CHAPTER 5

Data and
Hardware Protection
LEARNING OUTCOMES WORDS TO KNOW
After you have read this chapter, you should be able to: backup
 Understand types of backups. backup plan
 Select a backup method. backup software
 Determine a schedule for backing up data.
 Back up and restore files and folders. differential backup
 Protect a computer from theft and physical damage. encryption
full system backup
incremental backup
OVERVIEW
local backup
In this chapter, you learn about backing up and restoring
online backup
files. You examine the types of backups and explore your
options for how to create and where to store backups. You redundancy
investigate two methods for backing up files, and learn remote backup
the importance of following a backup plan. Besides using
restore
backups to protect data, you also learn about ways to
protect computer hardware. selective backup
synchronize
uninterruptible power supply
CONTENTS (UPSC)

Backuping and restoring files

Protecting hardware

30
5.1 Backing Up and Restoring Files
Definition: Backup
A backup is a duplicate copy of a file that you use if the original file is lost, damaged, or destroyed.
(When written as two words, back up means to create a copy of a file.)
To use a backup copy of a file, you first need to restore it, which means to copy the file to its original
location on your computer.

Understanding Types of Backups

The four most common types of backups are:
 Full system backups (also called a system image or a disk mirror) – is an exact duplication of the hard
drive, including data files, system files, settings, application files, and the operating system. If your
hard drive is destroyed, you could remove it, install a new hard drive, and then restore your files from
the full system backup to have the same setup on the new hard drive.
 Differential backups – contains copies of the files that have changed since the last full system backup.
 Incremental backups – contains copies of the files that have changed since the last full system backup
or the last incremental backup.
 Selective backups (also called partial backup) – contains selected folders and files you want to back up.

FIGURE 5-1 Differential and incremental backups

BACKUP TYPE ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES

 Creates a complete backup you can  Can take a long time to back up a complete
FULL SYSTEM use to restore a computer system
 Each backup requires a lot of storage space

 Can restore a computer with a full  Takes longer than an incremental backup
system backup and the latest  Requires more storage space than an
DIFFERENTIAL differential backup incremental backup
 Requires less storage space than
multiple full system backups
 Takes less time than a differential  Requires multiple steps to restore a
backup computer; you first must restore the full
INCREMENTAL  Requires less storage space than system backup and then restore each
full system and differential incremental backup in order
backups
 Can back up and restore files and  Depending on the data selected for backup,
folders quickly you might not be able to restore a full
SELECTIVE
 Backs up only data files, not system
software, which you can reinstall

Module 1 Computing Fundamentals 31

Selecting A Backup Method
To create a backup, you can use software installed on your computer or an online backup service provider.

Using Backup Software

A backup software is a set of system utilities for creating and updating backups and for restoring files from a
backup. Backup software compresses all the files selected for a backup into a single large file. Along with the
compressed files, backup software stores an index of file details, including their original locations, to restore
the files when necessary.
Windows provides the following backup and restore software:
 File History — Makes incremental backups of files that have changed in specified folders. Instead of
writing over versions of the same file, File History keeps copies of each saved version of a file, so if you
accidentally deleted the last time you saved a file, you can restore the earlier version of the file. File
History does not create full system backups.
 System Image Backup — Creates a full system backup.
 Recovery — Restores files from a system image backup.
You can also install other backup software in addition to or as a replacement for backup software provided
by operating systems. Table 5-2 lists popular backup software for desktop and mobile operating systems.

