The Basics of
Data Security:
Backups
CC-BY
Fabian M. Suchanek
hackers
Who is the biggest enemy to your data?
evil governments
big companies
viruses/ransomware
data leaks
2
hackers
evil governments
viruses/ransomware
data leaks
you yourself
3
big companies
Who is the biggest enemy to your data?
What can happen to your data
• theft
• loss
• hazards
• decay
• accidental deletion
• laptop failure
© Tim Gee
4
2018-02-17
Hard Disk Error
Please run the Hard Disk Test in System Diagnostics
What can happen to your data
5
2020-12-17
2023-01-06
A
ransomware
is a malicious software program
that makes your data unusable by encrypting it,
and requests a ransom (=money) to decrypt it.
Def: Ransomware
Total damage
in 2021: $20b
A company is
hit by ransom‐
ware every
11 seconds
6
All important data should live in at least 2 different places.
Backup your data!
some
other
place
7
+
[Washington Post]
Solution 1: Cloud Service
A cloud service automatically backs up your data.
(do not copy your data to the cloud service folder, move it there!)
Criteria for selecting a cloud service:
• can you go back in history? (“versioning”)
• if yes, how far back can you go?
• can you undelete? (= protect against ransomware)
• two factor authentication (see later in this lecture)
• encryption (see later in this lecture)
8
+ hoster
+ many others
• does it upload the camera roll?
• can you share files via link?
• can you collaborate on folders?
• does it have a Web interface?
• how much does it cost?
Solution 2: USB key
Keep the data on a USB key that is physically stored in a different place.
Amazon
• store the USB key in a different place
• back up your data every few months
Solution 3: Use a source control system such as GIT or SVN,
or a remote encrypted backup system such as Duplicity or Borg backup.
9
>backup
Back up non‐file data
Pictures from your phone
Either by installing a cloud service, or by copying them to the PC.
iPhones will automatically backup to iCloud.
Your SMS
on Android: with an app; on iPhone: iMessages (?)
Your contacts and calendar
use CalDav/CardDav.
Your WhatsApp chats
tap the name of the contact, then choose “export”.
Chats may also be backed up when you back up your phone.
Your Singal chats
via the desktop app + sigtop tool
10
>backup
Back up your Social Media
11
Myspace
lost
all
music that users
uploaded 2003 - 2015.
Youtube
erased
Syrian war
testimonials — some of which
existed nowhere else
>backup
Back up your Social Media
You can download
your Facebook data
into neat HTML files.
12
You can do
the same
for Google
>backup
Back up your Passwords
Think about backing up your passwords
in case you forget them or want to make
sure that a trusted person can have access:
• Put the password in a file,
•
encrypt it
with a different password,
• give the file to one friend,
• and the password to another friend.
13
The Economist, 2019-04-01
Main messages
14
•
Data is an important part of your life
•
All important data should live in at least 2 different places
(e.g., laptop + cloud, or laptop + USB)
•
Backup also the data that is not files:
address book, social media accounts, passwords
Today is a good day to start doing it!
->Security