While scanning through some email newsletters, I came across this article . It looks like data security is still an afterthought to many organizations. I cannot stress enough that it is very important to secure your important data.

Even home users have Quicken, Money, or Quickbooks files. I have several clients that store a list of their passwords or other important information in Word documents on their computers. That's fine - I keep my entire business stored on my primary laptop. The difference is that my entire hard drive is encrypted. If someone steals my laptop, that will not be able to access my data.

As I've said before, the irony is that the software to do all of this is free and open source. It is easy to use and once you encrypt the drive, your computer acts normally. The only time you notice anything is when you restart the computer. You must enter the password at reboot or the operating system simply won't start.

One other point that  I'm going to state again - Windows and Microsoft and Security don't go in the same sentence. Just because you have a Windows login password doesn't mean anything. That is trivial to bypass.

Also remember the following:

• Rule #1: You are only as good as your last successful backup - from which you can recover.
  
• www.truecrypt.com - open source and free
  

Labels: backup, encryption, rule #1

Recently, I had a friend of an existing client call. His laptop had somehow corrupted (apparently) all of the drivers for XP. Unfortunately, time was short and I could not get it back to a working state, before he had to return to Arkansas.

To further complicate matters, the corrupted drivers included basically all of the core hardware. He could not even use his CD-ROM or USB ports. I'm surprised the thing would even boot.

Here is the email that I sent to him after a lengthy phone call. With as much time and effort as he already has in this, he has hit the "wall of diminishing return". That means it is more efficient time-wise and financially for him to completely redo his computer.

As you can see, I am following my policy of open-information sharing to help this guy. The following steps are my basic process for reinstalling Windows.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Your Laptop:
Sony Vaio PCG-7A2L VGNFS640
Windows XP
Hard Drive Type: IDE

-------------------------------------
Recover/Backup your data
-------------------------------------
**Always remember rule #1: You are only as good as your last successful backup from which you can recover.

(1) Physically remove the hard drive from the pc. Purchase a USB enclosure, install the hdd, and connect it to a working Windows, Linux, or Mac. Copy your data from the drive.

Example Locations of Data
(driveletter):\documents and settings\(username)\my documents
(driveletter):\documents and settings\(username)\desktop

USB Enclosure Examples:
http://www.staples.com/office/supplies/p1_External-hard-Drives_220347_Business_Supplies_10051_SEARCH

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817145329

OR

(2) Download a Linux ISO such as Ubuntu onto a working pc. Create a bootable CD from the ISO, make sure your laptop BIOS is setup to boot to CD first, and boot to the Linux live CD (test it - do not install). Linux will see right into your HDD. Copy files to a removable flash drive, etc.

www.ubuntu.com


------------------
Wipe (nuke) the Drive - optional but recommended
------------------

*Backup or recover your data first!!!

**CAUTION**
Once you wipe the drive, your recovery files (if present) will be deleted as well. These recovery files are the Windows installation files that the manufacturer put in a hidden partition on your hard drive. In many cases, your recovery CD/DVD will only work with these recovery files. That means that the computer manufacturer effectively screwed you if your hard drives - you will have to buy a copy of Windows even though you paid for one with your computer purchase. Sony is bad about this.
****************

Because of the odd nature of what happened to your system, I would suggest wiping the drive. Basically you will create a "nuke" disk or CD, boot to that, and start the wiping (erasing) program. It typically will take a couple of hours depending on the size of your drive.

Darik's Boot and Nuke - use this for wiping the drive
http://www.dban.org/download

Download the one for CD and DVD media since you don't have a floppy drive.

Screenshots of DBaN
http://sourceforge.net/project/screenshots.php?group_id=61951

How do I make a bootable CD or bootable DVD with the ISO file?
http://www.dban.org/faq/burning

------------------
Reinstall Windows XP
-----------------

*SATA drives will typically require drivers and a floppy disk drive (CD won't work) to install WinXP. IDE drives will not.

(1) Purchase a copy of  Windows XP Home Edition (full copy - not the upgrade). Put the CD in your drive and boot the computer from the CD. Follow the instructions in the installer. You can use a "quick format" when asked.

WinXP Home Edition
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116511

WinXP Professional
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116513

OR

(2) Purchase a copy of your recovery CD's from the manufacturer. See the warning about nuking/wiping first!

Sony - How to purchase recovery CD/DVDs for computer products.
http://www.kb.sony.com/selfservice/viewContent.do?externalId=C61643&sliceId=2&mdl=null#

-----------------------
Download and Install Drivers
-----------------------

*Sometimes your manufacturer will have the wrong drivers posted or none at all. That is when you find out that Google is your friend.

You will need to visit the support/drivers section of your computer manufacturers website. There you will locate the drivers for your model of computer. Normally you will need to download them using a working computer as Windows will typically not have built-in drivers for your LAN, video, audio, etc.

Copy the driver files to a USB drive, CD, etc, and install them on the fresh installation of XP.

------------------------
Reinstall Software
------------------------

You will need to reinstall any software that you typically use - Firefox, Adobe Reader, MS Office, PDA software, etc.

----------------------
Copy your data back
----------------------

Plug in your USB drive (or whatever) and copy your data back to your nice shiny installation of WinXP!