TABLE 5-2 Popular third-party backup software

OPERATING SYSTEM BACKUP SOFTWARE NOTES

WINDOWS Acronis True Image Creates all types of backups

Backup Maker Freeware; designed for the average home user

Cobian Backup Freeware; designed for experienced computer users

Genie Backup Manager Creates all types of backups

MAC OS X Carbon Copy Cloner Similar to Time Machine, but lets you start the
computer from a backup
SuperDuper Free version does not create incremental backups

iOS CopyTrans Shareware; backs up to a PC

ANDROID Carbon Free version backs up to an SD card or a PC

Super Backup Backs up all of your data, including contacts and call
logs

After installing backup software, you set a schedule and select a location for the backups. To set a schedule,
you need to turn on automatic backups. The backup software will then follow the default schedule to create
backups in the background while you are performing other tasks.
When you select a location for backups, be sure to select one other than your hard drive so you can access
the backup files in case of hard drive failure. You typically can choose one of the following locations for creating
backup files:
 External hard drive — Because of its portability, capacity, and ease of use, an external hard drive is
where most experienced computer users create backups.
 USB flash drive — If you are creating a selective backup you can use a USB flash drive, which is
inexpensive and convenient for backing up documents and other personal files.
 Optical disc — You can use recordable CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs as backup media. Selecting a type
of disc that can be read many times but recorded only once is an advantage because it does not allow
the data to be changed after it is backed up.
 Network folder — If your computer is on a network, you can create backups to network folder. You need
to have permission to save files in the folder and set sharing options so that unauthorized users cannot
access the backup.
In addition to setting schedules and selecting locations, backup software usually allows you to select the
following options:

 Backup type — You can choose whether to perform a full system, differential, or incremental backup.
 Encryption — Encryption is a security method that encodes data so that only authorized people can
access it.

Chapter 5 Data and Hardware Protection 32

  Media spanning — If the backup file grows very large, this feature allows you to use more than one
drive to store the backup file.
 Verification — After backing up the files, backup software compares every file in the backup location
to the corresponding file on your hard drive to make sure it did not skip a file.

Using Online Backup Service Providers

A popular alternative to installing and using backup software is subscribing to an online backup service, which
automatically creates backups on a secure server. When you create a backup on a server, you are creating an
online backup or a remote backup.
To use an online backup service, you typically pay a fee to the service provider. This subscription fee varies
depending on how often you want the service to create backups, how long you want to retain them, and how
much storage space you want to reserve. For example, you can perform a full system, selective, incremental,
or differential backup according to a schedule, such as once a day when you are not using your computer. After
compressing the data into a single encrypted file, online backup services store the file on a server. To access
the backup file, you must enter the correct username and password.

TABLE 5-3 Popular online backup service providers

ONLINE BACKUP SERVICE WEB ADDRESS NOTES
Backs up files on external drives as well as those
BACKBLAZE www.backblaze.com
on a hard drive

In incremental backups, updates only modified

CARBONITE www.carbonite.com
parts of files to save time

CRASHPLAN www.crashplan.com Lets you create local and online backups

MOZY www.mozy.com Backs up open files as well as closed ones

Provides cloud storage and synchronizing as well

SPIDEROAK www.spideroak.com
as backup services

Synchronizing Files
You can use software and online services to synchronize your files stored in the cloud (Internet) with the
version of those files stored on your computer’s hard drive by comparing files on the two drives, and then
updating files as necessary so the drives contain the same versions of the files. Some cloud storage services
such as Dropbox synchronize more than one computer with the files you store in a cloud folder.
Although synchronizing is a convenient way to keep copies of files in various locations up to date, it is not
the same as backing up files, and is not recommended as an alternative to creating backups. You can perform
both actions—synchronizing and backing up—on the same files, though you do so for different reasons. If you
want to use files in two locations, such as a laptop and a handheld device, you synchronize the files.
For example, you synchronize the music files on a laptop and portable music player so you can listen to
the same music on either device. On the other hand, you back up files when you want to store a copy of the
files as a safeguard in case something goes wrong.

