Disconecting from the net is not the cure for the malware can reside on your disk
How is backup software beneficial to computer security and not detrimental?
- Thread starter Yellowing
- Start date
Please provide comments and solutions that are helpful to the author of this topic.
You said "Usually" so there's still a possibility that your backup image can get infected
- Jul 3, 2015
- 8,153
Backup is no more "perfect" than any other security measure. Nevertheless, it is a good security measure, especially regarding ransomware, whose effects are very obvious.
- Jun 9, 2013
- 6,720
It is if you have a clean machine as I know mine is.
It is like everything, noobs will be infected , security aware people won't.
1- i always do a baseline image just after i clean installed and updated my OS. so image is clean.
2- then i do a second one after i added my apps and security soft, which were downloaded and checked as clean prior the clean install. so image still clean.
3- then i do regular backups from a restored clean image, once a month, usually after Windows Cumulative updates, i take the chance then to update my apps (which again are checked).
if you have some logic and stick to a proper procedure, an image will never be infected.
so yes , it is a security measure in case my system miraculously get screwed.
and i just kill this thread
1- i always do a baseline image just after i clean installed and updated my OS. so image is clean.
2- then i do a second one after i added my apps and security soft, which were downloaded and checked as clean prior the clean install. so image still clean.
3- then i do regular backups from a restored clean image, once a month, usually after Windows Cumulative updates, i take the chance then to update my apps (which again are checked).
if you have some logic and stick to a proper procedure, an image will never be infected.
so yes , it is a security measure in case my system miraculously get screwed.
and i just kill this thread
Last edited by a moderator:
- Jun 24, 2016
- 2,487
Better words have never been spoken.
There's a reality and it is that system and data images are just a part of the security process you should face on your daily life. If you want to do regular images but you fail to have secure browsing habits or basic security knowledge, then it's useless that you even try. You will end up f(censored) it up sooner or later.
- Jun 7, 2018
- 221
...
I was about to compress the meaning and outcome of this thread into one sentence and write about differences between "security" and "safety", when I realized I don't exactly know them. :emoji_flushed: So I googled and it came out that what I thought they were is wrong. This is also why I made this thread. :emoji_flushed: (This could be true for you too. It's common to use them interchangeably. :X3: Please read further. :notworthy: ) There is only one word for something like security and safety in my language. (German: Sicherheit) Knowing proper definitions is important. So I learned them.
After reading many comparisons and definitions, it turns out that safety is created by security.
Safety is the condition or feeling of being free from harm, threats, dangers, or risk of any undesired changes - meaning: being in a "steady-state".
Security is the process or means of delaying, preventing, and protecting against any threats that hinder or destroy the "steady-state", increasing risk-factors or risk directly.
A weakness in security means an increase in risk which decreases safety.
A sudden threat to safety is sign of weak security.
However a feeling of weak safety does not necessarily mean that security is weak. (I started highlighting the terms and now I don't know when to stop :emoji_sob
"to increase security" therefore means: "Putting a mechanism/automatism or procedure in place to reduce risk of threats to the steady-state."
That means that "Increasing safety" is a recursive way of saying "increasing security", and therefore nonsense. (Not-logical) Because the process of "increasing safety" is by putting more security measures in place, and that would be a process of "increasing security". In other words it is: Confusing cause and effect.
-This is combined from many sources - meaning: Me, trying to make sense of half-hearted definitions. :X3:
Now I'll try to sum this, the definitions and the outcome of the thread, all up: :emoji_cold_sweat:
Backing up your data is a security-procedure increasing data-safety by reducing the risk of losing (important) data. However, without proper system-security in place, the (security-) procedure of "backing up your files" becomes itself a threat/risk to the future-safety of your system.
Does everyone agree? :X3::notworthy:
PS: Oh boy... I'm not sure if it is good or bad that I need that depth of understanding in order to change my opinion. (That means I'm going to change my vote to "yea")
I was about to compress the meaning and outcome of this thread into one sentence and write about differences between "security" and "safety", when I realized I don't exactly know them. :emoji_flushed: So I googled and it came out that what I thought they were is wrong.
This is also why I made this thread. :emoji_flushed: (This could be true for you too. It's common to use them interchangeably. :X3: Please read further. :notworthy: ) There is only one word for something like security and safety in my language. (German: Sicherheit) Knowing proper definitions is important. So I learned them. After reading many comparisons and definitions, it turns out that safety is created by security.
Safety is the condition or feeling of being free from harm, threats, dangers, or risk of any undesired changes - meaning: being in a "steady-state".
Security is the process or means of delaying, preventing, and protecting against any threats that hinder or destroy the "steady-state", increasing risk-factors or risk directly.
A weakness in security means an increase in risk which decreases safety.
A sudden threat to safety is sign of weak security.
