I'm going to attempt to recover my computer on Dec. 13th from a full (simulated) hard drive meltdown. In preparation, I've developed a plan as to how I'll recover everything from my local and remote backups. I could do everything from the local backup, but I want to make sure the remote backup is working too. So here's my current recovery strategy.

Local Backup

As I've stated many times before, I use a Drobo for my local backups. I backup everything in my local user directory, where all my documents and user settings files are stored, and some applications that I've had to install myself. I plan on not using this right away when I recover, to prove to myself that I can get back on my feet with just my remote backups.

Secure Key Backup

I have a local memory card in a fire-proof lock box that's encrypted via TrueCrypt and has most of my passwords on it, including what I need to access my remote backup, JungleDisk.

First Remote Backup

The first thing I'll need to recover are files off of Dropbox. I have my TrueCrypt volume with all of my passwords on Dropbox as a redundant backup of my local encrypted memory card and I'll need those to get at my JungleDisk passwords. This should be simple using Dropbox's web interface, which will give me access to everything on my Dropbox without having to install the software right away.

Second Remote Backup

My main remote backup is JungleDisk. Once I get my passwords from the TrueCrypt volume, I'll be able to install and start JungleDisk to get my files back in order. After that, it should be smooth sailing (I hope).

Why?

The main reason I have it all set up this way is redundancy. I want local backups that are easy to access and with less hoops to jump through to get them working, but I also need remote backups because local backups won't cover me in case of a fire or other natural disaster (like a spilt can of pop!)

The key is, I need to be able to access everything from remote backups because I might not have anything local to recover with. I have my passwords locally in a lock box, but also strongly encrypted on Dropbox so that I can get them if the lock box is gone. (They're also on the Drobo and JungleDisk, because I really don't want to lose my passwords.)

Any plan you create should allow you to recover a new computer back to your current computer's working state even if you don't have access to your local work area. In fact, I would say that a remote backup is way more important than a local backup because with a remote backup, you should be able to recover from anywhere. A local backup is really just for convenience and speed, not to be depended upon for the really important stuff.

So that's my plan. What's yours?

TrueCrypt is one of those applications that no one has heard about, but everyone needs. If you have sensitive documents that you keep on your computer, like tax returns, confidential client data or a file with all of your passwords in it, you need TrueCrypt to protect that data in case of theft.

How It Works

TrueCrypt is a way to create a strongly encrypted virtual file system. With TrueCrypt, you create a new TrueCrypt volume, which is just a file that you save on your computer. You could think of it as kind of like a zip file; it's a file that holds other files. You then use TrueCrypt to mount the TrueCrypt volume. The volume displays as a regular hard drive to your computer. On Windows, it'll just be another G: or H: drive and under the Mac, it'll show up as a hard drive, just like a USB key would. You can then copy files to it, edit files on it, or delete files from it. When you unmount the drive through TrueCrypt, everything gets encrypted and stored in your TrueCrypt file. And TrueCrypt is protected by strong encryption, so if someone gets their hands on your TrueCrypt file, they won't be able to do anything with it without the password.

Cost

The best part is that it's all free. TrueCrypt is an open source project that is constantly being upgraded and made stronger. They are now at version 6.1 and it has gotten reviewed by security experts every step during it's creation. There's also a full list of precautions you can take to protect yourself better.

Uses

TrueCrypt is one of those applications that I think everyone could be using to increase the security of their data. As I said above, I use it to store tax returns, my passwords file and quite a few other financial documents that I don't want getting out if my computer is stolen. I also use it as a way to keep documents on Dropbox that I want encrypted. It's so easy to create a volume and store things in it that, even if what I'm storing isn't super secret information, I can still protect it with a minimum of effort.

There are actually a few other ways to use TrueCrypt, including full disk encryption and USB key encryption. I won't go into those here, but you can read about them on the TrueCrypt website if you're interested.

Installation

It's very easy to install, but the steps to create a volume are a little involved. Download TrueCrypt and then have a look at this document to see how to create a volume with it. I would recommend using AES-256 encryption, the same level of encryption used for Top Secret US documents.

If you have sensitive documents on your computer or, worse, your easy-to-steal laptop, put them in a TrueCrypt volume today. You really don't want that stuff getting out.

Just remember the password.