Questions tagged [backup]

Backing up is the process of making copies (a backup) of data which may be used to restore the original after a data loss event.

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fulfillment of : ETSI EN 319 411-2 or ETSI TS 101 456 - "7.2.2 Certification authority key backup using secure world daily backup on tape

Can someone explain me how one CA can fulfill normative request: ETSI EN 319 411-2 or ETSI TS 101 456 "7.2.2 Certification authority key storage, backup and recovery ... c) the CA private ...
0 votes
2 answers
260 views

Storing backup keys (2FA) for online accounts

So I spent the day looking for a good solution of storing the backup keys or the 2FA codes and can't seem to find a convenient way for me, many people have different takes on this, so far I found 2 ...
0 votes
3 answers
2k views

How bad is rsync with no-password sudo?

I need to backup files with preserved attributes from a source workstation to a LAN server (both on Linux Mint, the server is running sshd and Samba). One of the solutions which preserves files' ...
1 vote
2 answers
349 views

Solutions for backing-up my codebase

I have a codebase that I've been keeping on Github that I don't want to worry about losing. I've intermittently backed up all the repos to an S3 instance, but this doesn't feel secure. If my Github ...
0 votes
0 answers
205 views

Outdoor backup: gocryptfs --init --reverse: alway same .diriv in 1st level directory

Intro Trying to send encrypted backup of in productions filesystems, I was interested by the ability of using gocryptfs in reverse mode! The idea is to use gocryptfs --reverse from any existing (...
0 votes
0 answers
135 views

What does an exported BitLocker key package contain?

I've learned that a key protector encrypts the VMK (volume master key), then the VMK encrypts the FVEK (full volume encryption key), and finally the FVEK encrypts the actual data blocks. I've also ...
1 vote
0 answers
173 views

Encryption Reccomendation for Specific Borg Backup + Rclone Scenario

I currently use Borg backup to make backup repositories of my system data on a local drive. I also use Rclone to transfer the repository to a Backblaze B2 cloud storage bucket. Borg can create ...
1 vote
3 answers
490 views

Should I backup a GPG key used for Authentication?

Regarding backups (escrows) of GPG (OpenPGP compliant) keys, I seem to understand that (E)ncryption keys need to be backed up, to prevent data loss, and that (S)igning keys should not be backed up, ...
0 votes
1 answer
114 views

Verify the safety of old back ups

I have an old laptop that I've been using since high school, and for a long time I wasn't careful with how I used it. Namely, I shared USBs with friends and teachers for assignments and presentations, ...
14 votes
2 answers
9k views

How robust is a VeraCrypt Container against disk errors (bit rot)?

I am planning to encrypt backup data using VeraCrypt. How safe are the generated containers? My worries is not so much the encryption, but potential data loss due to degrading harddisk media (bit rot) ...
0 votes
1 answer
91 views

How to create, use and backup android signing keys without trusting the computer?

I did a lot of research on how to securely create, use and backup android signing keys (when using Google Play Signing is not an option). The best option seams to be a Yubikey or a Nitrokey HSM 2 and ...
2 votes
1 answer
884 views

Is Synology's Active Backup for Business Destination Encryption Secure or Snake Oil?

Synology's Active Backup for Business has a feature for Destination Encryption which only seems to work with BTRFS. It works so that you have to set it up when creating the BTRFS storage. At this ...
2 votes
0 answers
530 views

MMLS (Sleuth Kit) not working in some situations

I am experiencing some issues when using mmls command after having created an image with dcfldd/guymager in some particular situations. Usually this approach seems to be working fine to create ...
0 votes
1 answer
92 views

Is my PGP key which I uploaded to sync.net compromised?

I just accidentally uploaded my PGP key in unencrypted format to rsync.net. As far as I know, nobody but me has access to the account. Is my key compromised?
2 votes
4 answers
722 views

Is physical tape backup better than disk to ensure integrity

When assessing tape backups vs online disc backups, which of them ensures better protection from integrity incidents? For example, if the system is compromised by an attacker or virus or malware and I ...
1 vote
4 answers
13k views

Suspicious new folder named .um in internal storage, google search says file is spyware

I am running Android 7.0 in a Samsung Galaxy J7 prime phone. Today, while using the phone, I suddenly found a folder named obj in Internal storage/Android, that had never been there before. It had the ...
240 votes
13 answers
103k views

Where do you store your personal private GPG key?

