Frequently Asked Questions
or
What you should know when selecting a data backup service
- Are my files encrypted?
- How do I recover from a disaster?
- Is the backup procedure HIPAA compliant?
- Is there a minimum length of time I have to contract for?
- If I had a catastrophic failure, how fast could I get my data restored?
- Do you offer a free, fully functional, trial period?
Are my files encrypted?
Yes. The client software has 7 different encryption algorithms, including blowfish and DEW 8.2 and 8.3. You can enter your own phrase or number, or let the software create one for you. Next, you can create the completely unique encryption key from the entered phrase or number. If you use blowfish as the encryption algorithm, you will be asked for the desired length of the encryption key - 1 to 56 characters - so the encryption key can be from 8 to 448 bits.
Te client software compresses and encrypts the files, then verifies the file, BEFORE it is sent to our backup server, guaranteeing the integrity of your data
How do I recover from a disaster?
When you created your encryption key, 2 files were created: Recovery.dat and Recovery.dsk. Those 2 files should have been saved to a floppy disk or CD.
Disaster Recovery Operation:
When installing the client software on a new or reformatted hard drive, select the "Disaster Recovery" option. The installation software will look for the Recovery.dat file on the floppy drive. If it isn't there, the program will ask you for an alternate path for that file.
Enter the complete pathname for the Recovery.dat file. Click OK and the Disaster Recovery operation takes over. It calls up the server and searches for the most recent backup.mdb file. It then downloads that file. The user now has a complete catalog of all backed up files and their locations. By clicking a couple of check boxes, all wanted files well be reinstalled on the computer from the backup server.
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Is the backup procedure HIPAA compliant?
BusNet Backup Solutions complies with HIPAA's guidelines on data backup security and privacy. It also meets HIPAA's backup/recovery/disaster recovery/contingency plan requirements.
Briefly, HIPAA requires that:
Data must be backed up on a periodic basis;
There is a disaster recovery plan;
There must be an exact copy of the data available from the
backup
Access to any backup media must be restricted to authorized
personnel, only.
Because your data is encrypted and compressed BEFORE it is sent to our server, we cannot read your data. Only you have the encryption key, so only you can read your own data. Your key is not sent to us, nor is it sent to the software manufacturer.
With BusNet Backup Solutions, you don't have to worry about your backups or HIPAA compliance. It's done automatically. You don't have to track your backups, either. That's done for you automatically, too. And there is no media to fail, get misplaced, walked off with, or anything else that can happen to tapes, CD's, DVD's, USB hard drives, or whatever other backup media you might use.
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Is there a minimum length of time that I have to contract for?
No. Our backup service is provided on a month-to-month basis. You may terminate your backup service at the end on any service month simply by notifying us in writing or email of your wish to cancel. A service month is a month period starting with the first day of your original service. We will deactivate your account on the last day of that service month.
You must advise us as to what to do with the backed up data on our servers. We will comply with your request.
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If I had a catastrophic failure, how fast could I get my data restored?
It probably will take you longer to replace the computer or hard drive that it will to recover your data from our server.
Install the client software on the new computer or hard drive and click on Disaster Recovery. The software will take over and begin the process of reinstalling your data on your computer from our server. Depending on how much data you have, you could be up and running in as little as 2 hours, maybe less.
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Do you offer a free, fully functional, trial period?
Yes, we do. We offer a 15-day free, no obligation trial period. And every feature on the software is available to you to try.
- Upi cvn install the client software on your own computer.
- You can manually select whatever data you want to back up, or you can let the software select the files for you, based on file extensions.
- You can map the computer to a hard drive or folder on another computer, over your network, and back up files from that computer, too.
- You can use the restore feature.
- All backup logs are available to you.
- You can set up your own backup schedule: daily, weekly, or monthly.
- An email will be sent to you after each backup, showing you what files were backed up that day/night, and the amount of server disk space used.
We encourage you to use as many features as possible during this period so you will be fully aware of the incredible power of this program.
Oh - one more thing: We also offer full technical support to you during this period. You won't be on your own or hung out to dry.
An email will be sent to you after each backup, showing you what files were backed up that day/night, and the amount of server disk space used.