I have many of the these types of files that are actually personal files, and not being able to override this was a deal-breaker.
However, this means that your files are only as secure as your password and the systems protecting your keys. At best, they store your key encrypted by your password (and they don’t store your password). They don’t support a completely private encryption key.I didn’t go with Backblaze for several reasons: Dropbox’s value are in other features, such as easy, instant, secure-enough file sharing with friends, family, and coworkers. At $19.99/mo for 100 GB (and I don’t know how much for additional space), it’s not cost competitive. I wouldn’t call Dropbox a backup service (nor would they), but I looked at it anyway, so I may as well mention it. At $9.99/mo for 125 GB and $2.00/mo for each additional 20 gigabytes, I would be paying about $27.50/mo for my 300 GB of data. I’m glad I didn’t subscribe, because they discontinued it. I first tried Mozy when they had an unlimited plan.
Ideally, we should be able to get to previous versions by right-clicking on the file in Windows Explorer/Finder.īased on the criteria above, a couple services were out of the running. Specifically, once I set this up for my mom, she shouldn’t have to do anything if/until the day comes that she needs her data restored.Īlso, it should be fairly easy to restore deleted files or previous versions of files. Once set up, you should not have to think about it anymore. (When I want functionality like this, I use Dropbox.) You will not be able use this feature because the service provider will be unable to decrypt your files for you. Some services allow you access your backed-up files through the web as an added-value feature.You will not be able to access the files of your online backup if you lose your encryption key.You will have to go out of your way to use a private encryption key for services that support it.There’s no direct cost for choosing a provider that supports a private encryption key, so I opt to choose one that does. While improbable, it is a non-zero possibility. It is thus possible for a misbehaving employee or hacker to access customer files. Nearly every online backup provider encrypts customer files, but most also store the encryption/decryption key. Not only would it have been unpleasant to have to think that each new document, photo, and video could result in an increased recurring payment, I simply did not find anything compelling in the services offered by non-unlimited providers. My wife, dad, and brother each have between 50-100 GB, and that grows with every photo-opp. Any non-unlimited plan would have been significantly more expensive. The bulk of that are digital photos and videos, and that’s with almost no RAW photos and only rarely is there HD video. Also, my research and review are primarily from Q4, 2011. I’ll start by sharing what’s important to me in backup provider so that you know what biases I have and how my opinions may apply to you. My Criteria for our Online Backup Service I’ve taken it upon myself to set up online backup for my wife, parents, and brother, so I’ve had the opportunity to try more than one provider, and wanted to share my experience. So, I also want a backup that’s off-site, easy, and reliable. I already do local backups, but not only can it a little cumbersome and easy to forget (not to mention drive failures), fire or theft could result in the loss of the both the data and the backup.
I don’t like losing data, and I’m guessing that you don’t, either.