Q .: what if we already have a tape backup system?
Using a tape backup system and a remote backup system offers the best of both worlds. Critical files, like billing, customer contact files and
databases can be kept on the remote backup system. While, the tape system can be used to create a full backup of the entire system once or twice a
month, instead of on a daily basis. The tapes and drive will last longer and require less maintenance. The remote backup system can provide a quick
and easy way to retrieve critical files and databases without the hassle of searching through tapes.
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Q .: what if we already have a zip drive?
Frankly, we believe it's not optimal for most users to use a zip or other removable disk media for backup. A remote backup service is
completely automated and has the required file redundancy to protect important data. The only safe way to use a zip drive for backup is to have three
disks and make the same backup three times. That way when one of the disk fails you are still protected.
Q .: how long will a remote backup take?
Offices with high-speed internet connections should find this service comparable with tape drives. Dial up users will be able to do incremental
backups in thirty to sixty minutes. The initial backup can take several nights to complete. We recommend backing up the most important files first
and then selecting other files as the backup progresses or, the initial backup can be run over the weekend.
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Q .: onsite, offsite - what's the difference?
Basically, remote backups work like regular tape backups, with one important difference. Instead of sending backups to a tape drive or other media
attached to the computer being backed up, a remote backup sends encrypted file data over the internet to a computer file storage system safely
offsite.
This usually happens at night while your business is closed and nobody is using the computers. It's completely automatic. In fact, you may
forget it's working every night.
Q .: why are remote backups considered more beneficial?
The data is immediately stored offsite using an automated backup system. Also, only an internet connection is needed. Completely eliminating the
need for expensive backup equipment and media. And, since the system is automated, manual labor is eliminated.
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Q .: how secure are remote backups?
Very. All files are encrypted using Blowfish or DES encryption which is selected by the user with their own personal encryption code which is only
known by the user of the system. Blowfish encryption has never been broken by a hacker. DES is used by the federal banking system.
Data security is a major concern to ISecureDat and its clients. Our Remote Backup System has addressed the issue of protecting data by using a
very sophisticated compression and encryption system. Using two distinct layers of protection, each with its own encryption technology, the remote
backup archives are virtually impenetrable.
ISecureDat compresses and encrypts all data before it is transmitted from the your office. Only you knows the encryption "key." and this
key is not transmitted with the archive. Remote Backed up archives cannot be viewed, decrypted, or used in any way without the key.
Remote Backup (North American edition) supports the following encryption standards and bit lengths. The multi-encryption feature makes ISecureDat
remote backups the most secure backup software available. Plugin encryption modules are available for most countries.
 
Secure Key Generator Clients can enter their own Encryption Key, or they can use the Key Generator. The Key Generator creates "statistically
perfect" encryption keys that are much more secure than human users can create.
 
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Q .: what is encryption?
Encryption is basically a mathematical formula that scrambles a data file. And the only way to unscramble it is with the encryption code.
ISecureDat offers a free service to retain a copy of your encryption key if you wish. Click here for details
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Q .: wouldn't I be better off running my own remote backup system instead of paying a fee?
While you're certainly welcome to setup your own system, following are several costs you might want to consider first.
1) a remote location
2) additional computer equipment
3) licensing for both an OS and the backup software
4) system maintenance and repairs
5) IT costs
6) additional costs like: hydro, communication service (ISP), facility maintenance
7) learning curve
8) taking time away from running your current business
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Q .: what types of files should I consider backing up?
These are some file types to consider.
1) accounting records
2) e-mail backups
3) certificates and certificate keys
4) VPN pre-shared keys
5) inventory control records
6) payroll and employee records
7) medical records
8) original artwork or designs
9) taxes and legal records
10) data base(s)
Your computer stores its data in files which need to be backed up and others do not. Although Remote Backup can back up virtually any file on your
computer, not all should be.
Data files are considered critical files because they contain your most recent and critical data like your customer records, accounting files, word
processing files, and other data you work with on a daily basis.
Program files are usually not considered critical because if they are lost they can be restored from your original distribution diskettes that came
with your software. For this reason it is important to store the original copies of your software diskettes away from your computer, not in the same
building if possible.
Your computer also has a lot of other non-critical files. These are files that are left over from installations of programs, temporary files,
compressed folders, others that would not affect the operation of your computer or business if they were lost. These should not be backed up
either.
