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Encrypted Backup Tool For Mac
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Why Back Up Your PC?
In August of 2016, Delta Airlines had to cancel more than 1,300 flights, at a cost of $100 million, not because of weather or mechanical problems, but because the company's computer systems went down. If it can happen to a big corporation like Delta, don't think it can't happen to you. All technology, whether it's a brand new iMac, a spaceship, a hover board, a webmail service, or a ten-year-old PC running Windows Vista, can potentially take a sudden nosedive.
Hard drives are notorious for crashing, and ransomware can make a computer's contents inaccessible. Sometimes it's not even the fault of the technology: Fires, flooding, and other natural disasters can render PCs and other tech hardware inoperable. And laptops get stolen. You need insurance. With digital content becoming paramount for not only business assets—documents, plans, financial spreadsheets—but also for personal assets such as family photos, videos, and music, protecting with backup software is more important than ever.
Both Windows and Mac OS X have beefed up their built-in backup tools in recent years. Windows 10 includes a File History feature and a full disk backup feature, and OS X includes its Time Machine software. Both of these are well worth running, but they both have some limitations, lacking some of the extra benefits you get from running standalone backup software.
How Backup Software Works
The concept behind backup software is pretty simple: Make a copy of your files on storage separate from your main hard drive. That storage can be another drive, an external drive, a NAS, a rewritable disc, or an online storage and syncing service. Should you lose the files, either through disaster or simply by deleting them or overwriting them, you can just restore them from the saved copies.
But in order for this to work, the copies of your files must be updated regularly. Most backup software lets you schedule scans of your hard drive for new and changed files daily, weekly, or monthly, but my preferred option is to have the software continually (or at least, say, every 15 minutes) monitor your drive for changed or new files. Several products here offer this continuous backup option.
More granular options include whether backups are full, incremental, or differential. The first is pretty obvious—all the data you've selected for backup is copied in its entirety. Incremental backup saves system resources by only backing up changes in files from the last incremental backup, and differential backup saves all changes from the last full backup. With incremental, you need the latest full backup and all the intermediary backup data to restore a file to its original state, whereas with differential, you just need the last set of differential backup data and the first full one.
A couple of security options are usually available when setting up your backup: password protection and encryption. Using both of these is a good idea if the data you're backing up is at all sensitive. Another option offered by many backup applications is versioning. This lets you specify how many previous versions of your files you want to preserve, and for how long. I recommend maxing this out, especially when you're storing backups locally, with no annual fee for hosted online backup. In any case, the incremental changes don't eat up a ton of space.
A step further than the simple copying of files is copying the entire hard drive, including system files, as what's called a disk image. This contains every bit of data on the drive and offers stronger protection, since it enables you to recreate a system after a hard drive failure. Some products can even update a disk image nearly continuously. But that extra protection comes at the price of more complexity in setting up and restoring. Usually you'll need to run a pre-boot environment from startup media to restore a system image, since doing so from within your main OS isn't possible.
Best Backup For Macs
For another—highly recommended—approach to backup, consider online backup, also known as cloud backup. Services like Carbonite and Mozy securely send your data over the internet and save it on remote file servers in encrypted form. The big plus of this option is that the data is off your premises, and therefore not susceptible to local disasters. The downside is that they tie you to annual fees, and uploading and downloading backups is slower than loading local copies. Some online backup services, such as IDrive and SOS Online Backup, include software for making local backups, too.
Restoring From Backup
How you set up your backup affects how you can restore it. If you've backed up your entire disk image, you'll need to start the system from bootable media such as a DVD or USB stick that you create in the software. (You should definitely create one of these types of rescue media if your software offers it.) You also may need to attach another external drive containing the backup data along with the boot media. Several of the programs included here even let you restore data from one PC to another that has different hardware. This is useful when you simply want to migrate to new PC hardware, as opposed to recovering from a disaster.
