uscBackup Key Features:

Backups are a MUST for any business that uses a computer (which is nearly all of them)
Offsite backups are the best way to go, as data is not stored locally
uscBackup uses the same technology as NASA, the DoD, and other government agencies to archive data
Once the uscBackup client is configured, operation is transparent to the end user and should be completely automatic
Client data is securely encrypted with the Blowfish algorithm utilizing key lengths of up to 448 bits
uscBackup uses existing Internet connections so in most cases, there is no additional hardware to purchase
uscBackup can be run from either broadband or dial-up connections, although broadband connections are preferred for larger amounts of data

How it works:

Our technicians meet with you and discuss your archiving needs so that an appropriate package can be tailored to your specifications.
We install the uscBackup client to your computer(s) and configure your backups to occur on a regular, set schedule.
Your computer will run a small program in the System Tray. This program takes very little processing power to run and it triggers the backup process at specified times.
At the selected time, uscBackup will create, compress, and encrypt a backup catalog to send to our servers. No user intervention is required, and this can be scheduled when the computer is not being used.
Your encrypted data is sent to our datacenter, where it is stored on protected servers. These servers are also backed up using a global network of secure datacenters.
Should the day ever come, you will be able to restore your backed up data from our servers. We will assist you any way we can to ensure no data loss occurs.

Is data loss important?

It sure is. Today, more businesses have computers at their core, doing specialized tasks and storing irreplaceable data. The contents of one hard drive may represent years of research and development, or it may contain valuable information about clients and suppliers. Natural disasters, viruses, and thieves are enemies of stored data, but uscBackup is your front line defense in data security.

Here are some statistics about backups and data loss:

30% of all businesses that have a major fire go out of business within a year. 70% fail within five years of the fire. (Source: Home Office Computing Magazine)
31% of PC users have lost all of their files due to events beyond their control. (Source: Home Office Computing Magazine)
34% of companies fail to test their tape backups, and of those that do, 77% have found tape back-up failures. (Source: Home Office Computing Magazine)
93% of companies that lost their data center for 10 days or more due to a disaster filed for bankruptcy within one year of the disaster. 50% of businesses that found themselves without data management for this same time period filed for bankruptcy immediately. (Source: National Archives & Records Administration)
Over 60,000 viruses have been identified, and an estimated 400 are created each month. (Source: International Computer Security Association Labs)
The average company spends between $100,000 and $1,000,000 in total ramifications per year for desktop-oriented disasters (both hard and soft costs.) (Source: 7th Annual ICSA Labs Virus Prevalence Survey, March 2002)
Viruses cost businesses $13 billion in 2001, $20-30 billion in 2002, and $55 billion in 2003. (Source: Trend Micro report 2004)
ALL drives fail, regardless of brand or type. Therefore data loss does not happen 'if' your hard drive fails, it happens 'when' it fails. Although Union Square Computers and other consulting professionals offer data recovery services, these services cost a good deal more than the uscBackup service and there is no guarantee of successful recovery.

It is easy to see that secure backups are crucial to a company's survival. In many cases it is an issue of 'do or die' as statistics prove the likelihood of business failure after experiencing a loss of data.

But my company backs up to a tape drive every day!:

Unfortunately, many businesses use tape drives and that can lead to a false sense of security. The tape used is a magnetic material and it can be erased or corrupted by many sources, such as computer monitors, telephones, and even the Earth's own magnetic field! Also, they are complex electromechanical appliances that are prone to failure. That's great that you regularly back up your data on tape, but have you actually tried to use a backup? Statistics show that the majority of tape drive systems fail when testing backups. Many people don't notice this failure until their data is gone and they try to restore. By then it is too late.

But my company backs up to floppy disk every day!:

Just like tape drives, floppies are a very fragile, easily corrupted storage medium. Many computer manufacturers do not even include a floppy drive on systems made today, partly due to the fact that floppies are an unacceptable method of storing data.

But my company backs up to CD or DVD every day!

Although this is a better solution than magnetic storage, optical media is not without its problems. For instance, CDs can be rendered useless by microscopic smoke and soot particles from a fire. They're also easily scratched, and backing up large amounts of information can take a long time (with user interaction required to change the CDs). uscBackup presents a backup solution that is completely automated so that you don't have to pay someone to change disks!