The vast majority of the files on your computer are probably program files and other non-critical files. They can be identified by their file names.
Program files have common extensions like:
.exe .dll .ovl .reg .cab .zip .hlp .bmp .sys .wav .tmp
Some file types that probably should be backed up include:
.mdb .sql .dbf .fpt .ini .lnk .doc .xls .pst .msg .txt
These are by far not the only file types that should be backed up, but they are common data file extensions.
Data files are considered critical files because they contain your most recent and critical data like your customer records, accounting files, word
processing files, and other data you work with on a daily basis.
For an extensive downloadable list of extensions, what their use for and in, what's included in the auto-select feature of this Remote backup
system and what's automatically excluded from the backup list: Extensions List & Details Printer Friendly Version of Extensions List
Please note: if you are using the auto select feature of the backup software, whenever a new application is installed all files for it are
automatically selected for backup. You will need to keep a close eye on what files are being backed up using the "Include" and "
Exclude" options to make adjustments in the software selection area.
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Q .: can open files be backed up?
Yes, it will! Our remote backup client software as of version 9.4 and up can natively supports open files of virtually any type. This includes
SQL, Exchange, Oracle, Quickbooks, Outlook, etc. ISecureDat is currently using version 10.0
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Q .: can I download the client software right away when I order service?
You can, in fact you'll be taken directly to a download link. ISecureDat will take the information you provided in the form you send to create
a custom account for you and e-mail your account name, a random generated password and will reserve your requested storage space. It is suggested you
do not launch the application until you get this information from ISecureDat as you will not be able to complete the process without it.
We suggest reading the "Quick
Start" PDF if you haven't already. Another PDF you should download is the How to Create Schedules. This is a useful
aid to learn how you can setup different schedules to either backup different areas of your organizations system or schedules for different types of
backups.
The initial backup schedule is an incremental one. The first time you run your backup, it will create a full backup, but will be
incremental thereafter. You will need to create an additional schedule to provide for a full backup as your plan calls for.
NOTE: the more information you provide on the initial application, the less time it will require to setup your account and subsequent contacting
you for additional information.
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Q .: compiling a backup is slow scanning files
The length of time it takes to backup, is dependent on the number of files being backed up, the size of those files and the upload speed of your
Internet connection. Please keep in mind that for most broadband connections, upload speed is considerably slower than download speed.
Please also check to see what types of files are included in your backup sets. Make sure you are not backing up unnecessary files such as
temporary Internet files. If you are backing up your Microsoft Outlook ".pst" files, keep in mind that these files can be very large and
will change every time you send or receive a new email. Therefore, you may be transmitting these large files on every backup.
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Q .: can your software back up 20 gigabytes a night?
Yes, our software is capable of backing up 20 gigabytes of data every night. Do you have enough bandwidth and drive space to back up 20 gigabytes
every night?
Just one gigabyte takes 5.4 hours to send over a fast Cable Modem capable of 512 mpbs speed. Twenty gigabytes would take 4.5 days. Over a 30 day
period you would need 600 gigabytes on your Server computer to store all those backups. You can decrease the amount of time needed by getting a
faster Internet connection.
Our software compresses data before transmitting it, an average of 85%. So in your case, 20 gigabytes might be compressed to 3 gigabytes,
requiring 16.2 hours to transmit over a 512 mbps Cable Modem. That's still testing the practical limits of ANY Remote Backup solution, simply
because of the time required to send a backup.
Our software has the ability to select critical files that need to be backed up. Do you REALLY need to send 20 gigabytes every day? Most companies
don't. Most, in fact, most of our customers send fewer than 50 megabytes a day, which is compressed to around 10 megabytes before transmission,
requiring 3.2 minutes to send over a 512 mbps Cable Modem. They do this by selectively backing up only the files that change from day to day - the
files that store your most critical data.
These times are, for the most part, simply what the Internet requires. There's little any software can do, other than compress the files, to
decrease the time required to send this much data.
To reduce the time, back up only critical files that you cannot restore from other resources like your original distribution CDs, and your Windows
CD itself.
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the first backup is huge. How do I do it?
DO NOT BACK UP ENTIRE DRIVES
A common misconception among new users is that they must make an initial full-disk backup before starting their remote backups. Such a backup can
easily be as big as many gigabytes, mostly of files that are part of the operating system or installed applications. These files do not usually need
to be backed up because they can be re-installed from the original CDs if needed. Backing them up uses unnecessary bandwidth and an extraordinary
amount of time and storage space which will cost you.