Following A Backup Plan

A backup plan follows a regular schedule for creating different types of backups. The ideal plan uses more
than one backup method to take advantage of their benefits, provides for storing on-site and off-site backups,
and includes redundancy, which means you create more than one copy of a backup, so that at least one backup
survives a destructive event. To do so, you can follow what some experts call the Backup 3-2-1 rule:

 3 backups — Maintain two full system backups, one labeled Backup A and the other labeled Backup
B. Each week, create an incremental or differential backup, the first week using Backup A and the
next week using Backup B. Rotating backups keeps your data secure without requiring you to
purchase lots of backup media. The third backup to create is a selective backup of important files you
modify, either at the end of the day or more frequently.
 2 types of media — In case a drive or port fails, create the full system backups on two types of media,
such as an external hard drive and DVDs or a cloud folder.
 1 off-site backup — Store one of the full system backups off-site and store the other in a safe place in
your home or office. When you create an incremental or differential backup each week, swap the on-
site copy with the off-site copy. In this scheme, you always store the most recent full system backup
off-site.
Chapter 5 Data and Hardware Protection 33
5.2 PROTECTING HARDWARE
Backups are the best protection for digital data, and software tools such as antivirus software are designed to
protect your operating system and other files. You also need to consider protecting your hardware—the
computer and its peripherals—from theft and physical harm. Protecting computer data, software, and
hardware is part of your responsibility as a computer owner.

Protecting Against Environmental Damage

Computers and peripheral devices can be harmed by environmental hazards, including temperature extremes,
humidity, electrical fields, and power fluctuations. Apply the following guidelines to protect your computer
against environmental hazards in the places where you use the computer:
 Temperature — Computer components work best in a temperature range of 68 to 75 degrees (F). If the
temperature in a room exceeds 85 degrees, internal computer components can overheat, which can
make a computer unstable.
 Humidity — High humidity can damage internal computer components. If water vapor penetrates a
system unit, it can collect and eventually cause a short circuit, which could destroy electronic
components. Extreme dryness can also cause problems, especially those related to static electricity. A
static charge to an open system unit can zap an entire motherboard. Take precautions to keep the
humidity between 30 and 50 percent.
 Water and other liquids — Water or other liquids in the system unit or any other hardware receiving
power can cause a short circuit, which is why you should not keep beverages near your computer.
 Physical damage — Current mobile computers are designed to withstand shock from moderate drops
and bumps. The most likely component to be affected by physical jarring is the hard drive, and
recovering a hard drive is time consuming even if you have a full system backup. Transport mobile
computers with care, such as in padded cases. Display screens, especially on smartphones and tablets,
can also be cracked from physical impact.
 Power fluctuations — To protect against fluctuations in power, you can plug a computer into a surge
protector (also called a surge suppressor) when the computer is running on power from a wall outlet.
A surge suppressor traps short, fast bursts of power before it can harm a computer. To protect against
loss of power to a desktop computer a recharging mobile computer, you can use an uninterruptible
power supply (UPS), which contains a battery that provides power if the normal current is interrupted.

Protecting Against Theft

Because computer equipment and the data stored on it are valuable, they are vulnerable to theft. Basic
precautions such as locking doors, especially to rooms containing computers, can be a deterrent. You can also
use a cable lock to secure a mobile computer to a desk or table or attach an alarm that sounds when a computer
or drive is unplugged.
Installing tracking software increases the chances of recovering a stolen computer. You can trigger the
tracking software remotely so it sends its location and identifying information to another specified computer.
For example, Apple provides tracking software for its mobile computers; the one for the iPhone is called Find
My iPhone. If the iPhone is turned on and connected to the Internet, you can use another computer to track
the location of the iPhone using GPS technology.
Other features to look for in computer tracking software include the following:
 Alarm — An alarm feature repeatedly plays an urgent sound to help you locate a device or to alert
others that an unauthorized person has your device.
 Data removal — Besides locking the device, this feature lets you erase your data remotely. This option
is the most useful if you have backed up your data first.
 Unauthorized user notification — If your computer includes a camera, this feature lets you set the
camera to take a photo of anyone who enters an incorrect password three times. You can also have the
computer send you an e-mail message displaying the photo and location of the unauthorized user.
 Battery control — After using GPS to find a lost mobile device, you can use the battery control feature
to turn off GPS to conserve battery power.

CHAPTER REVIEW
Before moving on to the next chapter check that you now know how to:
 Understand types of backups.
 Select a backup method.
 Determine a schedule for backing up data.
 Back up and restore files and folders.
 Protect a computer from theft and physical damage.
Chapter 5 Data and Hardware Protection 34