How to secured Data?

For most business professionals, the pain of losing a notebook PC to theft or an accident is compounded by the anguish of trying to reconstruct the important data stored on it. If you are a frequent traveler, you are at particular risk. Do you store new, important data on your notebook PC every day? Are you too busy to make daily, remote backups to a corporate server? If you make good daily backups, can you access them remotely from a new or public computer? If you live and die by your data and any of these questions gives you pause, you need to ensure the information is accessible even if your notebook PC is not. Fortunately, there are several easy and inexpensive ways to do just that. Data In A Flash A device that quickly is becoming ubiquitous for data storage is the flash drive. Flash drives are small plastic devices about the size of a finger (or smaller) that contain a rewriteable flash memory chip. Flash memory is the type used in your PC’s BIOS (Basic Input/Output System), the chip on the motherboard that stores low-level startup instructions and settings for the PC. Flash drives have no moving parts, so they are durable. Depending on the interface type, they can have read/write capabilities as fast as those you’ll find in a standard hard drive. Flash drives are available in sizes ranging from 64KB to 4GB or more. The most common type of flash drive for PC data is the USB flash drive, which connects to your PC via a USB port. Other types of flash drives, such as matchbook-sized compact flash cards, can store data from a PC, but most users employ them to store data in MP3 players, digital cameras, and other electronic gadgets. USB flash drives are thicker and more stoutly built than flash cards. (A few USB flash drives will make it through the wash, although the manufacturers do not suggest this course of action.) This makes them a better choice for a device that will be pulled from its PC host and stored in a purse, pocket, or briefcase. USB flash drives are much more expensive than external drives, but reasonably priced considering their portability. You can purchase a USB flash drive with 1GB of storage space for around $100 (less if you scour the Internet for deals). Of course, the big downside to these drives is that their small size and ease of mobility makes them easy to lose—and a quick and easy target for thieves. Compatibility and operation. USB drives are generally plug and go. If someone steals your notebook and you have been storing crucial data on a USB flash drive you removed from the PC, you can take the drive to any other computer with a USB port, and the new PC should recognize it automatically without the need for a software installation. (Windows 9x users may need to supply a driver.) Unlike most external drives, USB flash drives do not require a separate power supply, so you won’t need to lug around extra cords when you use them. Instead, they run off the host computer’s power. (They can be somewhat demanding in this respect; some models will not work with a USB hub, requiring instead a direct connection.)There are two USB specifications: 1.1 and 2.0. Current generation USB flash drives adhere to the USB 2.0 standard, which supports data transfer at a zippy 480Mbps (megabits per second)—about 60MBps (megabytes per second). In reality, most USB drives transfer at a slower rate (about 10 to 20MBps). USB 2.0 devices are downwardly compatible, so they will work with PCs equipped with a USB 1.1 port. However, they can only transfer data as fast as the PC can accept it (12Mbps for USB 1.1). If you have an older notebook with no USB port, or an outdated USB 1.1 port, consider upgrading to a USB 2.0 port if you plan to use a USB flash drive for data storage. The only other compatibility consideration for notebook users is that most USB flash drives have a hard-piped USB connector that is welded to the circuitry inside the plastic device. They often will not plug into standard notebook USB ports. You can purchase an external cable, commonly called a USB dongle, that will create a patched connection between the USB flash drive and your notebook’s USB port. Added security. Several USB flash drives come with additional security protections, including biometric (fingerprint) sensing units and software that lets you password-restrict access to the drive. This makes them a perfect solution for notebook users who want to store their data securely. If someone steals your USB flash drive, they won’t be able to access the data stored inside it. For example, Kingston (www.kingston .com), announced two secure drives earlier this year: the DataTraveler II Plus - Migo Edition, and the DataTraveler Elite. Both offer password-protected access to a secure (128-bit encrypted) partition. The Elite has the largest capacity ($399; 4GB). However, the Migo ($99; 1GB) includes software that automatically stores your Microsoft Outlook email contents, Internet Explorer Favorites, cookies, and other settings, and lets you access them at any other PC. Migo also stores all traces of Internet activities (so they won’t be left behind on the host PC) and can automatically synchronize new and updated data with your PC when you return home. Kanguru (www.kanguru.com) offers the Bio Drive ($99.95; 256MB), a biometric, encrypted USB flash drive that uses your fingerprint for authentication. (Bio Drive also supports toe prints, but Kanguru does not recommend using this method.) You can register up to five fingerprints for each USB flash drive. You can also create a password that will afford access to the drive if damage renders the biometric sensor unusable. Online Assistance Another option for keeping your data safe and accessible in the event of theft or disaster is an online data storage company. data to a secure server and access it from any computer via the Internet. Many companies offer this service. The best ones (and the only ones you should consider) encrypt your data during upload and store it in disaster-proof (protected against fire, hurricane, etc.) and intrusion- proof (using biometric sensors, guards, etc.) locations. Online storage firms are a good option if you have a high-speed Internet connection. Many companies supply software that compresses your data so that it moves more rapidly to the storage company’s servers. However, even compressed data moving over a high-speed connection will travel much more slowly than with a USB flash drive. If you have access to a T1 line at your company, you might enjoy transfer speeds of up to 3Mbps. Over a DSL line, expect transfer rates closer to 600Kbps (kilobits per second). (Both estimates are based on uncompressed file size.) Another downside to online data storage is that you must have an Internet connection, not only to access your data, but also to upload it. If you are on the road, you’ll need to log onto the Internet frequently to update your online data store or risk being caught unprepared if your notebook disappears.