for your constant work on this site, and your newsletter!

[Dick Eastman]

Mozy will back up anything that you tell it to but you must make sure that you specify the right directories. In your case, you need to tell Mozy to back up everything in c:\Program Files\Rootsmagic\Family name...

There is no need to back up the RootsMagic program. In case of disaster, you can always obtain another copy of RootsMagic and install it again. The important thing to back up is your DATA. In this case, it is the "family name" files. I cannot tell from your description if you are doing that or not but it should be simple to check.

I still back up EVERYTHING on my hard drive at 1:00 AM daily to a second hard drive on my in-home network. However, in case of fire or flood or other major disaster, I know that the second disk will be destroyed along with my computers. Therefore, I make additional, off-site back ups of the most critical files that I have: my data files.

- Dick Eastman

[Goldie]

I did use Mozy (thank you) until I had to get a new computer. It's Windows Vista, and Mozy does not work with Vista. What else do you recommend - I miss Mozy.

[Dick Eastman]

I recommend... Mozy.

Mozy works well on Vista. Here is a quote from the Mozy FAQs at https://mozy.com/support : "MozyHome currently supports Windows 2000, XP, and Vista, preferably with NTFS. It is now also available for Mac OS X 10.4 and higher."

If it isn't working for you, call Mozy. I bet they can help quickly.

- Dick Eastman