---------------
Review the Following Blog Posts
---------------
Backup and Imaging
http://www.smartergeek.com/blog/2008/07/backup-and-imaging.asp

The Importance of Backups
http://www.smartergeek.com/blog/2008/07/importance-of-backups.asp

Labels: backup, imaging, rule #1, xp installation

As taken from a recent email conversation with a customer:

There are several issues that can cause internet connectivity issues. If Verizon says that their service is running smoothly, then typically they are correct - although I have seen cases where the ISP states that nothing is wrong with their service and there really is an issue.

As I'm sure you are aware, any downtime in your ability to use the Internet leads to productivity loss and costs you money. It would be well worth your time to contract with me to straighten out your network. For instance, when we first met you were having issues with Outlook Express - and the problem was that you had well over 13,000 emails in your inbox causing OE to choke.

One other very important point to remember is that you really should have a backup system in place. If your pc's go down, you risk losing your data which is far more important than the hardware itself.

http://www.smartergeek.com/blog/2008/07/importance-of-backups.asp

Here are some possible things causing your issue:


SPAMMers don't have warehouses full of computers. They use exploited PC's - zombies - to send out the spam. That is part of why it is so profitable.

Problem: Zombies are uploading/downloading on your network consuming your bandwidth and causing you to think your Internet service is down.

Resolution: All pc's on your network should be thoroughly checked out, possibly re-imaged, and practices put in place to avoid the problem in the future.

------------------
Email and Spam
------------------

This issue is closely related to "Zombies". Your users receive an inordinate amount of email and much of it is spam. This consumes bandwidth and can cause what appear to be "temporary outages" in your Internet connection.

Problem: Too much inbound spam.

Resolution: Migrate to Google's email service as recommended several times.

-----------------
Users abusing Network
-----------------

This happens much more frequently now. Users tend to want to view MySpace.com or Youtube.com on company time and using up company resources. Video and audio consumes a lot of bandwidth, which can cripple your legitimate traffic.

Resolution: Setup a system to restrict certain domains and websites plus enforce a company policy that prohibits such usage.

--------------------
Hardware Issues
--------------------

Hardware can begin to intermittently fail. There is always a possibility that your router or modem is occasionally having an issue.

Resolution: Replace faulty hardware.

-------------
Additional Resources
-------------

http://www.smartergeek.com/blog/2008/07/why-did-i-get-infected-in-first-place.asp

http://www.smartergeek.com/blog/2008/03/layered-security-basics.asp

http://www.smartergeek.com/blog/2008/02/spam-and-phising-example.asp

http://www.smartergeek.com/blog/2008/06/backing-up-your-system.asp

http://www.smartergeek.com/blog/2008/01/simple-rules-for-your-computing.asp

http://www.smartergeek.com/blog/2008/01/virus-lessons-101-revisted.asp

http://www.smartergeek.com/blog/2008/01/smartergeek-newsletter-1-5-2008.asp

Labels: backup, google apps, rule #1, spam, zombies

All too often, I have clients whose computers crash. Fortunately, I can recover the data most of the time, but there are times when the hard drive physically fails. In those cases recovering the data becomes nearly impossible and very very expensive.

Recently, I created a document for my clients on "The Importance of Backups". Here is copy/paste of that document and a PDF copy. Spread the word.

The Importance of Backups

Rule #1: You are only as good as your last successful backup from which you can recover!

The most important thing on your computer (PC or Mac) is not the hardware nor really the software. These can be replaced relatively easily. The most important thing is your data. Period.

Backing up your data can be very simple and painless. For most people, it should not take that much time either. Here are some simple ideas:

• Purchase a “thumb drive” and simply copy any important data to your drive.

• Use blank DVD-R's and your DVD burner – blanks cost less than $0.20 each.

• Purchase a removable hard drive – you can get 320GB of storage for about $100 now.

• Most of your data will be located in your “My Documents” folder on an XP machine.

• Certain programs, such as older versions of Quicken or Quickbooks, like to store the data file in the program directory. Always check those programs and move the data file to your My Documents.

• You may not want to backup all your music each time if you have an iPod – that will serve as your backup.

• Pictures, music, and videos take up the most storage space. You may not want to back them up every time depending on your storage capacity.

Off-site backup is very important. It won't do you any good if you backup your data, but your house burns down.

Also, thieves steal computers, removable drives, etc. I have had several clients this year who have suffered business and home theft, including their computers. You need to periodically store a backup at a trusted family member or friends house or safety deposit box.

You also need to consider the safety and security of your backups. This means that your backup data should be treated as securely as your live data. With JungleDisk you can encrypt your data so that neither JungleDisk nor Amazon employees have access to your data. If you are using DVD's or a removable drive, then I recommend using TrueCrypt containers to keep the data safe.

My Recommendations:

Primary Backup: JungleDisk which uses Amazon's S3 service. This gives you encrypted off-site backups that is a no-brainer to use and very cost effective. Typically you can have 30+GB stored for less than $10/month.

Secondary Backup: Every 2 weeks, I copy my TrueCrypt container to a removable USB drive.

Tertiary Backup: Once a month I copy everything to removable DVD's. The files on the DVD's are stored in an encrypted TrueCrypt container, and the DVDs are locked in a fireproof safe.

Printable PDF Copy

Backups-Importance.pdf

Labels: acronis, amazon s3, backup, jungledisk, rule #1