E-mail Yourself

[Ken]

Ricks last thread "Yet Another Scenario" reminded me of something I've done a few times. I've e-mailed important information and photos I didn't want to "lose" or wanted to keep readily available for reference to myself.

Taking this to greater heights, why not scan photos and important documents and simply e-mail the files to yourself? It's not a fool-proof system in a major disaster in the web goes down, but in almost all instances the information will remain secure (provided your e-mail IS secure) and will be readily accessable wherever you are.

If you're interested in extremely secure e-mail, check out hushmail.com - "The world's most secure, easy-to-use encrypted free email and document storage with PGP compatibility!"

[Rick]

Just remember that things like Social and credit card numbers are not secure transmitted via email. I don't know anyone that's ever had a problem but no one wants to be first. Once you get on a secure server you are "okay". It's just getting there offers security challenges.

Of course, you can always put that information on a portable drive and make it part of your BOB.

I have a 3 ring binder that contains everything including contact names and numbers. I've been thinking about printing out a lot of the documentation that everyone has been sharing, placing that in a 3 ring binder and tossing that in the bag as well. A sample of recipes, ways to make soap, how to make cordage, etc. It might be handy info if I found myself in a bad situation.

[Ken]

Of course, you can always put that information on a portable drive and make it part of your BOB.

How about this? http://www.ironprotector.com/default.asp?source=google&keyword=

[Rick]

Sure, you bet. I assumed you'd have more data than a thumb drive would hold. Although, today they are getting pretty robust. I think the last one I bought was 4 gig.

[crashdive123]

This is one of the reasons that I asked last week about on-line back-ups. Primarily in case my computer crashes, but secondarily in case we have to leave and things are destroyed while we are gone. (Decided to go with Carbonite)

[Rick]

If you want to use an off site server for storage, try to find out where they are located. It won't do much good if they happen to be in the same city or 10 miles down the lane. Finding one that is half way across the country would certainly go a long way in establishing a set of documents that are survivable.

[Alpine_Sapper]

Look for cloud services like Jungle Disk. http://www.jungledisk.com/
They are a distributed system dispersed across multiple continents, across redundant server farms, etc. etc. That's the whole nature of "cloud computing". I have a free account cause I'm a beta tester. Awesome product. Can be setup to simply backup your machine on a specified schedule, or it can be mounted in your windows/mac/linux machine as a drive that you can just drag and drop stuff into. Because the license is based on xfer and storage amounts you can put the client on as many machines as you want. On top of that, you can encrypt your data with their key, or their key AND your own private key. You can also get an account at the partner site cloud sites and host your data, but if you are HIPAA or PCI compliant on your website the cloud won't work for you for compliancy reasons (dedicated hardware per process and all that high $$$ language)

Ken; I would STILL have an ironkey. While the 60gb of photos, documents, saved emails, all that crap would be stored on the cloud so I can snag it from anywhere, the encrypted USB key stays with the bob like rick said. An 8gb should be MORE than enough to hold your documents and a few movies and some music too. :) . Not only does it contain all the copies of the spreadsheets for stocks and staches, inventories, etc. It also contains scans of documents like marriage licenses, birth certificates, etc. That way if you lose the paper copies in the fireproof container in the bob you still at least have something.

EDIT: Here's the link to cloud sites; http://www.mosso.com/cloud.jsp
There's an API that let's you communicate between the two. If not out now, it's coming.

[Alpine_Sapper]

Oh, yeah, the great thing about those USB keys...you can load it with a bootable OS. So you stick the USB key in, reboot, (hit the bios and make sure the USB key is the boot device) and boom, your in your own machine with your own configurations, applications, etc.etc. I use them all the time for liveCD linux distros loaded with security/hacker apps for penetration testing and stuff. The great thing about it is that no matter what you do, all the evidence is stored on the USB key and you take it with you. Well, except maybe the router or firewall logs, but it'll show up as the workstation your rebooted's IP typically. :) You can do the same thing on CD but it's easier to keep the system updated when it's on a USB drive and you have no dynamic storage, only what you burned with the image, so no saving files on the internet and stuff.

[Rick]

However you (whoever is reading this) decides to do it, make certain someone trusted knows where the data is stored and how to access it. It won't do any good to have all the security in place if something happens to you and no one knows where your information is located or how to access it.

[Pal334]

Some good ideas. I use a combination, paper and electronic. The only thing I try to avoid (not always possible) is the email option. Many ( not all ) are routed through non U.S. systems, for example, the majority of Blackberry traffic. While not necessarily a huge issue, is something to keep in mind. Also in a post disaster recovery scenario, it is likely that "hard copies" may be of more use initially, since most government type computers will not allow attachment of "privately owned" electronic media (current policy). Thanks all for the food for thought

[grundle]

Use PGP when you email yourself sensitive data. PGP will encrypt your data with STRONG encryption. Then you just need to keep a copy of the key with you for retrieval.

[Alpine_Sapper]

Use PGP when you email yourself sensitive data. PGP will encrypt your data with STRONG encryption. Then you just need to keep a copy of the key with you for retrieval.

