srt101fan

After some research, including UHH inputs, I opened an account with Backblaze to have a cloud backup of my laptop files and an external drive that has all my digital photos. I'm very happy with Backblaze and the service they perform.

I have other files, mostly financial and other personal data, that I keep on another external drive. I'm considering cloud backup for that drive as well, but am concerned about security. Part of me says not to worry, since much of that data is already on "cloud" servers with financial institutions, health care providers, etc.

Any thoughts on worry/not worry about cloud security when backing up personal data?

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Does BackBlaze encrypt files that are uploaded?
Should be no problem if they do.
I would imagine each user gets a different key.

johngault007 Loc: Florida Panhandle

I use command line and have encryption in place, so I wasn't sure how the desktop version works. Here is a link to their security page:

https://www.backblaze.com/security.html


With the caveat that no system is 100% safe, it looks pretty secure if set up correctly.

DanielB Loc: San Diego, Ca

Keep doing both. If Backblaze is encrypting that's good - if not fix it. Most cloud services do encrypt. Regardless I would still keep a local backup on an external hard drive that you can also encrypt and lock away.

srt101fan

hmm...didn't know there was anything to set up. I'll have to look into that. Thanks for the link!

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

I don't remember "setting up" Carbonite, just adding specific directories to the "standard items".
But it's been a few years.

johngault007 Loc: Florida Panhandle

Backblaze desktop may not need any setup. I'm sure they make it very user friendly to provide services to a larger customer base.

I use their B2 service and Restic for the backup utility, so I was able to customize the connection preferences in conjunction with the B2 security features using bins.

With that I have one bin set up for my photography and digital art stuff and a separate bin for all my other data. My most sensitive data is encrypted with Veracrypt as a mountable drive when unecrypted. But that is mostly for host-based security, and the entire container gets backed up.

Wallen Loc: Middle Earth

Have a PC with good password that is offline and have your important files on that pc.
Then make an encrypted copy, transfer that on CD or a usb and upload that copy to the cloud of your choice.
This way, you have a ready access to the files but none else has access to, a hard copy on file and soft copy online that is double encrypted.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

Local backup should be your primary. It's there. It's quick. No bandwidth issues.
Off-site backup should be part of your primary. It should be offline and away from your house so it won't be affected by line glitches, fire, flood, theft. The farther away the better.
Cloud backup should be your backup backup. It's available, but not quick. It's there if your primary backup(s) fail. Cloud backup is safer than local, just less convenient.

johngault007 Loc: Florida Panhandle

But back to the OP's question. Backblaze is secure.

srt101fan

I do have local backup. And I'm very happy with the Backblaze cloud backups.

But so far I've excluded my personal files from the cloud backup because of (probably misguided) security concerns.

srt101fan

Wallen, I'm a little slow on the uptake here. Are you suggesting keeping the files on a computer that always stays off line? And creating an encrypted copy of those files that you then upload to the cloud from another computer?

I don't know anything about encryption. Maybe it's time to learn....

wiley.coyote

[quote=srt101fan]After some research, including UHH inputs, I opened an account with Backblaze to have a cloud backup of my laptop files and an external drive that has all my digital photos. I'm very happy with Backblaze and the service they perform.

I have other files, mostly financial and other personal data, that I keep on another external drive. I'm considering cloud backup for that drive as well, but am concerned about security. Part of me says not to worry, since much of that data is already on "cloud" servers with financial institutions, health care providers, etc.

Any thoughts on worry/not worry about cloud security when backing up personal data?[/quote

There is anther option that may make you feel better - assuming you are using Windows 10. Create a Windows 10 virtual drive on your local hard drive. Set a good password protection on the virtual drive. Put your personal files in the virtual drive. Make sure BackBlaze backs up the virtual drive file (file extension VHD). Now your important files are protected locally and protected in the cloud.

As another recommended, BackBlaze should be your backup to the backup. In other words, you should maintain a local backup.

OleMe Loc: Montgomery Co., MD

Encypt the files first with Veracrypt, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VeraCrypt?wprov=sfla1

Check save-as in your word processor to see if you can encypt individual files.

Wallen Loc: Middle Earth

That is correct. Its good to have one computer with your personal files encrypted and always offline. The primary backup would be an external hard drive or better yet cd copies (read only) also encrypted and stored elsewhere. The same encrypted content before storing the copies can be uploaded with the use of another computer on your cloud.

This way you have 3 copies.
1 readily available to you but not to anyone else and free from hackers (home, nuke bunker?)
2 A second less accessible copy but can only be read with the correct password (office safe maybe. anywhere away from the primary) and if accessed by others- ie gone/missing would readily alert you.
3. A 2nd backup available online but still unreadable without the correct key.

Use the longest and hardest password you can remember.
example:

My_Birthday_Is_DEC251911_And_I_Was_Born_In_27Countrystreetnorthcarolina
This is a mix of small letters, capitals, numbers, special symbols and is very long but easy to remember with enough content that does not appear in a dictionary.

You may write down a reminder for the password in case you forget;
My birthday is XXXXXXXXX and i was born in XXXXXXXXXX
Others may see this but it will still be too far off to get the real key.

Access the file using the offline computer and keep the other 2 only as emergency backup files.
Remember to update the other 2 whenever making changes.