MetaPro Systems Inc.

Protecting Your Data

What would it be like if you came into work one day and all your data was wiped out? Could your business survive? If so, how long would it take you to recover? Do you have a backup strategy? If not, you should.

There are two approaches to data backup: full and partial. For most computers a tape drive is needed to do a full backup. Tape drives can be internal or external. As internal tape drive is installed inside your computer in one of the open bays. An external tape drive sits outside your computer and is connected to the computer via a cable. The internal has the advantages of being permanent and taking up less room. There is no wire to become disconnected. The internal drive is slightly less expensive. The main advantages of an external drive are that it is portable and that you do not need to open your computer to install it.

If you go this route try to get a tape drive that has capacity that is as large as the size of your hard drives. If not, you will need more than one tape to do a full backup of your entire system. You generally do a full backup on a periodic basis, for example weekly. You do a differential on a more frequent basis usually daily. The differential contains all the files newly created or modified since the last full backup. With these two tapes you can fully rebuild your hard drive if a disaster, such as a hard drive crash, occurs. You can also recover individual files that are accidentally deleted. The full backup solution is best for people who have many applications or whose computer is critical for their business.

If you have only a few applications and your computer is peripheral to your business a partial backup solution may be adequate. You do not need a tape drive but you need some other high capacity storage device such as a Zip, Jaz drive or a CD burner. You only backup up your data files, not program files. For example, let's say you only use Word, Quicken and Mail. You would likely only back up your Word files, Quicken data file and your mail file. In the case where you lost your entire disk drive you would have to reinstall your applications from your original disks and then restore the data files.

In the last issue we wrote about protecting your data from accidental erasure by having a backup strategy. This issue discusses lost or corrupt data caused by virus infection.

In these troubled times, virus protection is essential. The two most popular packages are Norton Anti-Virus and McAfee Virus Scan. We use Norton. Regardless of which one you choose, be sure to keep it up to date.

Norton offers a Live Update option. This accesses the Symantec (Norton’s parent company) website and downloads the latest version to your computer.

The virus writers are constantly creating new viruses that can avoid detection by the anti-virus software. The anti-virus writers are working just as hard to fix these problems. For this reason it is important to retrieve updates frequently. While the anti-virus companies usually recommend one a week, we run ours every night. It is especially easy to do this in the middle of the night if you have cable or DSL connection to the Internet.

Having anti-virus software is no guarantee that you won’t be struck. There are some simple precautions you can take. E-mail is a common way to deliver viruses. Never open an attachment from someone you don’t know. If you get an email from someone you know but the message does not make sense, check back with them before opening any attachment.

This advice is of a general nature; every case is unique. If you are not sure what to do, please talk to a consultant or someone you trust. We can help you deal with these issues. Please feel free to contact us at (781)860-7345.