Why You Should Use Online Storage Methods

There are many reasons why you need online storage, as storing items on the net is inexpensive and secure. However, it is surprising to see how many people do not take advantage of internet based storage systems.

The main reason for storing files on a specialized site is that it will preserve your work. If your computer or hard drive crashes, these services offer an easy way to recover your data. Simply login to their webpage and retrieve your lost data. This can be done on the go or at home on another computer.

Storing files on the net also enables you to access your information from anywhere in the world. You would not need to take a laptop wherever you go, as any computer will be able to access the information once the password has been typed in. Storing information in the cloud is easy and efficient. Accessing it can be even easier. There are many services out there, some are free and others are not. Choose the one that is right for you after doing some research.

You should also realize that a laptop can be easily stolen. Laptop theft is common and many businessmen have lost important information on business deals and clients this way. Backing up your data will help you as a businessman and improve your position within the company. No one likes lost data, but it can be prevented.

A Simple Guide to Data Backup

1) What is a backup?
A backup is a fancy way of saying "a copy of your data." Backing up your data does not have to be any more complicated than copying your data somewhere. On a small scale, backups can be made of documents that are getting edited several times a year, or even daily for that matter. On a much larger scale, you can back up every single file that is placed on your hard drive. If the hard drive fails, data recovery can be a simple process by simple using your backups.

2) Where can I make backups?
Backups should be made on a medium other than the hard drive you are trying to backup. The reason for this is that if something happens to your hard drive then your backups will also be lost. That's why backups are usually done on a second hard drive or other storage device such as a thumb drive or DVD. There is a downside to these certain methods. A USB storage device can be lost or stolen. A DVD can get scratched or worn out over time. Data backup and recovery can be a lengthy process.

Online service providers like Mozy and Carbonite address all the issues of choosing a recovery medium by providing data backup centers that have redundant servers with additional copies of your data. Both of these companies charge for their services, which can be quite expensive. They do make data backup and recovery very, very simple, however.

3) How do I make a backup?
First, you need to choose a medium. Because of size constraints, we recommend using an external hard drive because thumb drives and DVDs are limited by the amount of data they can store. The most popular backup method is another hard drive or DVD. USB devices are becoming more popular as well. Users often times want to back up their user profiles.

On Windows Vista and Windows 7, your user folder can be found at C:\Users\*Your profile*
On Windows XP, the user folder is usually found at C:\Documents and Settings\*Your profile*

Using a USB Device For Data Storage

Make sure you don't try any recovery at home or use your broken USB drive because this can lead to serious data loss.

In case of any physical or logical damages that cannot be sort out using software should be consulted with data recovery experts and professionals. In case the USB drive crashes or fails, stop using it immediately that way data can be recovered easier and faster.

·         Don’t use cheap USB storage devices. Don’t buy recycles ones, or used ones. Buy a quality product that will last for years to come.

·         Remove the drive safely. Make sure it is not reading or writing data when you remove the drive.

·         One strong reason for physical and logical damages in the flash drive is power surges and exposing USB drives to strong magnetic field.

·         Don’t leave your USB device in extreme temperatures. Don’t leave it in your car or somewhere else where it may get hot. (or cold for that mater).

·         Check the device’s read/write speed. A faster speed means an overall quicker device!

Why You Should Use RAID 1 For Data Backups

RAID 1 data recovery is necessary when a RAID 1 configuration is used. The minimal configuration for this would be 2 disks, and will rise in increments of 2 as this particular configuration must be an even number of disks.

This particular set up refers to the fact that the disks have been set up to essentially mirror each other. Data stored on one disk if mirrored and instantly transferred to the other. That way, if one drive crashes or fails, you will have an exact copy waiting and ready for you. This is idea for data backup and recovery.

There are two different types of setups that refer specifically to RAID 1 which I will briefly touch on below:

Software RAID 1 refers to the fact that the disk drive relies largely on a combination of an SDC (standard drive controller) and a software utility to manage the various drives included in the RAID 1 volume. For Raid 1 to work properly, you must have an even amount of drives. Data cannot be mirrored unless it is paired or “matched” with its sister drive. Raid 1 are typically used in important business environments where customer data is crucial. They are also common among enthusiasts and those with important data to back up.