For restoring individual files, several of the applications, such as Acronis True Image and Paragon Backup & Recovery, give you the option of choosing among previous versions of the files you've saved. Which file versions are available to restore depends on how frequently you've run backups. This is why the continuous backup option mentioned above is preferable. With that option, ideally, every time you save a file, it's backed up and you can get back to any previous point in time.
If all or some of this has sounded like a foreign language to you, you should definitely check out PCMag's Beginner's Guide to PC Backup, which offers help and detailed information on the different kinds of backup available to you. The article makes recommendations on what you should back up and what media you should back it up to.
Below are links to our latest local backup software reviews. Have you got a story about an occasion when backup software saved your bacon or an opinion about one of the applications we've reviewed here? Let us know in the comments below.
Featured Backup Software Reviews:
Acronis True Image Review
MSRP: $49.99Pros: Combines backup, disk-cloning, rescue-disk creation, and more system utilities. Clean interface. Fast. Excellent mobile backup app. Lots of extra disk tools.
Cons: Cloud options still in the software even if you didn't buy the cloud service. Runs lots of backup processes. Doesn't restore directly to Facebook.
Bottom Line: Acronis True Image 2017 brings some unique capabilities to backup software, including Facebook and mobile backup. Its interface is the friendliest in the game, yet it still lets experts dig into very detailed backup options.
Read ReviewStorageCraft ShadowProtect 5 Desktop Review
MSRP: $99.95Pros: Fast image-style backups of disk partitions or whole disks. Enterprise-level reliability. Multiple options for restoring or viewing files. Powerful hardware-independent restore feature smoothes recovery of data to different machines.
Cons: Dated interface. Sparse explanations of advanced features. Expensive.
Bottom Line: ShadowProtect Desktop, the consumer version of the leading enterprise-level backup software, is the most reliable disk-imaging local backup software available.
Read ReviewNovaBackup PC Review
MSRP: $49.95Pros: Solid security. Highly customizable. Fast backups. Unlimited file versions retention. Can create disk images.
Cons: Cluttered interface. Annual subscription model. No Mac support. Lacks File Explorer integration.
Bottom Line: NovaBackup is a solid local backup solution with a good set of security features and customization options, but it's not as intuitive as top competitors and it lacks ransomware protection.
Read ReviewParagon Backup & Recovery 16 Review
MSRP: $39.95Pros: Simplified interface. Lots of advanced backup options. Includes Paragon's powerful disk-management tools.
Cons: No continuous backup option for folders. No hosted online or mobile backup.
Bottom Line: Paragon has finally created a backup utility that's accessible to home users, but the product still lacks some usability and tools of the competition.
Read ReviewGenie Timeline Home Review
MSRP: $39.95Pros: Clear, simple interface. Easy to set up backups. Good set of backup options. File versions saved. Free trial.
Cons: No encrypted backup option. Disaster recovery download prompted a security warning. Weak mobile app.
Bottom Line: Genie Timeline Home is easy-to-use, capable backup software that lets you get back to previous file versions and folders.
Read ReviewNTI Backup Now 6 Review
MSRP: $69.99Pros: User-friendly interface. Continuous backup. Drive migration. Fast folder backup. Creates startup rescue USB drives and discs.
Cons: Slow full disk image backup. Expensive. Recovery USB creator doesn't work with Windows 10 systems.
Bottom Line: NTI Backup Now 6's interface is improved, and it can protect your PC's folders and files, including system files, but it falls short of the competition when it comes to usability and speed of some operations.
Read Review
No matter which version of FileVault you're using, you can use Time Machine to back up your data, it's just that the Time Machine backup process for FileVault 1 is a bit complicated, and has some security issues.
If you have the option, try upgrading to FileVault 2, which requires OS X Lion or later.
Backing Up FileVault 1
Everyone needs an effective backup strategy, especially when using FileVault or any data encryption tool.
Time Machine and FileVault will work fine together, however, there are some niggling bits you need to be aware of. First, Time Machine will not back up a FileVault-protected user account when you are logged into that account. This means that a Time Machine backup for your user account will only occur after you log off, or when you're logged in using a different account.