It is the DATA they generate that needs to be backed up and DATA files are usually a very small percentage of the files on a hard drive. Exceptions to this may be music and/or photo collections.
Select backup files carefully. Use the AutoSelect feature and select Folders and Files - NOT ENTIRE DRIVES. As an example: A new client has 14
gigabytes of documents on his computer. That's too big to send over the Internet (see size explanation above).
The first thing to decide is, "Do I really have to back this up?" Avoid backing up existing data that is no longer pertinent if you can.
If you really must back it up, decide if you have to back it up in a format that can be restored from online.
Fourteen gigabytes is a huge amount of data. It will require 21 CDs to back that up if it's not already compressed and 8 CDs if it will
compress (depending on the type of files they are). You could spend HOURS swapping CDs.
ISecureDat software is REMOTE BACKUP software. There are no remote backup systems (RBS) that can do remote backup better than ours, but there are
dozens that can do CD backups, or backups to hard drives, much better.
If you do not need much of the initial data on your Server for restoration with remote backup, use some other software to make the first backup to
CDs or tape, or some other media. NOTE: You will not be able to restore this data using our remote backup system. This data should be stored
or archived in a separate location away from the server. Preferably at a different address.
If on the other hand you really need to be able to restore that data using a remote backup access, you can use ISecureDat's "Copy to
Disk" function. This is a feature of the Client software that was built to solve this problem of large initial backups. Read this short recommendation prior to performing your initial remote backup.
"Copy to Disk" operates like a regular Remote Backup session, but instead of sending backups over the Internet to the ISecureDat Server,
it sends the data to a hard drive or other mapped device with a standard drive letter. If that device is a CD burner with Packet Writing software
enabled, the software will copy to a series of CDs which you can then send them to ISecureDat and they will be copied to your backup folder. Once
done, they will be available for restoration over the Internet using the standard method.
Data placed on CDs using the "Copy to Disk" function can be restored online through the regular Remote Backup client interface.
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why are backups by a company considered more beneficial?
The data is immediately stored offsite using an automated backup system. Also, only an internet connection is needed. Completely eliminating the
need for expensive backup equipment and media. And, since the system is automated, manual labor is eliminated. There's another obvious situation
as well. Suppose the building and your computer equipment is destroyed tonight. Since your data is offsite, it is still fully retrievable once
you're setup again.
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is the backup software HIPAA compliant?
ISecureDat remote backup software complies with the Final Security Rule by compressing and encrypting data before sending it to the ISecureDat
server.
The Encryption Key generated by the backup software is known only to the customer, and is never transmitted to the ISD server. Data is stored on the
ISD server in compressed and encrypted archives that are not accessible by the remote backup service provider.
ISecureDat Remote Backup Software is adequate to help companies comply with the Final Security Rule. Our software also complies with the privacy
section, even though providers are not "Covered Entities" as defined by the current rules, and thus are not required to comply with it.
At the time of this writing there is no "HIPAA Compliance" certification for backup software, and it is important to note that under the
current rules, no software is truly "HIPAA compliant", because there are no regulations that specifically address backup and privacy
software.
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can clients share accounts?
I fully understand the benefits of using mapped drives to capture data from a multitude of machines with one license, but what would happen if we
install the agent on several machines using the SAME user name and login? Does it behave differently if the encryption key is the same or different?
Will files from one machine overwrite files from another machine?
Answer: If a client uses the agent with the same username, account, password, and encryption key on several machine, they will all back up,
but none of them may be able to restore. Our documentation warns strongly against doing this. While our system never over-writes a file, sharing
accounts in ANY form can scramble data sets and complicate or entirely prevent restoring the data. Do not share accounts among clients.
Also see can I backup several computers with a
single client license?
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is there a backdoor to the client or agent? how secure is it?
There is no "back door" and absolutely no way for the agent software to answer an incoming IP request. Thus, the client software is not
vulnerable to hacker attempts through the Internet.
There is a built-in key escrow system that may spook some people until they find out it's not a security risk. This system has saved many clients
who could not recover their data because of a corrupted key disk, or because they forgot their encryption key.
That's the system that allows you to make a key disk upon installation, to be used to restore your files later in case of a massive system crash.