Using a Solid State Drive to Speed Up Windows 7

Solid State Drives have been available for a several years now,and offer a considerable advantage in terms of speed of access compared to conventional hard drives.

If you install the Windows 7 operating system on a solid state drive, expect faster boot times. (As little as 9-10 seconds). And amazing input/output speeds. You will be transferring those large files in no time!

So,what is the difference between a Solid State Drive and a conventional one?

SSDs employ similar technology to that found in flash memory cards such as those found in Digital Cameras and camcorders. There are no moving parts and data is stored similar to that of a RAM module. Data is quickly accessed and retrieved.

Normal hard drives are constantly spinning and can be loud or a nuisance. Solid state drives are quiet and much more compact than your average drive. However, one downside to solid state drives is the life of them. They are typically only good for a certain number of read/writes and are more prone to crashes and failures. Hard drive failure can be common among them after years of use.

A modern conventional hard drive has a read speed of about 106MB/s and an access time of about 12ms. Compare that to around 270MB/s and 0.08ms for a Solid State Drive,and you can see just how much quicker an SSD can be in accessing your data!

Installing Windows 7 on an SSD requires a different approach to disk management than that of using a conventional disk. You typically need to install certain drivers to make the solid state drive work properly. The windows installation process will guide you through this. 

The Importance of Securing Customer Data

Not all data are created equal. Within any individual or organization, there will be numerous levels of data. Some data is more important than others, while others require more security and protection. Customer records are very important and we don’t want this data out in the open and available to hackers. You want to protect this data securely on encrypted hard drives, and create backups of them in case they are destroyed or a hard drive failure occurs.

List of Data Impact Levels

Impact levels determine how a data is a threat or a risk to an individual or organization. Here, is a list of data impact levels based on the category. There are 6 impact levels, impact level 0 is where the loss of data does not have an effect on the company, while 6 is devasting and could possible put you out of business.

0 – Public records, data is available to anyone

1 – Employee information that is not public

2 - General information about the company that is not available to the public

3 - Payroll, customer info, sales receipts and records.

4 – Credit card information and facts.

5 – Cash flow, debts, assets, liabilities of the company

6 – Bank login credentials. Cash flow strategies.

Some organizations believe that each data should be treated as high priority. This cannot always be practical. You need to evaluate the needs of the company, as well as the importance of the information.  Security should be your number one concern. You want to protect your data and hard drives in case they crash, or even get struck by a natural disaster.

Capturing and Analyzing Network Traffic Using Wireshark

Wireshark is a free, often more utilized tool used to capture and analyze network traffic. “It is a free and open-source packet analyzer. It is used for network troubleshooting, analysis, software and communications protocol development, and education.” In many ways, Wireshark is similar to the Network Monitor tool included in Windows Server 2003. It monitors all data packets throughout the network and displays them in a easy to understand, color coordinated GUI. Since it is an open-source and widely used tool, it receives constant updates and technical support. Many IT professionals prefer it to the Network Monitor. Wireshark also includes a “promiscuous mode” which attempts to monitor ALL network traffic on a network, as opposed to a single network adapter.

To get started using wireshark, open the application and select your network adapter from the list. If you have virtual machines installed, their network adapters may appear as well. For this example, we will use the LAN network adapter built into the motherboard. Click “start” under the correct network adapter to begin capturing. I let the program capture data for about 30 seconds while I log into an e-mail account.

I successfully logged into a test account, which I created just for this exercise. Upon successful logon, I stopped the capturing process within Wireshark.

The amount of packets collected after 30 seconds was staggering. Wireshark contains a filter and search feature which makes analyzing your data easy. For this example, I filtered the results to “HTTP” since that is where the majority of our data resided. The filter actually sorts by protocol, so by typing HTTP we filtered our packets to those only using the HTTP protocol. This is traffic that generally occurs over web browsers using port 80.