I doubt there’s anybody out there who doesn’t use some software to type and store their manuscripts. Even if you enjoy writing by hand—some do—, to submit your work, you still have to transcribe all your work on a computer. What I want to talk about today is: what do you do to protect your data from theft and loss, and what techniques you employ to enable remote access to your data while still keeping it secure.
There are three sides to this issue, as follows: data availability (where do you write?), data protection (how to protect your work files from being lost?), data security (how do you protect your work files from being stolen?)
Data Availability
If you are like me, you are a busy writer. You have a full-time job, a full-time family, do full-time chores at home, try to be a social person, and meet with your friends and family once in a while. So, the need to be able to write on the run is more and more stringent. This means accessing your electronic files and working on them from anywhere becomes paramount, especially if you want to complete time-sensitive tasks, such as writing a novel in 30 days.
Remote Data
Remote data access has been growing in popularity over the last few years. The idea started as a collaboration tool, allowing a team of people to share access to files. Lately, it has become more and more popular with individual users who need to access their files in multiple locations and on different devices. Two ideas come to mind: Cloud Services and Data Sharing Services.
Cloud Services
In layman’s terms, a cloud service is a service that is being delivered to you from the Internet. Typically the service is accessed through a regular Internet browser and doesn’t require installing any software on your computer. It is usually available regardless of the hardware and software platform, so compatibility is very high. Let’s look at some of the cloud services available for writers, and then we’ll look at some pros and cons:
- Google Docs – By far, the market leader in online document editing.
- Zoho Writer – This is a good Google Docs follower, full of features, and easy to use.
- Adobe Buzzword – This is for more advanced users and runs in Flash
- Etherpad – Simple, open-source solution for online editing
Pros: Compatible with any system, as long as your browser is supported, easy to use.
Cons: You need an internet connection at all times, sometimes at a good speed, to get good results.
Personally, I only use cloud services, Google Docs in particular, if I am stranded somewhere with the internet and without access to my files. I create temporary documents, which I then transfer to my permanent work folders later on.
Data Sharing Services
These include a suite of services that allow you to share data between multiple devices (computers, tablets, etc.) You basically create a folder structure on your computer and share that through this service. As you work and modify files, the sharing service grabs them and copies them online in your secured account. Then, when you turn on another device, part of the shared group, the service copies all the changed files, basically synchronizing your work. This is really good because you don’t need an internet connection to work; you only need it when you want to sync your files. Let’s look at some services like that:
- DropBox – This is one of my favorites tools, and I use it all the time. I highly recommend it.
- SugarSync – This product has a few more features and gimmicks than Dropbox, but Dropbox’s simplicity makes this my second choice.
- Google Drive
- iDrive
- Microsoft One Drive
- Box
- Apple iCloud Drive
Pro: Your files are backed up automatically in the cloud and on all the devices you use.
Cons: There’s a possibility of damaged files if you are not careful, and you still need internet connectivity to do the sync.
Here is a typical scenario: you have your home computer, a laptop, and a computer at work. You install Dropbox on all of them and share your working files. Every night when you turn off your home computer, your files are already in the cloud. In the morning, you grab your laptop so you can write on the train. The laptop has all your files. You work on it throughout the day, return home, and continue to work on your home computer, all seamless. You don’t have to copy files through USB drives, email them to yourself, and so on. The only caveat: your laptop must connect to a network to upload.
This is how I do it: in the morning, I turn my laptop on and let it “pull” the data by itself over my Wi-fi. Then I work on it during the day, and in the evening, I turn it on at home and let it “push” the data. Now all my work is in three places: on my home computer, laptop, and in the cloud.
You will ask: why can’t I move stuff on USB drives or send it to myself via e-mail? Well, for one, why would you spend that time doing it manually when it can be done automatically for you? Secondly, you will run into versioning issues. You will copy a file on the USB, then get busy, and three days later, you cannot recall which version from where is the last one, and you start checking and wasting time.
There’s one caveat here, and you have to keep it in mind. If you open a shared file on one computer, you work on it and don’t save it, then you go on the second device, work on the same file, and you save it, then you return to your first computer and save – you lose your work from the second device. This is easily corrected: ALWAYS remember to save your work, and ALWAYS close the applications you use before moving to a different device.
Data Protection
Computers and all related devices are an integral part of our life and are here to stay. But, we all know and have experienced this at one point or another – they break. When they break, they tend to create a huge chaos in your life because if the problem is significant, you might lose all your data.
So, let’s talk back up. First of all, the cloud services mentioned above are a backup in themselves: the pure cloud services already store your data remotely, and those companies have their own backup and disaster recovery procedures. The data sharing also mirrors your data on other devices. So, if you implement a Dropbox, for example, you are already safer than most people.
But let’s not stop there: you also want what is called a long-term backup solution. This means that even though you don’t need to access your data all the time, you know for sure it is there for you when you need it. You can think of it as a vault that you only open in emergencies.
Long-term data backup programs usually backup your data as it changes in real-time. So, if your PC breaks at this moment, you might be able to recover everything up to an hour ago. Let’s look at some of the services that you might use:
- Carbonite – This is my favorite personal backup solution. It only costs $59 per year for unlimited backup. It’s fast and works behind the scenes.