It also allows our software supplier to recover a lost
encryption key if necessary, but that process requires your authorization and that of ISecureDat. This is a complicated and expensive process to
do with a minimum price of US$500.
Only our software supplier can do it, and they cannot do it without both our's and your authorization in writing. They need a few files from our
server, and some information from you to validate the files on our server. They cannot recover your encryption key without both of those pieces.
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Q .: can I move an installed client to another machine?
This article describes the procedure for moving the remote backup client software to another computer, after it has been running for a while on
the original computer. This is done to maintain the original settings, encryption keys, and passwords.
Note: The folder structure on the new computer must be identical to that of the old computer IF you want to be able to restore files to their
original locations. If not then any restored files will create new folders from the old structure onto the new computer. In many cases, this is
what you want in others, it's not.
Install the remote backup client software from a distribution CD or from here onto the new computer.
When asked for any input, like name, address, username, password, ANYTHING, click the CANCEL button. Click CANCEL until the new remote backup client
stops without registering.
Copy the file c:\program files\Remote Backup\backup.mdb from the old computer into the same folder on the new computer.
Start the RBackup Client on the new computer and verify that it works.
Uninstall the RBackup Client software from the first computer.
CAUTION: DO NOT leave the Client software on the first computer. If it runs it may over-write backup files from the new computer.
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Q .: can I Include remote backup functionality in another application?
Our remote backup client can be called from other programs or applications adding a remote backup functionality to them. For example, suppose
you'd like to include a built-in remote backup functionality in a dental office management program, which looks like a part of that program.
Add a menu option to the Dental Office Management application, called "Remote Backup" or "Backup Now". Have the menu option
simply run the following command line (without the square brackets):
[path to rbclient]\rbclient.exe run [backup set name]
In the above example, [path to rbclient] is the full drive and path to the "rbclient.exe" program. The path is usually (but not always)
C:\Program Files\Remote Backup.
[backup set name] is the name of the backup set to run. Do not include the square brackets.
rbclient.exe and run are literal.
You might also want to preselect, as part of the called backup set, the data files of the calling application.
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Q .: how does "Fast Pick Selection" method work?
Fast Pick is a new File Selection method for version 10.1.65 and above. This method is designed to speed up the Scanning process (or File
Selection process), especially in cases where there are many thousands of files to scan, (greater than 50,000) and where Archive Bit Selection is not
appropriate.
Fast Pick relies on the last successful backup's Date/Time Stamp. For the first backup, Fast Pick will select all files marked for backup. For
subsequent backups, the client (when the backup initially starts) gets the last successful backup's Date/Time stamp from the database. This
date/time stamp is then used as a threshold for file selection.
The criteria for selecting a file for backup is based on two conditions:
1) If the Modified Date/Time of the file is greater than the threshold date/time, OR
2) If the Creation Date/Time of the file is greater than the threshold date/time.
Note: All date/time comparisons are done in UTC (Universal Time Coordinated).
Since there are no database lookups in the scanning process, the time taken to scan thousands of files is greatly reduced.
This method of selection is useful when you are backing up a file sever for example that has thousands of files that need to be scanned, or in cases
where archive bit cannot be used for file selection like a Samba/Linux box.
The first backup using this File Selection method, will select ALL files for backup.
If you make changes to File Selection, i.e. include a new file or folder to backup after the initial backup, you have to make sure to set the
Modified Date for these new inclusions. Else, these files will not be selected for backup. For this reason, there is a right click menu option called
'Set Modified Date/Time' that you can use to set/change the modified date/time stamp of these new inclusions. Further, when you add a new
file/folder to the inclusion list after the first full, the software itself will prompt you to change the Modified Date/Time (if the Fast Pick method
is being used for the backup set).
CLIENT VERSION 10.1.65 and above.
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Q .: can I backup several computers with a single client license?
The remote backup agent will back up any computer that the operating system can see as a mapped (shared) drive letter.
For example, if you have four workstations and one file server, you can back all five computers up with one licensed copy of the agent.
Install the client software on one of the workstations which has mapped drives to all the other computers. The agent will back up the data on the
other computers.
You can back up data on ANY operating system that Windows can see as a mapped drive. This means that you can back up Unix data, Macintosh, AS400,
virtually anything that the computer running the remote backup client can access as a shared drive.
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