Encrypting Backup data

Hi Folks

Any suggestions on the best way to protect customer and store backup data.

I would like to use encryption on my backup data that is taken off-site. Any good open source programs?

Danny

Hi Folks

Any suggestions on the best way to protect customer and store backup data.

I would like to use encryption on my backup data that is taken off-site. Any good open source programs?

Danny

I backup to DVD using NTI's BackupNow! software.

I can use password-only security or I can add 128-, 192- or 256-bit encryption (encryption requires a password).

With your thumbdrive, I'd think you could use Jeff's suggestion without much trouble at all. Windows encryption may not inspire National Security-type confidence, but it should be more than sufficient.

After all, in order for something bad to happen to your customers' data...

You'd have to lose your thumbdrive Someone would have to find it They'd have to find it before it got destroyed (rain, driven over by a car in the parking lot where you lost it) They'd have to crack the encryption (No simple task, even with Windows encryption) They'd have to know what to do with the SQL backup files (if they got past the encryption, this wouldn't be too hard)

After all of that (an extremely likely scenario, IMO) they'd have to use the data for some nefarious purpose.

What are they going to gain? A customer list. Definitely not a good thing to lose, but RMS doesn't store credit card numbers AFAIK, so unless you gather SSN in a text field or something, this is a nuisance at worst. Cost info. Unless they're a direct competitor, not really a big deal. Financial data. Not good, but again, RMS isn't storing bank account and routing info so not too much risk here, either.

The most likely thing to happen with a lost thumbdrive is this: nothing. It gets driven over in the parking lot or ruined by the next rainstorm. Beyond that, the second most likely scenario is this: someone finds it, formats it and starts using it themselves.

As for the "why don't more resellers carry backups of their clients' data on their thumbdrives?" I think the answer is simple. I would NEVER give my reseller a backup of my data unless I was having such horrific problems that such a drastic move were warranted. By the time things got that bad, I'd be looking at new software AND a new reseller. I used to be on the reseller side of the fence, and I would NEVER have accepted a copy of a customers' database backup under any circumstance.

With all of the regulation (not mention ethics) regarding client information, the most secure situation for everyone is one where the client maintains their own backups. If you never had the data, then if something terrible happens and bad people end up with the data, at least you can confidently state that they didn't get it from you.

Tom

Hi Tom

Thanks for taking the time to answer my question. I think it's important for all of us to keep security and data protection in mind. I would also like to hear about what other people are doing in this area.

BTW - I agree with everything you said.

Danny