Questions About Online Backup
Many factors differentiate Divinsa from other online backup services. Our service was created to satisfy the need for an easy to use, automatic and secure method of backing up data offsite. The goal was to design a cost-effective backup service that could be used by anyone with even the most limited computer expertise, yet with the features of backup systems used by our government and Fortune 500 companies.
Customers nationwide have come to recognize that Divinsa provides them with a backup solution that is simple to setup, easy to use, completely automatic and most importantly, secure and completely reliable. However, software features and usability are only part of what makes Divinsa stand out. We provide personal customer service and technical support. We view backing up as insuring the valuable assets of a business or an individual.
Yes, you can abort, stop, pause, or disable backups from starting.
The software will remind you after you miss or cancel a backup and offer to reschedule or perform the backup again.
We recommend that you close down all applications while a backup is taking place so that all files maybe backed up. Some applications will not allow our software to copy the file while it is in use. Divinsa’s software will skip over files which are “locked” and give you a warning message to let you know it did so.
If you have a network where the files on your computer(s) running non-Microsoft operating systems are accessible from a PC running Microsoft Windows, then you should be able to backup these files from that PC, but please note that you will require a valid license for each computer on which files are to be backed up. You may want to consider using our Online Backup for UNIX/Apple/macOS product.
The time it takes to do a backup is a function of a number of factors, including the speed of your computer’s CPU (for doing compression and encryption), the amount of data you are backing up, whether a full file is being backed up or just changes to it from the last backed up version, and the speed of your internet connection. As such, it’s extremely difficult to give a general formula for time. Our experience shows that full backups (i.e. your first backup) takes the longest, and then all incremental backups (using our sophisticated file change detection system) are extremely quick (on the order of just a few minutes for most users).
To help you in estimating how long a full backup will take, the table below shows the estimated time required to send one megabyte of data through the Internet using various modem types and speeds. When calculating the amount of data you will send over an Internet connection, remember that before documents are transmitted, our software compresses them to about 20% normal size. So, five megabytes of your data on your computer becomes approximately 1 megabyte when initially transmitted and stored on Divinsa’s servers.
| Connection | |
| 56k Baud | 3 minutes |
| ISDN (128k) | 1.5 minutes |
| DSL (512k) | 20 seconds |
| Cable (1,500k) | 6 seconds |
To calculate the time in minutes required to transmit a compete document, divide its size by the connection speed, then divide the result by 6: Transmit time = (File size / connection speed) / 6
The short answer is that the content of your files are safe (assuming they were virus free when you backed them up) and the risk of your PCs being contaminated by a virus as a result of Divinsa’s service is very low. The files which you backup are first compressed and encrypted on your PC. They are stored on Divinsa’s servers in this compressed and encrypted form. There is no known virus which can decrypt your files, insert itself, and then re-encrypt your files so that when you transmit them back to your computer (on a restore) and un-encrypt and un-compress them, the virus can then infect your computer. Rest assured that we do use the latest virus protection software on servers.
Divinsa’s software is very secure, it communicates using encrypted TCP packets, on its own port which is registered with IANA (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority) as a “Well Known Port” . Most firewalls, antivirus, and anti-spybot software can be easily configured to pass through our secure backup communication protocol.
While backing up your data to tapes, CDs, DVD’s, ZIP disks or other removable storage devices is certainly better than not backing up at all, these methods are inferior to online backup. First, there is the inconvenience of having to store these types of storage devices offsite. Otherwise, your backups may be destroyed along with your computers in the event of a fire, flood or theft. In today’s world, onsite backup really is not considered backing up. Second, if you back up only to removable storage devices, you run the risk of losing your data because tapes, hard drives, even CDs and DVD’s all eventually fail. Third, recovering files can be a tedious and difficult process.
Online backup, on the other hand, eliminates the hassles and the worries of traditional onsite backup. Online backup is easy to use, automatic, secure, scalable and affordable. Moreover, online backup requires nothing more than a computer and an Internet connection.