So, I want to start using pass, but I need a GPG key for this. This application will store all of my passwords, which means it's very important that I don't lose my private key, once generated. Hard ...
0 votes
1 answer
289 views

What could be recovered after an interrupted ransomware attack?

Four days ago my PC got phobos ransomware. I didn’t notice until three days ago, and the reason is that the attack stopped midway, leaving some of my data as it is and not leaving behind any ransom ...
1 vote
1 answer
449 views

Can I encrypt Google backups (without setting a screenlock password?)

As you can see from my previous question, How can I escape Google?, I am not overly keen on sharing my personal data. I just got yet another new Android phone, after yet another died. Because I do not ...
1 vote
1 answer
751 views

Good checksum algorithm for backup / cloud sync system

I am writing a cloud backup system, and want to use a checksum to know if a file has been modified, and accordingly sync it with the server. This question shows that xxHash is super fast, and this ...
0 votes
1 answer
101 views

Does keeping a flash drive in my computer all the time expose it to ransomware attacks?

I keep my laptop backed up using Google Desktop. It's how I keep my things like notes, pictures, etc., backed up. I recently have been reading about ransomware attacks increasing and I wanted to ...
0 votes
2 answers
277 views

Why are multi-billion-dollar companies failing to create ransomware-proof backups?

We keep hearing of big enterprises (Garmin, Edeka) being taken out of business for days or weeks, due to ransomware encryption attacks. One would assume that it can't be that hard to create versioned ...
0 votes
3 answers
271 views

How to mitigate ransomware from locking attached storage

I have OSX. Time machine takes periodic backups. This backup is encrypted. If my machine were to be infected and locked by ransomware, what prevents the backup from also being comprised as it is just ...
2 votes
0 answers
160 views

Is "drag-drop files" computer backup sufficient to avoid most malware/ have all my files?

I'm debating dragging all my files onto an external hard drive manually - rather than a time machine backup - and then pulling over any specific files I need if I ever need them. Afterwards, I'll ...
1 vote
1 answer
394 views

Why do services generate multiple 2FA backup codes?

In case you lose access to your two-factor authentication (2FA) codes, you are only required to enter one of the backup codes. So why do services like Google generate multiple codes if it doesn't ...
0 votes
1 answer
287 views

Should I encrypt backup files with WinRar?

Currently we don't have a server in a small organization with a very limited budget. We do backup by syncing files between workstations with Windows 10 OS. I'd like to encrypt these files because they ...
2 votes
1 answer
208 views

Backup Google Authenticator transferring QR code

I understand that saving a screenshot of the QR code during the OTP setup process is enough to back up a single account, however, is this the same for the QR code generated during the Google ...
2 votes
2 answers
288 views

use custom 'key' for hardware security token

Using a hardware security token as a second factor is generally considered quite a boost in security. But one of the issues I'm having is how to backup the (digital) keys used in the hardware device (...
0 votes
0 answers
191 views

What is a good common approach for encrypted backup/restore on an embedded device?

An embedded device with Linux supports backup/restore of files encrypted with openssl. The idea of backup is: tar -c .... | openssl smime -encrypt -binary -aes-256-cbc -out backupfile.encrypted -...
0 votes
0 answers
392 views

DigitalOcean Spaces for personal backups

Sorry for the naive question. I wonder how DigitalOcean Spaces (S3 compatible) fits personal backups. I found a lot of information about security of Amazon S3 and its security is undoubted, however, ...
8 votes
2 answers
1k views

Understanding GnuPG --export-options backup

The GnuPG documentation lists an option called --export-options parameters. One of the possible parameters for this option is backup (aliased export-backup). The description for --export-options ...
1 vote
0 answers
124 views

How do we reconcile a requirement to keep backups, with a requirement that we be able to purge data on request? [closed]

As part of SOC 2 preparation (and just general operational best-practice) we take regular PostgreSQL backups and keep them for up to a year. One of our partners has a requirement that we be able to ...
16 votes
1 answer
10k views

Is openssl aes-256-cbc encryption safe for offsite backup

I have around 20000 files (around 9GB) each of which is encrypted using openssl enc -aes-256-cbc -in infile -out outfile -k mypassword command. Each file uses same password. My openssl version is 1.1....
30 votes
2 answers
12k views

How can WhatsApp restore local or Google Drive Backups?

