No matter where you use your data, it’s best to store somewhere else. For consumers or people who work from home, that can be hard. Mozy is probably the best –easiest to work with, least intrusive, and most versatile. The free, no-hassles version of Mozy (for Windows 2000, XP, and Vista) provides you with 2GB of backup space; the unlimited-storage version is $4.95 a month; and the business-grade plan is licensed both by PC/server and the amount of storage. To that end, the free version is a great place to start, and if you outgrow it you can migrate to the for-pay plans easily enough.
When you install the Mozy Remote Backup software, you’re given two ways to encrypt the backed-up data: you can use Mozy’s own 448-bit encryption key, or you can create your own key (which I preferred). The custom key can be generated from any plain-text phrase, but you’re responsible for backing it up yourself — if you lose the custom key, Mozy won’t be able to get your data back. Files are encrypted on the PC itself using industrial-strength 448-bit Blowfish encryption, then transferred to Mozy’s via 128-bit SSL, so there’s two levels of encryption at work at all times. After running a speed test to determine your upstream bandwidth, you’re ready to begin backing up.
Mozy defines the files to be backed up via backup sets, and includes a couple of basic sets by default — IE favorites and My Documents — but you can easily create others and edit existing ones. You can’t add the contents of network-mapped drives into a backup set (that’s a feature for the business edition of Mozy), but any local fixed drive will work. Backup sets can also have rules applied to them — for instance, a given backup set can be used to exclude files from other backup sets, or to only include files that match specific criteria. The backup process can run on a fixed schedule or whenever the system has been idle for X minutes / hours, or just triggered on-demand. Both CPU usage and bandwidth can be throttled as needed, and even changed on the fly during the backup process.
When a backup is running you can bring up an activity window, which shows two progress meters (one for the encryption process and the other for the actual uploading of files), an estimated time for completion, and a slider for adjusting Mozy’s use of system resources. Even with Mozy running at full speed I didn’t notice much, if any, impact on system performance. Completed backups are logged in the program’s history buffer, which contains full reports about all files and their transfer times and speeds. If you want to restore files from the backup pool, you can do that one of two ways.
The first and most common is through the Mozy Remote Backup folder in Explorer which lets you browse and copy file backups as though they were available locally. The other way to restore is through Mozy’s Web interface, which is a bit slower, but it’s useful if you’re trying to restore to a system where the Mozy backup software isn’t available or can’t be loaded. I really liked this feature — if I’m on the road and I want to grab that one important file I didn’t bring with me, this is a good way to do it without having to resort to a remote-access solution or having someone else e-mail it to me.
All backups are retained for one month from the time they’re made, but only the most recent backup set counts towards your quota, and you can always restore all versions of a file backed up in that month’s window. Finally, restore files can also be burned to DVD by Mozy and shipped to you for a handling fee. If you elect to use your own encryption key, you get a confirmation dialog which reads “I understand that if I ever lose this key, that neither I nor Mozy will be able to decrypt my data and I will be hosed.” I laughed, but I also got the point.
How It Works
1. Sign up for an account.Create a MozyHome user account which will allow you to download MozyHome software. Its quick, easy and our step-by-step instructions will guide you through the process.
2. Download and install software.MozyHome downloads in just seconds, and the installation is simple and fast.
3. Select files to be backed up.Simply check the boxes next to the backup sets, or types of files you want to back up, and MozyHome does the rest. In addition to selecting files by backup sets, you also have the option of selecting specific files and directories.
- Open/locked file support: Mozy will back up your documents whether they’re open or closed.
- 128-bit SSL encryption: The same technology used by banks secures your data during the backup process.
- 448-bit Blowfish encryption: Secures your files while in storage, providing peace of mind that your private data is safe from hackers.
- Automatic: Schedule the times to back up and MozyHome does the rest.
- New and changed file detection: MozyHome finds and saves the smallest changes.
- Backs up Outlook files: Disaster-proof email protection.
- Block-level incremental backup: After the initial backup, MozyHome only backs up files that have been added or changed, making subsequent backups lightning fast.
pros
* Free for 2 GB
* Compatible with PCs and Macs
* Good encryption device
* Good customer service
cons
* No file sharing
* Slow uploads
* Restore can be slow
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An alternative to mozy is http://www.myotherdrive.com because they offer both online backup and file sharing. Their service works for both personal and front office backup – one account can be used on multiple computers. Has unattended backup operation and 128-bit encryption. Plus they both public and private file sharing.
the free space provided is just 5 GB and also Mozybackup is more reliable
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