In the previous post we looked at encryption systems for online backup services. We saw that the AES 256-bit encryption standard, used by the best online backup services such as Back Up Solutions, provides the highest possible level of security.
So what are the implications of this for backing up your own data? When you sign up to one of these online backup services, you are provided with a decryption key - a complex password - or you may be asked to compose your own. If you are provided with a key it will be computer-generated, and the staff at the online backup service will NOT have access to it. This means that NOBODY can access your data except yourself. You must of course find a secure place to keep your decryption password - probably NOT where you keep your computer - so that you can be sure you can find it when you need it, even if your computer is destroyed in a fire or some other disaster.
You may ask - what about hackers who may target the data center itself? It is generally agreed that the algorithm used for this level of encryption is sufficiently complex to make it virtually impossible for a hacker to break it. Remember that it is used by the US government to encrypt its TOP SECRET classified information!
But it does depend on you being very careful to make sure your key doesn't fall into the wrong hands!
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