Keeping your data safe should always be a New Year’s resolution. A recent front-page story in Consumer Reports bluntly stated "Your Secrets Aren’t Safe." They have a point. Data thieves are after you — and protecting your computer, mobile devices and cloud-stored info is a necessity.
Nowadays you’ll need something that will protect all platforms from both viruses and malware, which are the source of major threats, including the various ransomware systems such as Cryptolocker.
My colleague Rob Kay had a chance to look at Norton Security 2015, which offers one product that defends all your gear for $59. (Norton offers a second version bundled with backup and storage for $89.)
It maintains your privacy on all devices and, when you’re surfing, will warn you about suspect websites and downloads before you make a mistake. It’s also got a feature that will locate lost or stolen smartphones and tablets.
In short, it’s an all-in-one security program that runs behind the scenes notifying you when it’s fending off a suspicious probe of your system. At times it will ask you (the user) to make the final call when it comes to making a decision — for example, allowing a download.
Rob liked Norton and found it easy to install. Their tune-up utilities such as disk optimization, file cleanup, etc., came in very handy.
Another program to consider is Microsoft’s Security Essentials, which can be downloaded for free for older Windows systems. If you are on a Mac or Linux system, besides the Norton package that we tested, you might look at products such as ESET NOD32 Antivirus 8 that I have long recommended for business use or McAfee AntiVirus Plus 2015. Anyone owning Windows 8.1 doesn’t need to buy anything — Windows Defender is included with the program.
The IoSafe System
Protection of your data also means storing it safely. I’ve been a big proponent of cloud storage, as opposed to external drives, but sometimes an external unit makes sense, particularly if it’s fireproof and waterproof. Another advantage is speed. Data transfer between an external drive is going to be much faster than the Internet. Finally, there’s security — even the cloud is not immune to hacks.
Enter IoSafe, which makes fireproof and waterproof drives for home offices or businesses. The hefty 15-pound system comes in 2- or 4-terabyte configurations, and its "fan-less" cooling system makes it quiet enough to sit on your desk. The company is so confident it will survive just about any catastrophe that it offers a recovery service for one year after purchase that will provide up to $5,000 per terabyte to retrieve your data.
We had a chance to road-test the IoSafe G3 system, and it proved easy to set up. Simply connect the power and USB cables, and activate the data recovery service online. They also offer proprietary backup software.
We heard great things about IoSafe from our colleague Brian Chee, founder and manager of the Advanced Network Computing Lab at the University of Hawaii, who recommends IoSafe for on-site critical data storage.
"From a reliability standpoint," said Brian, "anything that has moving parts is bound to have failures, and the fact that IoSafe includes a service plan in case the hard drives are actually damaged from fire or flood beyond the rated temperatures make this an exceptional value."
He should know.
Brian went through the gut-wrenching 2004 flood at UH’s Hamilton Library and said if "IoSafe had been around back then, much data would not have been lost."
You can order IoSafe online (www.iosafe.com) or at Costco’s website (sometimes) at a hefty discount. We think it’s a good investment.
———
Mike Meyer, formerly Internet general manager at Oceanic Time Warner Cable, is now chief information officer at Honolulu Community College. Reach him at mmeyer@hawaii.edu.