- Mozy – This is similar to Carbonite, but I find it a bit less intuitive.
- BackBlaze – similar to the two above; very easy to use and intuitive.
- iDrive – iDrive offers a free plan for 5GB, but you might want to consider their $59 plan instead.
- Amazon Glacier – This is by far the cheapest solution ever, at $0.01 per GB. Yes, 1 penny! The caveat here is that if you need to restore data, it takes a long time, and it’s not free.
Pros: Your data is safe, and you can recover t at any time.
Cons: There are no off-site unlimited free backup services, so you will have to pay for these.
The best thing to do is to have your Dropbox installed on your devices, and then on one of the devices—usually your home computer—you add your Dropbox folder to the long-term backup. So, guess what: if your PC burns, your laptop gets stolen, your IPad is eaten by zombies, and you forgot your Dropbox password, you can still recover your data. Now that’s disaster recovery at its best!
Data Security
I mentioned above the increasing need to work remotely, on the run, and in different places. One solution is to have your working files available on a laptop or IPad, sync them with some of the services above or move them with USB drives and via e-mail.
One way or another, your data will get on your laptop, and your laptop will travel with you. And when that happens, there is always the danger of losing your laptop or having it stolen. And that’s even worse if you use USB drives. You put it in your pocket, but not really, and now your entire 300-page novel is on the floor in Starbucks.
So, what can you do to protect yourself? Is the password on your computer enough? The answer is no; it is not. It’s straightforward to extract data from a computer, even if you lack the operating system’s password. The correct answer is encryption. Here are a few solutions for you:
- VeraCrypt – this is an open-source, free tool designed by a bunch of smart people. This tool can encrypt your entire computer or laptop with military-grade encryption and won’t let you set wimpy passwords.
- BitLocker – This is the Microsoft solution for encryption. Needless to say, not too many people like it.
- DiskCryptor – Another open-source solution, similar to VeraCrypt. If you want to choose between them, go with VeraCrypt.
Most of these encryption programs ask you for a strong password. I recommend using a full sentence as a password, for example: “This Is Nuts 1928#$%”. Don’t use anything that anyone can easily guess.
These programs can also encrypt your USB drives, protecting your data when you travel with USB drives.
Total Data Safety Solution
Folks, let’s face it: you work for a year (or years) on a novel, you dedicate a big chunk of your life to it, and you also expect to get a lot out of it. Don’t let it all go to waste because you didn’t prepare for a disaster. Also, don’t waste precious writing time with trivial tasks that can be done for you.
Here’s your checklist:
- Do you have all your working files organized nicely under one main folder?
- Did you install a Dropbox-type solution to share your data between devices and the cloud?
- Do you have a solid long-term backup solution?
- Did you install encryption software on any of your mobile devices (laptops, USB drives)?
- Do you take a snapshot of your work on a permanent medium every 6 months?
Yes, I added the last one, and it’s a good representation of my own paranoia. Despite all the other things that I do, I still like to make one password encrypted archive of ALL my work every 6 months and burn it on a DVD. I only keep four of the most recent DVDs. Ideally, if you are crazier than me, you would store the most recent one in your bank’s safety box.
There you have it, folks. I hope it was useful.
Now, before you go, I have…
3 Questions For You
- Have you ever lost work due to the failure of technology? How did that affect you?
- What are some of the systems you put in place to prevent data loss?
- How do you manage your backups’ automation and limit the number of manual work?
Please share your answers in the comments below. Sharing knowledge helps us all improve and get better!
Hi there! I’m Iulian, and I want to thank you for reading my article. There’s a lot more if you stick around. I write about personal development, productivity, fiction writing, and more. Also, I’ve created Self-Growth Journey, a free program that helps you get unstuck and create the beautiful life you deserve. Enjoy!
This was a great summary of the options out there, Iulian! It makes me think that I need to consider something like dropbox or googledocs. I only write on one computer and I have a full backup on a passport drive. But that’s all.
I think it’s a good idea to do it. I’ve seen passport drives crash. You can still recover data from a specialized vendor, but it’s a hassle. At least burn a DVD every so often to limit the exposure in case of a crash.
Good article.
I use Dropbox on my laptop and Ipad. sinc she laptop is a Mac, I use Time Machine to backup the entire hard drive once a week. I also back up current folders ona USB drive. I think this last is a habit I got into. Don’t think it has much value, but I keep doing it anyway.
It’s the same with me and the DVD. I know I probably won’t even need it, but I sleep better if I do it.
This was a great summary of the options out there, Iulian! It makes me think that I need to consider something like dropbox or googledocs. I only write on one computer and I have a full backup on a passport drive. But that’s all.
I think it’s a good idea to do it. I’ve seen passport drives crash. You can still recover data from a specialized vendor, but it’s a hassle. At least burn a DVD every so often to limit the exposure in case of a crash.
Good article.
I use Dropbox on my laptop and Ipad. sinc she laptop is a Mac, I use Time Machine to backup the entire hard drive once a week. I also back up current folders ona USB drive. I think this last is a habit I got into. Don’t think it has much value, but I keep doing it anyway.
It’s the same with me and the DVD. I know I probably won’t even need it, but I sleep better if I do it.