How is my data protected with uscBackup?

Your data is safe with uscBackup as it is securely handled through each step of the process:

When uscBackup begins making a backup, it scans the files to be backed up. The files need to pass several checks to verify that they were read correctly from your hard drive.
Once the integrity of the files is verified, they are then compressed to reduce space. After compression they are encrypted with the highly effective Blowfish algorithm to prevent anyone (including Union Square Computers) from reading them. Blowfish was selected for the encryption because it is a more secure method of scrambling files than even the AES method recommended and used by the United States Government.
The uscBackup client then establishes a secure link to our servers. Once a secure link has been verified the client sends secure data packets to our servers. While you are uploading the information, your computer and Union Square Computers' servers are verifying the transmission and receipt of every bit of information.
Your backup data is now on our servers, which are in a climate-controlled access-restricted environment. Generator and UPS systems ensure that your data is accessible even if there is a power outage near the datacenter site. The data on our servers is also backed up via a network of datacenters around the world.

Although we take every safeguard possible with your data, there may be times when the service is temporarily not accessible. For instance, there have been worms that effectively shut down parts of the Internet for brief periods of time. This is usually not a consideration, as uscBackup is smart enough to detect problems and then try the backup again within a certain window of the desired backup time. This flexibility ensures that your backup will get to our servers even in the event of temporary Internet outages.

How fast is uscBackup?

The time it takes for uscBackup to do a backup depends on several things.

First is how much data needs to be archived. The compression, encryption, and sending of data does take some time to do, and the more data there is the longer it will take. A huge benefit of uscBackup is the fact that backups can be scheduled even when there's nobody around, so these operations can happen without someone having to stand around watching.

The transmission of your data to our servers is determined by your upload speed. If you have a high upload speed on your Internet connection, the transfer will happen quickly. Keep in mind that most common 'fast' Internet connections (such as DSL and cable) have upload speeds that are a good bit slower. For instance, a 768kbps DSL package might only have 128kbps for an upload rate. Therefore, it would take 6 times longer to send information than it would to download it. As a result, sending times are almost always controlled by the client's connection.

I have a slow upload connection, but I have a LOT of data to backup:

This is a fairly common problem, but one we have solutions for. One of our technicians can come to your site with a mobile server and back up your system(s) onsite. Once the initial full backup is done, the mobile server is taken to our datacenter and its information loaded onto our servers. This process is recommended for users on slower connections that need a couple of gigabytes or more archived for the first time. Once the initial full backup is complete, uscBackup only uploads the files that have changed.

No, really, I have a LOT of users and data!:

If you have more than 10 users and/or are planning on archiving more than 20 GB of data or if you are expecting large file changes, you may want to consider an enterprise solution. We can install a server at your site so that the uscBackup clients in your organization will store their data on your network. We will also advise your IT staff on implementing an offsite solution that meets your specific needs. Contact us so we can arrange a tailored solution for you.

But can't you read all my critical data?:

In a word, no. Even if we were motivated to access your data, we would have a difficult time doing so. The Blowfish encryption method is so secure that it has evaded being broken by cryptanalysts since it was announced in 1993. Any code or cipher can be broken, but it would take the processing power of tens of thousands of high-performance PCs several years to decipher one key. Honestly, we at Union Square Computers have better things to do with our time and processors. Keep in mind that the implementation of Blowfish in uscBackup is so secure, that the United States Department of State prohibits its sale or export in certain countries, and export of this software to them is regarded the same way as exporting a tank or a rocket launcher. Yes, the technology in uscBackup is so powerful, it can be considered a weapon !

But your service costs a lot of money!

All businesses want to save money, just as all businesses want to make money. There are companies that offer similar services for less (and more) money and we at Union Square Computers are not trying to be the cheapest guys around. Instead, our goal is to offer cutting-edge solutions to individuals and organizations in our local area. In doing so, we offer a much higher level of support than someone hiding behind the anonymity of the Internet. We would rather deal with real people, face to face, and we're betting that you would too.

Union Square Computers - 260 Union Square Ste 208- Hickory, NC 28601
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(828) 328.6688

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