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Security
Getting Started
General

Security

Q. How safe is the BackupSA™ Personal Backup service?

A. The service is safe in many aspects. Our service is powered by Iron Mountain’s Connected Backup for PC software which makes use of digital security for secure connections between the Agent software and the data centre servers. Your data is also encrypted before it leaves your computer and then stored encrypted on the data centre servers. The encryption makes use of the same standards used by banks and governments so rest assured it’s quite secure. Your backup account is also locked with a password known only to you. The multi-level security techniques and practices combine to ensure that your data is securely and confidentially protected. Click here  to get the full details of all the security elements of the service.

Q. How secure is my data at Iron Mountain?

A. Very – to keep your data safe Iron Mountain goes deep underground – literally. Try about 220 feet underground. Yes, that’s right; your data is stored in Iron Mountain’s secure underground data storage facility. This facility is so secure that some of the world’s top companies store their most valuable information there. Iron Mountain is also independently audited to provide you with the assurance that your data will be stored securely and confidentially. Iron Mountain is trusted by hundreds of thousands of individuals and thousands of companies as being the safest place to keep their valuable data assets and has passed many customer audits.

The company has a very interesting history since it started in 1951 and if you enjoy watching the Discovery Channel or the National Geographic Channel, then we know you’ll enjoy this read.

Click here to read about the history of Iron Mountain, or Click here to go underground.

Q. Can I store my Data off shore at Iron Mountain?

A. To ensure that the BackupSA™ Personal Backup service is delivered to South African individuals and businesses without legal implications, Iron Mountain engaged the services of a local legal firm specializing in information technology law to research and advise on this matter. As the law currently stands, there is no legal bar to individuals and companies transferring personal information and data to the international offshore Iron Mountain data centres from which the service is offered. Click here to read the detailed research paper.

Getting Started

Q. Do I pay any fees during my trial?

A. No. There are absolutely no costs and no obligations for trying out the service.

Q. What happens to my data if I decide to cancel my trial account?

A. Your data will be digitally shredded by the system after 30 days.

Q. How long will my first backup take?

A. This will depend on how much data you need to backup, the type of files you are backing up, and your Internet connection speed. It is not uncommon for your first “bulk” backup to take several hours to complete. It’s important to note that the first backup is the most intensive and once it’s done, it’s done!

Q. What operating system versions are supported by the agent software?

A.  
            Windows PC:
            -Windows 2000 Professional with Service Pack 4
            -Windows XP Home Edition, Windows XP Home Edition with Service Pack 1, 2 or 3
            -Windows XP Professional, Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 1, 2 or 3
            -Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005
            -Microsoft® Windows Vista™ Home Basic operating system with Service Pack 1
            -Microsoft® Windows Vista™ Home Premium operating system with Service Pack 1
            -Microsoft® Windows Vista ™ Business operating system with Service Pack 1
            *RAM - 1 GB or greater recommended Microsoft® Windows Vista™ Ultimate operating system with Service Pack 1

           MAC:
            -Mac OS®X version 10.4 and 10.5, multi-processor
            -Tiger 10.4.11
            -Leopard 10.5.5
            -Processor -Intel® Core™ Duo, Core Solo, or Core 2 Duo
            *RAM - 2 GB or greater recommended

Q. Can I download the agent software onto my work or a friend’s computer and then take a copy of the downloaded installation file and install it on the computer I want to backup?

A. Yes.

Q. Can I have multiple installations with the same backup account?

A. No. Each account registration will establish a backup account for one computer only. For installation onto multiple laptops or PC’s, please repeat the account registration and software download process for each computer you wish to have backed up.

Q. When can I activate my subscription?

A. You can choose to activate your subscription at anytime during your free trial by going to SubscriberAssist and selecting the Activate Subscription button.

General

Q. What files get backed up?

A. You select your folders and files to backup using the BackupSA™ Personal Backup Agent software hence you decide what gets backed up.

Q. Will new files added to folders be backed up?

A. Yes. If you have selected folders (rather than individual files) to be backed up then any new or changed files in that folder will be automatically backed up. If you selected individual files in a folder then only those files (when changed) will be backed up.
TIP: Select folders rather than files and exclude any files you don’t want to backup from that folder

Q. Will I be sending the full amount of data each day?

A. No. We apply multiple techniques to shrink the overall size of your daily backup to be transmitted thereby only sending a fraction of the size of the data to be backed up.

Q. What would happen if my Internet connection is lost or I shutdown whilst the backup is running?

A. The Agent software is built to handle this. Your backup will simply resume where it left off when you connect to the Internet again.

Q. What will happen if my computer is shutdown or I am not connected to the Internet when my backup is scheduled to run?

A. Nothing. This will be reported as a missed backup and the agent software will automatically prioritise running a backup the next time you connect to the Internet.

Q. What would happen if I miss too many backups?

A. After 4 days, the Agent software will prompt you to connect to the Internet to allow a backup to commence.

Q. How long are my files retained for retrieval?

A. We retain the 10 most recent versions of any file backed up.  Files that you deleted from your system are kept for 90 days. Files that you backed up and then deselected from your backup are deleted from the system after 7 days. Files of accounts that were cancelled are deleted 30 days after cancellation.

Q. How will I receive software upgrades if there are no software costs?

A. The subscription fee is an all-inclusive fee and you are provided with free software upgrades whilst your subscription is current. Periodically, changes to the software are made that will improve performance or add new features. After thorough testing, the new version is released to subscribers. Your version is then upgraded the next time you back up. There is no action required on your part and you will always have the latest version.

Q. Can I upgrade or downgrade my Backup Plan or cancel my Backup Account at any time?

A. Yes. Simply log in to SubscriberAssist to perform an account upgrade, downgrade or cancellation.

Q. I am getting a permission error while retrieving my backed up data files with Vista?

A. This is a common and well-known issue. Temporarily disable User Access Control (UAC) on Vista, retrieve your backed up files and re-enable UAC in Vista, this should resolve the issue.  You can also browse the following website to see how to  temporarily disable UAC: http://www.vista4beginners.com/How-to-disable-UAC