| this day and age of enormous hard drives and | | | | access to that key, your data is probably safer than |
| portable storage drives that can be carried in your | | | | if it were on your own computer. |
| pocket without even realizing it's there would anyone | | | | This is especially true if your computer is prone to |
| want to trust an off site data storage site? | | | | crashing. If you've ever lost important files because |
| Well, for one thing, let's say you're on vacation and | | | | Mr. Gates' gift to the world of computing came |
| you don't have a laptop. But you do have access to | | | | crashing down all around you, chances are you'll want |
| a computer via the hotel or an internet café or | | | | to investigate the whole idea of off line data storage. |
| something like that. You may want to check up on | | | | For one thing, it saves you hard drive space. That |
| some documents and so what do you do? You sign | | | | may not be such a big deal if you've got just |
| in to your off site data storage holder and check up | | | | documents, but if you're storing vast amounts of |
| on the document. | | | | multimedia files not only will you want to save space |
| Are these places safe? Secure? Free from prying | | | | if you can, but protect all that work from being lost. |
| eyes? Well, you know it is the internet after all, | | | | An off site data storage company can do both. Not |
| where anything can and probably will happen at some | | | | that you won't want to save your files to your own |
| point. But, yes, for the most part off site data | | | | computer as extra insurance, but the feeling of |
| storage is safe. The files are compressed and | | | | knowing all your long, hard hours of work are safely |
| encrypted before they make the journey from your | | | | stored somewhere after you do experience a major |
| computer to your safe place in cyberspace. Of | | | | computer failure can not only save your sanity, but |
| course, as we all know, there is no such thing as a | | | | your life. |
| 100% truly safe place in cyberspace. Is there a | | | | Right off the bat I can think of several thousands of |
| chance that the files you save at an off site data | | | | people who would have benefited from backing up |
| storage company could be illegally retrieved? Of | | | | files with an off site data storage company. Just |
| course. Should you stay up nights fretting over it? | | | | think of how many computers were damaged or |
| Probably not. | | | | destroyed during Hurricane Katrina. And all the backup |
| Typically, the way these off site data storage | | | | files made at home wouldn't matter a bit if those |
| methodologies work is that you get an encryption | | | | files were themselves left behind. Don't wait for a |
| key that allows you to open the lock, if you will, to | | | | catastrophe to catch you off guard. If you've got |
| the storage bin containing your files. The encryption | | | | files you can't afford to lose, contact an off site data |
| key is not stored on the site, only you have access | | | | storage company today. |
| to it. As long as you keep a tight hold on who has | | | | |