So, if you're the type of user who always stays logged in, and lets your Mac go to sleep when you're not using it, rather than shut it down, then Time Machine will never back up your user account. And of course, since you decided to protect your data by using FileVault, you really shouldn't be staying logged in all the time anyway. If you're always logged in, then anyone who has physical access to your Mac will be able to access all of the data in your home folder, because FileVault is happily decrypting any files that are being accessed.
If you want Time Machine to run, and to adequately protect your user data, you must log out when you're not actively using your Mac.
The second little gotcha with Time Machine and FileVault 1 is that the Time Machine user interface won't work as you expect with the encrypted FileVault data. Time Machine will correctly back up your home folder using the encrypted data. As a result, your entire home folder will appear in Time Machine as a single large encrypted file. So, the Time Machine user interface that would normally allow you to restore one or more files won't operate. Instead, you'll either have to perform a full restore of all your data or use the Finder to restore an individual file or folder.
Backing Up FileVault 2
FileVault 2 is true disk encryption, unlike File Vault 1, which only encrypts your home folder, but leaves the rest of the startup drive alone. FileVault 2 encrypts the entire drive, making it a very secure way to keep your data away from prying eyes. Mac tool for architecture diagrams for web-based. This can be especially true for portable Mac users, who run the risk of a lost or stolen Mac. If the drive in your portable Mac is using FileVault 2 to encrypt the data, you can be assured that while your Mac may be gone, the data is fully protected, and not available to those who are now in possession of your Mac; it's unlikely they can even boot your Mac up.
FileVault 2 also offers improvements in how it works with Time Machine. No longer do you need to worry about having to be logged out for Time Machine to run and create a backup of your data. Time Machine now works just like it has always done with your Mac, encrypted data or not.
There is, however, one thing to consider with a Time Machine backup of your FileVault 2 encrypted drive: the backup isn't automatically encrypted. Instead, the default is to store the backup in the unencrypted state.
How to Force Time Machine to Encrypt Your Backups
You can change this default behavior very easily using the Time Machine preference pane or the Finder. It all depends on whether you're already using a backup drive with Time Machine.
Set Encryption in Time Machine for a New Backup Drive
Encrypt Backup Tool For Mac
Launch System Preferences by selecting the System Preferences item from the Apple menu, or clicking the System Preferences icon in the Dock.
Select the Time Machine preference pane.
In the Time Machine preference pane, click the Select Backup Disk button.
In the drop-down sheet which displays available drives that can be used for Time Machine backups, select the drive you wish Time Machine to use for its backups.
At the bottom of the drop-down sheet, you'll notice an option labeled Encrypt backups. Place a checkmark here to force Time Machine to encrypt the backup drive, and then click the Use Disk button.
A new sheet will appear, asking you to create a backup password. Enter the backup password, as well as a hint for recovering the password. When you're ready, click the Encrypt Disk button.
Your Mac will start encrypting the selected drive. This can take quite a while, depending on the size of the backup drive. Expect anywhere from an hour or two to a whole day.
Once the encryption process is complete, your backup data will be secure from prying eyes, just like your Mac's data.
Set Encryption Using the Finder for Existing Time Machine Backups
If you already have a drive assigned as a Time Machine backup, Time Machine will not let you encrypt the drive directly. Instead, you'll need to use the Finder to enable FileVault 2 on the selected backup drive.
Yahoo Backup Tool For Mac
Right-click the drive you're using for Time Machine backups, and select Encrypt “Drive Name” from the pop-up menu.
You'll be asked to provide a password and a password hint. Enter the information, and then click the Encrypt Drive button.
The encryption process can take quite a while; anywhere from an hour to a whole day is not uncommon, depending on the size of the selected backup drive.
Time Machine can continue to use the selected drive while the encryption process is running, just remember that until the encryption process is complete, the data on the backup drive isn't secure.