Data Backup, Get it Done!

Data Backup, Get it Done!
The concept of data backup doesn't come naturally to many computer users. I remember in a previous life when I was working on computers in a marketing communications job... data backup was the last thing in my mind then. The first was deadlines and getting work done, mostly desktop publishing.

Don't Rely only on the IT Department 
Back in my desktop publishing days data backup was for the IT guy to handle, not me. Turns out, we lost some important data because the IT guy wasn't backing up the stuff we thought he was. That was a light bulb moment for me: I see, I need to make sure anything important to me is being backed up, even it means me doing it.

I find a lot of my clients have the same mindset, neglecting to c.y.a. by backing up. They're nonchalant because they haven't been burned by losing an important file. I have convinced some of my clients to implement online backup and others to at least back up to USB drives. I guess it's just so ingrained in my brain now, but I'm still surprised when I work with a new client, especially a business client, who is not backing up data as a habit.

Hazards abound, backup now
Given all the online threats, including ransomware attacks (which lock your computer and require payment to free it), and hardware failures, human error, and environmental factors like storms (and where I live, in Hawaii, volcanoes!), it's really, really, really important that you have a data backup plan.

Backup to to a USB drive - easy peasy 
Your plan can be a simple as inserting a USB thumb drive and copying the contents of your Documents folder to the drive (if Documents holds your most important files). Then weekly, you can copy any new docs to the same folder on the drive. You'll store the backup drive in a drawer. Voila! You are doing data backup!

Online backup
For businesses, I recommend an online backup solution with either Mozy or Carbonite. (Carbonite recently acquired Mozy, so I'm steering now towards the parent company, Carbonite.) The benefit of online backup is this: If any files are damaged or compromised on your computer, whether from offline or online causes, you can login to the backup server and restore the files to ANY computer.

First the program, then the data 
Keep in mind, if you have a serious computer failure you'll need to get a computer running again to use programs with specific data sets, like QuickBooks, Quicken, etc. You can't restore your backed-up data from those programs and access it unless you are running the actual program, e.g. QuickBooks. This is not true with photos, PDFs, Word documents, etc.

Get help
If you're still glassy-eyed about this topic after reading this article, get some help from a friend or IT consultant. Avoid the pain of learning the importance of data backup after critical files are lost or damaged. Invest in some peace of mind; implement a plan soon.

Thanks for reading!
-Sam

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3 Steps to Reduce Computer Crisis Stress

3 Steps to Reduce Computer Crisis Stress

There are 3 steps you can take to reduce stress related to a computer crisis. 

By computer crisis I mean a situation where the computer is running very poorly, or may be infected by malware (annoying popups), or may have a hardware part failing (odd noises), or worse yet has crashed and won't restart. 

Be proactive! 

Do these 3 things to reduce your stress when the inevitable happens... 

• Make regular backups of critical data - locally and offsite. For local backup you can use a USB drive. For offsite, I recommend Mozy.com. Worst case, if your computer fails or is hit by damaging malware (such as ransomware), at least you will have your data available to restore when the crisis is resolved. Note: You will need an offsite backup solution to recover from a ransomware attack because this kind of attack can encrypt even your local backup. 

• Deal with the problem promptly. When the computer starts to act up, if you can't fix it, get help asap. Putting it off usually only makes things worse. It's the same as was when you hear an odd noise coming from your car's engine compartment. Better not ignore that one!

• Do regular maintenance. This means installing important updates for all software, and doing tune-ups and clean-ups. Also run security software scans regularly. For businesses, I recommend scheduling maintenance at least quarterly, or having someone in-house be tasked to do it. For home users, do maintenance at least 2x/year. 

As the old adage goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. 

It's also a risk tolerance issue: ask yourself how comfortable you are risking a computer failure that could ruin your day. 

Thanks for reading.
Sam

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Ransomware Attacks Are On The Rise

Ransomware attacks are on the rise

One of the latest ploys cybercrooks are using is to lock up your computer, or the files on it, and demand payment to re-enable access.

Via links in emails or website scams, the crooks trick computer users to install software that encrypts all or parts of a computer's files. The only way to decrypt is to pay a ransom demanded by the perpetrators.  

This is happening not only on home computers but also on government and business systems. Recently Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center was subjected to this scheme. The hospital said it paid a $17,000 ransom in bitcoin to the hacker who seized control of the hospital's computer systems. Apparently it was worth it to regain access to the data asap instead of struggling to restore it.

The most important defensive tactic against ransomware attacks is to be very, very careful which emails you open, links you click, sites you visit. Even so, we are not perfect.  

So the next best thing is to use an online data backup service, like Mozy.com. Online backup enables you to restore files if you are hacked by ransomware. Worst case, after an attack, you can have a computer tech erase your computer’s hard drive and reload software, then restore the backed up files. Or you can buy a new computer.

Either approach can be cheaper than the ransom requested. And you avoid dealing with the ransomware jerks at all, effectively not supporting their vile business model. That’s cold comfort, but any comfort counts when we’re victimized by criminals.

If you'd like to read more about this, here's a story in the LA Times:

http://www.latimes.com/local/crime/la-me-malware-ransom-20160220-story.html

And here's another story about two more hospital ransomware victims, these in Germany:

http://www.scmagazine.com/ransomware-holds-data-hostage-in-two-german-hospitals/article/479835/

If you like to beta test software, click here to install an anti-ransomware software program I'm trying out. It's made by Malwarebytes, whose anti-malware program, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, I recommend.

A REMINDER...

If you ever suspect your computer is infected by ANY malicious software, unplug if from the Internet immediately and request trusted tech support. The longer the exploit goes on, the more damage the hackers can cause.

Please feel free to forward this tip to friends, family, colleagues, and others.  

If you haven't already, you can subscribe to our email tips by visiting www.kokuadigital.com and entering your name, email, and "add to email list" in the request form, then click Send.

Thanks for reading, 

Sam