Unfortunately, they're only using DES - probably because they do serve international customers.
_________________________________________________________________ The Peanut Roaster _________________________________________________________________ HIAWATHA BRAY: ON-LINE BACKUP SAVES THE DAY __________________________________________________________________________ Copyright © 1996 Nando.net Copyright © 1996 The Boston Globe
[...]
(Sep 6, 1996 01:17 a.m. EDT) -- It's written in almost every computer instruction manual and technical guide. It's encouraged, sometimes even mandated, by MIS lords. Yet it's almost universally ignored.
[...]
Fortunately, just before the drive when south I had taken up an offer from a company called Connected Corp., of Framingham, Mass., which markets an appealing product called DataSafe.
[...]
DataSafe is an on-line data backup system. You load the DataSafe software onto your computer then connect via the Internet to Connected's data center. The system asks for a credit card number and a password of your choosing. Once done, DataSafe searches your hard drive, identifies every data file, and uploads them to the DataSafe computer. The system doesn't back up your applications, such as your copy of WordPerfect; just the data files you've created with the software. DataSafe stashes your stuff in two separate computers to ensure nothing is lost.
[...]
But a dead hard disk works wonders on one's powers of concentration. With all my original data gone, it was time to find out whether this DataSafe really worked. I reinstalled the DataSafe software onto my new hard drive, made the connection with Connected, and waited to receive my files. No dice. I'd forgotten the password. And Connected refused to give it to me or provide me with a new one. That's because the backed-up data is encrypted, and the password is the key. Even the folks at Connected can't crack the encryption without your password. They designed the system that way to reassure customers that nobody can tamper with the data stored there.
[...]
But many, perhaps most, people can't afford to lose a fragment of data. For them, on-line data backup systems like DataSafe may be the answer. The company charges $14.95 a month to store 50 megabytes of data. The software can be set to automatically back up all new and modified files every day whenever you choose.
[...]
Businesses can use the system as an inexpensive data network. Just create an account, then give the password to everybody in your company. Now you can store commonly-used files on the backup server, where they can be downloaded by anyone who needs them.
Connected isn't the only company that has figured this out. MCI Corp. is selling an Internet-based data backup service. So is McAfee Associates, the maker of anti-virus software. Many people will hesitate to store their computer files with a stranger, encryption or no encryption. But if that makes you uneasy, imagine how you'd feel if your hard disk crashed. Unless you're a columnist, it could be a disaster.
(Hiawatha Bray is a member of the Globe staff. You can send him electronic mail at Bray@globe.com.)
[...]
Copyright © 1996 Nando.net