Backup Your Files Online with Mozy
Nobody likes backing up files. Quite frankly, it’s boring, so the job needs to be very simple and require as little effort as possible, for both backing up and restoring the data.
I’ve tried a few online backup solutions. I found most of them were either too confusing to set up, or didn’t give me the options I specifically needed. Of course security is also a major issue. You are backing your files up to a remote server. Who has access to those files?
Enter Mozy. An online backup solution getting quite a bit of attention. In September of 2007, Mozy was acquired for $76 million by EMC Corporation, a public storage company with a $40 billion market cap. It’s safe to say that they’re not going anywhere any time soon.
First thing first; security. Mozy wins major points for wonderful use of encryption; something a lot of other online backup solutions do not offer. When you use the software, your files are encrypted on your computer using 448-bit Blowfish encryption and then transferred to the Mozy servers using 128-bit Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption.
They also give you the option of using a random generated encryption key they create or your own private key to encrypt your data. If you use your own private key, you must be very careful about not losing it because if you do, your data is pretty much gone forever. They will not help you decrypt your stuff.
The interface is simplicity itself. You specify which directories/files you want backed up, and Mozy backs that data up securely at regular intervals. To keep network traffic low, it will only back up files that have been changed.
If the worst happens, simply run the program and select the Restore option. Select the files you’d like returned and they will begin downloading back to your system. Alternatively, you can also log on to your Mozy account via their home page and select the files you need to restore there for a “web restore”. If you have a ton of data you need back, they can burn you a disc and FedEx it to you for an extra charge.
Mozy was recently featured in Time Magazine’s best web sites of 2007 list. The service, as well as the software (available for Windows and Mac) will probably come pre-installed on lots of new computers before it’s all said and done.
If you want to test it out, you can sign up for a free account which gives you 2Gb of storage (very generous for a free account). If you need more storage, you can opt to pay according to how much you require. Current price is $4.95 a month for unlimited personal backup.
