I'm using Time Machine so ok, my data is protected. But what if a burglar enters the house and steals computer and the external hard drive that has my TM backup? What solutions are there for saving my data in places that will not have any protection issues?
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protecting my data
- Thread starter zoran
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If your data is valuable I wouldn't trust only Time Machine. I recommend making bootable clone (preferably several) with softaware such as Disk Utility, SuperDuper or Carbon Copy Cloner. If Time Machine has a bug or disfunction it will not effect clones that are made with different software so your data is safe.
As for protection there are several possibilities, 1. FileVault encryption, 2. Password protected disk image (if only part of the data is valuable) or 3. safe deposit box or similar safe location.
At minimum one drive (preferably several) should be in different location at all times to insure against accidents, burglary, etc.
As for protection there are several possibilities, 1. FileVault encryption, 2. Password protected disk image (if only part of the data is valuable) or 3. safe deposit box or similar safe location.
At minimum one drive (preferably several) should be in different location at all times to insure against accidents, burglary, etc.
Two things you can do, and both are built in to the OS.
First go into System Preferences and in the Security pane turn on FileVault encryption. That will encrypt the internal drive so if someone steals you computer they cannot access your data.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204837
Second is to turn on encryption for your Time Machine backups. This link explains how. Same thing... if someone steals the TM disk they cannot access your data.
https://support.apple.com/kb/PH18852
As a third backup many people use some sort of online backup of the users folder in case the house burns down. I use the application Arq to do encrypted backups to Amazon's S3 servers.
OP wrote:
"But what if a burglar enters the house and steals computer and the external hard drive that has my TM backup? What solutions are there for saving my data in places that will not have any protection issues?"
That's what an "offsite backup" is for.
It's a backup that is stored in a physical location OTHER THAN the building in which the computer (and your data) is located.
It could be someplace at work (I used to use my locker at work).
It could be a safety deposit box in a bank.
It could be someone else's house.
It could even be your car (which is what I use).
You need an external drive large enough to hold a cloned copy of your internal drive.
This is the easiest way.
Create the backup using CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper. This will give you a cloned bootable backup that is AN EXACT COPY of your internal drive.
No fooling with Time Machine to run it. Just boot it and "everything is there, ready to use".
You can update this periodically, so that the backup will always reflect a "relatively recent" state of your internal drive.
Since I no longer have a work locker, I keep my files on USB flash drives which I store in my car. This way, they are "outside the building" in the case of a fire (or theft).
Yes, I realize someone could "steal the car". But the files that need to be protected are on an encrypted volume. Stuff like mp3's, etc., I just leave "in the open".
"But what if a burglar enters the house and steals computer and the external hard drive that has my TM backup? What solutions are there for saving my data in places that will not have any protection issues?"
That's what an "offsite backup" is for.
It's a backup that is stored in a physical location OTHER THAN the building in which the computer (and your data) is located.
It could be someplace at work (I used to use my locker at work).
It could be a safety deposit box in a bank.
It could be someone else's house.
It could even be your car (which is what I use).
You need an external drive large enough to hold a cloned copy of your internal drive.
This is the easiest way.
Create the backup using CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper. This will give you a cloned bootable backup that is AN EXACT COPY of your internal drive.
No fooling with Time Machine to run it. Just boot it and "everything is there, ready to use".
You can update this periodically, so that the backup will always reflect a "relatively recent" state of your internal drive.
Since I no longer have a work locker, I keep my files on USB flash drives which I store in my car. This way, they are "outside the building" in the case of a fire (or theft).
Yes, I realize someone could "steal the car". But the files that need to be protected are on an encrypted volume. Stuff like mp3's, etc., I just leave "in the open".