How to Fireproof, Waterproof, Crushproof Your Data

Let me give it to you straight: You cannot be too cautious with your digital information.

That's because losing your business data could be the single most catastrophic event to hit your business.

But if what I see in my shop and the others I cover and work with are any indication, backing up our business stuff is just -- how can I be polite? -- a concept.

It's something we need to do, not something we actually do.

And then along comes Mr. Steve Jobs with his marketing magic wand. What is basically a simple hard drive is now branded as the "Time Machine." Suddenly backing up is, shock of shocks ... hip. People no longer glaze over when I talk about keeping data safe.

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There is a very interesting alternative to the Apple product, and I have been testing it for the last few weeks. At first glance, the Fire-Safe Data Storage Chest from SentrySafe. ($169), looks like waaaaay too much technology for the average small business. It lumbers in at about 21 pounds empty and is the size of a small counter top television. But think for just a minute about losing all your critical business data, and you'll see this product fills an interesting niche.

Never mind what we all hear so much about -- hackers or con artists who come into our businesses and steal. The physical computers themselves are fragile and very much at risk.

Your DellDELL, Hewlett-Packard HPQor SonySNE can simply stop working. Power supplies, hard drives, motherboards all give up the ghost from time to time. Your MicrosoftMSFT or SymantecSYMC software can become hopelessly corrupted or lost; its identifying numeric keys that allow it to function can be mucked up or destroyed. Your computers can be maimed by fire -- it happened in my garage last summer -- vandalism or an act of heaven knows what.

And that ignores the ultimate devil looming for hardware: construction crews. If you see men or machines with hammers and tools near the building, it is time to get right with backing up your stuff. One errant hammer blow and dust cloud and your business, my friend, will be time-warped back to a digital 10,000 BC.

Traditionally the way to protect against all these risks was not only to back up your data on outboard hard drives, but also to strike a deal with on offsite data back company. Many companies such as Ibackup, EVault, Mozy, Iron MountainIRM and Norton provide online back up services.

But SentrySafe takes a different approach. The Rochester, N.Y.-based company, which has been building fireproof enclosures and lock boxes since 1930, has created what it claims is a fireproof and waterproof container for outboard data storage and your system discs. Now, obviously, if you are going to make a box that won't melt at 1,550 degrees or will stay waterproof submerged for 24 hours, it is going to be a bit of a beast. And that's exactly what you get with the Data Storage Chest.

Set up is dead easy, if a bit like a trip to the gym. Simply plonk the monster down on a desk -- better be a strong desk -- get out the secure key, open the coffin-like lid, stick in a USB drive into the connector on the inside, and run another USB plug to your computer. Identify that drive as your backup drive on your backup utility (check in your operating system, Norton or broadband vendor).