However a feeling of weak safety does not necessarily mean that security is weak. (I started highlighting the terms and now I don't know when to stop :emoji_sob
"to increase security" therefore means: "Putting a mechanism/automatism or procedure in place to reduce risk of threats to the steady-state."
That means that "Increasing safety" is a recursive way of saying "increasing security", and therefore nonsense. (Not-logical) Because the process of "increasing safety" is by putting more security measures in place, and that would be a process of "increasing security". In other words it is: Confusing cause and effect.
-This is combined from many sources - meaning: Me, trying to make sense of half-hearted definitions. :X3:
Now I'll try to sum this, the definitions and the outcome of the thread, all up: :emoji_cold_sweat:
Backing up your data is a security-procedure increasing data-safety by reducing the risk of losing (important) data. However, without proper system-security in place, the (security-) procedure of "backing up your files" becomes itself a threat/risk to the future-safety of your system.
Does everyone agree? :X3::notworthy:
PS: Oh boy... I'm not sure if it is good or bad that I need that depth of understanding in order to change my opinion.
(That means I'm going to change my vote to "yea")
- Jun 24, 2016
- 2,487
Good analysis...
I was about to compress the meaning and outcome of this thread into one sentence and write about differences between "security" and "safety", when I realized I don't exactly know them. :emoji_flushed: So I googled and it came out that what I thought they were is wrong.
After reading many comparisons and definitions, it turns out that safety is created by security.
Safety is the condition or feeling of being free from harm, threats, dangers, or risk of any undesired changes - meaning: being in a "steady-state".
Security is the process or means of delaying, preventing, and protecting against any threats that hinder or destroy the "steady-state", increasing risk-factors or risk directly.
A weakness in security means an increase in risk which decreases safety.
A sudden threat to safety is sign of weak security.
However a feeling of weak safety does not necessarily mean that security is weak. (I started highlighting the terms and now I don't know when to stop :emoji_sob
"to increase security" therefore means: "Putting a mechanism/automatism or procedure in place to reduce risk of threats to the steady-state."
That means that "Increasing safety" is a recursive way of saying "increasing security", and therefore nonsense. (Not-logical) Because the process of "increasing safety" is by putting more security measures in place, and that would be a process of "increasing security". In other words it is: Confusing cause and effect.
-This is combined from many sources - meaning: Me, trying to make sense of half-hearted definitions. :X3:
Now I'll try to sum this, the definitions and the outcome of the thread, all up: :emoji_cold_sweat:
Backing up your data is a security-procedure increasing data-safety by reducing the risk of losing (important) data. However, without proper system-security in place, the (security-) procedure of "backing up your files" becomes itself a threat/risk to the future-safety of your system.
Does everyone agree? :X3::notworthy:
PS: Oh boy... I'm not sure if it is good or bad that I need that depth of understanding in order to change my opinion.
I agree with you. Data backups are great for security but under correct circumstances.
- Dec 29, 2014
- 1,716
It helps security for all of the times where a PC user can say without reservation the image is a good and clean image. Care free imaging wouldn't be such a good idea. I agree with @cruelsister that some preparation for each backup when at all possible is the best course of action. Run scanners, run cleanup, etc.
BTW, I have a possessed image from a few weeks ago. Don't know what to do with it yet, but I decided to keep it for now, hoping to study it later. Basically (this has been verified 3 separate times from this image), I run the system for about a day or two and then somewhere along the line I will get a message that Comodo Forewall cannot run and must be reinstalled. It instructs to reboot, but rebooting then brings a scenario where neither NVT OSArmor or Qihoo 360 (the a-v in this image) or Comodo run on boot. On further inspection and to my amazement, ALL of their directories...all of them for all of the programs...are gone. And this has happened 3 times. So I guess during boot something wipes out these security programs on the system...even NVT OSA! Not exactly the most well known of security programs, since it's so new.
Anyway, I am guarding the image, so that I can study it later or submit it for study. It does bring up the point though that images are no cleaner than the original.
- Jun 6, 2017
- 477
My personal approach is to take a number of backups. I automatically synchronise most files to the cloud. I also copy and paste my files into removable hard drives every few months- one is kept in the house and one I keep hidden in a garage. I don’t bother with disk imaging- it’s not a problem reinstalling windows if necessary and then pasting all the files back onto my hard drive. It probably takes less than an hour to get a fresh Windows install wiith all my apps etc. I also use Rollback RX which is not a backup solution, but it can help to reverse out of crashes etc.
Of the above, the biggest security risk is probably the cloud synchronisation. My data is on multiple servers around the world and out of my control. I think the trick is not to store anything confidential on there, or things that could be useful to criminals. If my photographs and work material gets hacked I’m not happy but also not overly concerned.
Of the above, the biggest security risk is probably the cloud synchronisation. My data is on multiple servers around the world and out of my control. I think the trick is not to store anything confidential on there, or things that could be useful to criminals. If my photographs and work material gets hacked I’m not happy but also not overly concerned.
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