This is all not about their end-to-end transmission protocol and my question is mostly Android centric. What I ask myself: When reading about hacking and decrypting local WhatsApp database backups it ...
0 votes
0 answers
122 views

Is it possible/feasible for ransomware to inject itself into backup software to present false data to the user?

The reason I am asking this is the following: My boss wants me to sell a backup solution where encrypted backups are to be stored at our site. But we shouldn't have the key to decrypt them (in case we ...
6 votes
5 answers
4k views

Can Acronis True Image decrypt your files?

I use Acronis backup software to create images of my system, have a copy of important stuff in the cloud and all other backup related things. As Acronis states, their software uses AES encryption ...
1 vote
1 answer
218 views

Is Acronis True Image encryption safe? [duplicate]

This question has been asked before but a lot of time has passed since then. The older question had an answer that the Eula said that Acronis can decrypt the data. I can no longer find that part. Can ...
0 votes
1 answer
1k views

Is rsyncd secure? (except for the lack of transport encryption)

I have been using an rsyncd server for backups for what feels like a decade. I saw that rsyncd has no transport encryption (not even for username and password). I wonder what other security issues ...
1 vote
0 answers
141 views

How Can I Backup App Data In Android/iOS Devices?

After my other post I'm looking over some other possibilities to do what I'm trying to do. How To Recover End-To-End Encrypted Data After Losing Private Key? If I save user data in server, in order to ...
0 votes
1 answer
87 views

Sync AWS snapshots to secondary account - supplier ask for "swap" - security theathre?

I'm managing an AWS account for a specific purpose for a company of 120 people. Another supplier of this company of around 5 people also has an AWS account. To protect resources in an AWS account from ...
3 votes
7 answers
6k views

Backup is corrective control or a preventive control?

This is a theoritical question. There are preventive controls and corrective controls. So, is Backup a corrective control or a preventive control? There are mixed answers and mixed explainations. (...
0 votes
0 answers
140 views

Asymmetric Encrypted Container

I'd like to set up a remote backup for my PC. I want to have it run at scheduled times, encrypting the data locally and then transmitting it to the server. I'd like to use something popular and open ...
0 votes
1 answer
204 views

Did a virus like this really ever exist? [closed]

I know that this world is very evil, and that the most unfathomable things go on around the clock, inside and outside of the "computer world". However, I sometimes really wonder if certain ...
7 votes
2 answers
241 views

How should backups be tested in large offices?

I always hear people say "test your backups", but I have no idea how that is done in practice when you have to deal with complex infrastructures. For personal backups it's easy to rely on ...
0 votes
1 answer
132 views

Backup on a distant dedicated server, such that even if someone gets root / hacks my distant server, they cannot read the data

Let's say we have: a local computer (Windows or Linux) a distant dedicated server with 2TB storage, running Linux I'd like to do a backup my local computer's data folder (1 TB) to the distant server ...
7 votes
4 answers
5k views

Why does WhatsApp not encrypt Google Drive backups?

WhatsApp has end-to-end encryption, promising privacy to users. However, it becomes useless if backups to Google Drive are unencrypted. Our supposedly private data goes to the control of Google. No ...
0 votes
1 answer
301 views

Can't Amazon see my files if I use s3cmd/gpg with a complex password?

Since the early days of s3cmd I use it in combination with random generated filenames (uuidgen loop) and a complex passphrase (pwgen -n1 -c 32 -y). On security.stackexchange.com search there is only 1 ...
-1 votes
2 answers
220 views

Can I check if ransomware is running by using a VM [closed]

I am not an expert, but as far as I understand, ransomware will encrypt files and (for an undefined period) decrypt as well, so it appears all is well. At some point in time, the decrypting ends and ...
10 votes
1 answer
33k views

How to read password from Windows credentials?

What is the cipher used by windows Credential Manager to generate credentials backup files (*.crd)? With a backup file from Credential Manager and the password used to created that backup file is it ...
1 vote
0 answers
147 views

Backing-up to an untrusted cloud

Not sure if this kind of review/validation question is allowed - please delete if it isn't. Like many before, I'm looking for ways to do cloud backup in a way where I trust that I'm still the only one ...