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NANDO: Backup Program
Unfortunately, they're only using DES - probably because they do serve
international customers.
> _________________________________________________________________
> The Peanut Roaster
> _________________________________________________________________
> HIAWATHA BRAY: ON-LINE BACKUP SAVES THE DAY
> __________________________________________________________________________
> Copyright © 1996 Nando.net
> Copyright © 1996 The Boston Globe
[...]
> (Sep 6, 1996 01:17 a.m. EDT) -- It's written in almost every computer
> instruction manual and technical guide. It's encouraged, sometimes
> even mandated, by MIS lords. Yet it's almost universally ignored.
[...]
> Fortunately, just before the drive when south I had taken up an offer
> from a company called Connected Corp., of Framingham, Mass., which
> markets an appealing product called DataSafe.
[...]
> DataSafe is an on-line data backup system. You load the DataSafe
> software onto your computer then connect via the Internet to
> Connected's data center. The system asks for a credit card number and
> a password of your choosing. Once done, DataSafe searches your hard
> drive, identifies every data file, and uploads them to the DataSafe
> computer. The system doesn't back up your applications, such as your
> copy of WordPerfect; just the data files you've created with the
> software. DataSafe stashes your stuff in two separate computers to
> ensure nothing is lost.
[...]
> But a dead hard disk works wonders on one's powers of concentration.
> With all my original data gone, it was time to find out whether this
> DataSafe really worked. I reinstalled the DataSafe software onto my
> new hard drive, made the connection with Connected, and waited to
> receive my files. No dice. I'd forgotten the password. And Connected
> refused to give it to me or provide me with a new one. That's because
> the backed-up data is encrypted, and the password is the key. Even the
> folks at Connected can't crack the encryption without your password.
> They designed the system that way to reassure customers that nobody
> can tamper with the data stored there.
[...]
> But many, perhaps most, people can't afford to lose a fragment of
> data. For them, on-line data backup systems like DataSafe may be the
> answer. The company charges $14.95 a month to store 50 megabytes of
> data. The software can be set to automatically back up all new and
> modified files every day whenever you choose.
[...]
> Businesses can use the system as an inexpensive data network. Just
> create an account, then give the password to everybody in your
> company. Now you can store commonly-used files on the backup server,
> where they can be downloaded by anyone who needs them.
> Connected isn't the only company that has figured this out. MCI Corp.
> is selling an Internet-based data backup service. So is McAfee
> Associates, the maker of anti-virus software. Many people will
> hesitate to store their computer files with a stranger, encryption or
> no encryption. But if that makes you uneasy, imagine how you'd feel if
> your hard disk crashed. Unless you're a columnist, it could be a
> disaster.
> (Hiawatha Bray is a member of the Globe staff. You can send him
> electronic mail at [email protected].)
[...]
> Copyright © 1996 Nando.net