If your business is like most businesses, your data is crucial to the everyday operations of your company. Moreover, the data on your computers is vulnerable to human error, accidental deletion, computer and hard drive failure, viruses, theft and natural disasters such as fires and floods. Ask yourself these questions: If your business did lose its data, how long would it take to recreate? Could your business survive without its customer records, emails, financial data and other documents? Because data is so important and because data is so vulnerable, every business needs a proper method of backing up.
Nearly half of small companies that loose business critical data in a disaster do not reopen after the loss, and 90% are out of business within two years, according to a University of Texas study. Furthermore, “6% of all PC’s will suffer an episode of data loss in any given year” according to a recent study by Pepperdine University. The statistics of data loss are as follows:
- 44% – Hardware Failure Hard drives crash, tape drives fail, laptops fall, and warranties don’t cover your data.
- 30% – Personnel Error Accidental file overwrite and/or deletion; disgruntled employees, and even spilt drinks.
- 12% – Software Error Compatibility issues, programming errors, improper application termination.
- 7% – Viruses and hackers Can you be fully protected from the constant introduction of new viruses?
- 7% – Disasters – terrorism, theft, fire, flood, storm, etc.
Questions About Security and Encryption
Your data is stored on state-of-the-art file servers in secure data centers which are geographically dispersed. Our facilities have advanced security measures, backup power, and redundant Internet connections.
No. Your data is encrypted before it leaves your computer and is sent to Divinsa’s servers, where it remains encrypted. Because only you have your password encryption key, only you can access your files.
The Divinsa software supports a variety of user selectable encryption methods including 448-bit Blowfish, 192-bit 3DES, 128-bit DES, 2048-bit RC5, 128-bit AES, 192-bit AES, 256-bit AES, 160-bit SHA, and 128-bit MD5. By default 128-bit AES is used, which is same as used by Banks and the Federal Reserve Board for financial transactions, but you can select a different encryption method. Each file is encrypted before it leaves your system and then remains encrypted on Divinsa’s servers, providing complete privacy for your data.
In addition, the Divinsa software communicates with the Divinsa severs using SSL (Secure Socket Layers) technology. This is the same encryption technology used by Internet browsers when a user enters a secured site. As a result, your data is encrypted twice. It is encrypted at all times using the encryption method of your choice, and it is encrypted again while it’s being sent over the Internet.
Your data will be extremely secure. Your data is encrypted before it leaves your computer with an Encryption Key that only you have. The data is then encrypted again for its transit over the Internet. Your files are then stored, in encrypted form, on multiple servers in high security facilities. Because of the encryption, even Divinsa personnel cannot access your data.
Questions About Restoring Data
Yes, because of the retention and version settings you are able to dial-in to specific point in time and recover files from that period.
If you have had a system failure, and Divinsa’s software is no longer installed on your computer, you will need to download and install the software again from the Divinsa website. Once the software is installed, you will be able to retrieve all of your backed up files. Please keep in mind that in order to restore your files, you MUST know your account name and password, which is your Encryption Key.
Yes. Restoring a file does not affect its backup status. It will still be backed up and available to restore again at a later date.
No, there is no charge whatsoever for restoring files. You can restore as many files as you wish as often as you like.
Questions About Multiple Computers and Accounts
To create a new account for an additional computer to backup, please download the software and install it by creating a new account and entering billing information for it. If the credit card information is the same as another account with us, we will automatically combine the billing. If you wish to backup additional computers using network drive shares you do not need to reinstall any software or create new accounts, all you need to do is call us and we’ll increase the license count for you at our end.
No. Each computer which runs Divinsa software must have a unique backup account.
Questions About Billing
To change your method of payment or your credit card information, please call us at 800-624-9561.
Once you sign up for Divinsa’s online service, your credit card will be billed at the end of each month for services used during the month. We will pro-rate your first month of service if you signed up in the middle of a month. Furthermore, if and when you cancel service, which you may do at any time, we will pro-rate your final month of service up to and including the day of cancellation.
If you signup for our no obligation 15 day trial, you have full use of Divinsa’s software and storage space. You will NOT be billed during the free trial period. You will need to provide valid billing information, including a credit card, to engage in our trial but your card will NOT be billed unless you opt to subscribe to our service upon completion of the trial. If you opt to continue with our service then you will be billed for the trial period (i.e. your initial 15 days of usage).