I use pGp ALL the time. I have it integrated into all my email clients. Even if I don't encrypt the actual contents of the message, pGp will allow you to digitally sign your email with your key so the recipient can verify that it was actually you who sent the message. It's great for verifying authenticity of the sender as well as security the contents. It's not foolproof, but no security is and it's 1000 times better than nothing.

[Nativedude]

Personally, I would not store any personal or important info on the internet. If a "SHTF" scenario ever does happen the web could be down or at least connection access to it.

When it did/does come back up (the net) hackers could have a field day with all the personal or important data stored there. Who knows for sure that everything would be secure when it came back up?!


Ken wrote: ". . .If the web goes down, but in almost all instances the information will remain secure (provided your e-mail IS secure) and will be readily accessible wherever you are."

How do you know that it will be secure for sure?


Rick wrote:
1.) "Just remember that things like Social and credit card numbers are not secure transmitted via email. I don't know anyone that's ever had a problem but no one wants to be first. Once you get on a secure server you are "okay". It's just getting there offers security challenges."

I have 2 close friends and 1 family member that have had their identities stolen sending personal info over the web.


Rick wrote:
2.) "Of course, you can always put that information on a portable drive and make it part of your BOB."

We have a:

1.) 1 - 1.5TB Sea Gate external hard drive that houses all of the raw video we shoot and all pictures we take.

2.) 4 - 16GB Flash drives we plug into our video cam that we can record video directly onto.

3.) 2 - 8GB Flash drives for misc. storage


Rick wrote:
3.) "I have a 3 ring binder that contains everything including contact names and numbers. I've been thinking about printing out a lot of the documentation that everyone has been sharing, placing that in a 3 ring binder and tossing that in the bag as well. A sample of recipes, ways to make soap, how to make cordage, etc. It might be handy info if I found myself in a bad situation."

This is an excellent idea! :thumbup:

[Alpine_Sapper]

1.) 1 - 1.5TB Sea Gate external hard drive that houses all of the raw video we shoot and all pictures we take.

What are you shooting that you need that much video of? That's a lot of data.

[Nativedude]

Alpine Sapper wrote: "What are you shooting that you need that much video of? That's a lot of data."

Footage for our 11 volume video survival and primitive living book. It takes many, many hours of footage to put it together.

[fast1]

Ricks last thread "Yet Another Scenario" reminded me of something I've done a few times. I've e-mailed important information and photos I didn't want to "lose" or wanted to keep readily available for reference to myself.

Taking this to greater heights, why not scan photos and important documents and simply e-mail the files to yourself? It's not a fool-proof system in a major disaster in the web goes down, but in almost all instances the information will remain secure (provided your e-mail IS secure) and will be readily accessable wherever you are.

If you're interested in extremely secure e-mail, check out hushmail.com - "The world's most secure, easy-to-use encrypted free email and document storage with PGP compatibility!"

thats what i do, isn't that what everyone does

[Alpine_Sapper]

Footage for our 11 volume video survival and primitive living book. It takes many, many hours of footage to put it together.

Oh, I can imagine. I was just curious. Like I said, 1.5tb (especially in a single drive) isn't something the average consumer carries out to the bush, ya know? :) Good luck. When you get through the mountain of editing you should put us together a preview video. :innocent:

[Alpine_Sapper]

thats what i do, isn't that what everyone does?http://photosnag.com/img/3322/n09x0302vnsn/clear.gif

No. I prefer to actually secure my data. As email is transmitted in plain text, unless you encrypt your data anything you send in email is snifferickely dellicious.

[jrock24]

I keep all of my data, pics and other important things on usb sticks. I have 3 total and keep them close to me at all times.

[Rick]

I started to email myself this morning but couldn't think of anything to say.

[Justin Case]

I email myself data and pics all the time, this way the info is not stored on only my machine, My computer crashed once and I had to format the HD and reinstall windows, I lost EVERYTHING,,, The pics being most important really, Now its also stored in my online email account,

[Rick]

Just make certain if you do that your email is set to NOT erase the emails on the server when downloaded. If you are using something like squirrel mail then it may not be an issue but Outlook can be set to erase mail on the server once it has been downloaded to your computer.

[Justin Case]

Yes,, I use Hotmail and gmail, both are web based, I used to use Outlook but when i had to wipe the drive all was lost,

[oldtrap59]

I haven't been online for sevral days just because of what some of you mentioned. The computer crashed and we were left without any acess to the net. One thing this has brought to mind here is backup as we lost everything we had stored on the old unit. Haven't decided what route to take yet but for sure going to do something. Wife says disks and son says sticks. Either way this isn't going to happen again. So much stored and all gone.

oldtrap

[Justin Case]

I haven't been online for sevral days just because of what some of you mentioned. The computer crashed and we were left without any acess to the net. One thing this has brought to mind here is backup as we lost everything we had stored on the old unit. Haven't decided what route to take yet but for sure going to do something. Wife says disks and son says sticks. Either way this isn't going to happen again. So much stored and all gone.

oldtrap

I would use an online back up if you plan to have a lot of pics and Videos, They would fill a USB drive or a disk real fast,
here is a good article about online back up services,
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2288745,00.asp