What data security are you using in case of disaster?

[DunbarPappy®ϟϟ]

Hard as it is to believe, spring will eventually get here, and with season-changes comes dramatic, cataclysmic weather events.
Tornadoes and floods can strew belongings for miles, which you may never find again. (See; http://www.weather.com/news/tornado-cent...y-20130318
Having a multi-faceted computer security strategy in place can make a huge difference in your life if you get caught up in such turmoil, by keeping your valuable data out of the hands of opportunists, yet still available to you.

One iron-clad approach is to use "whole drive encryption" which encrypts your data, so only you have the password to gain access.¹
"TrueCrypt" is a free open-source disk encryption software for Windows 7/Vista/XP, Mac OS X, and Linux. It encrypts an entire partition or storage device such as USB flash drive or hard drive.* It can get tricky, so practice on a duplicate folder (with several file types) to familiarize yourself on all phases before tackling the entire drive. http://www.truecrypt.org/
¹ Password formulation and policy is always critical.
Consider a proven password manager, such as "LastPass" for these hinge-pin operations. Free.
https://lastpass.com/
Password creation tips: https://www.grc.com/haystack.htm
------------------
Data backup (things you create using a computer like documents, pictures, music, etc.) should be done routinely by everyone, but especially small businesses.
Backups should begin as an 'all data' baseline; then afterwards use the utilities 'incremental' setting, which saves only new items, and changes to originals. This saves space on your backup media, and cuts down on time required for doing it.
Ideally 2 hard copies are made of each backup: one kept with the unit, one kept 'off site' ² in case of fire, storms, etc.
Free, alternate B.U. applications are here: http://www.snapfiles.com/freeware/system/fwbackup.html

Backups can be monotonous, intensive sessions. Take the drudgery out of this crucial task with automation.
Have a look at "Duplicati", a free backup client that securely stores encrypted, incremental, compressed backups on cloud storage services.
Works easily with many cloud services, with built-in scheduler and customization tweaks.
http://www.duplicati.com/

² "Cloud" data storage offerings vary (some free) but have unique Security & Privacy issues.
Make sure to read and review all their procedures & Privacy Policy stance before committing to any: and, examine user feedback regarding each.

When using any encryption technique or strategy, data should be encrypted before sending (or storing) to prevent 'snooping' or 'leakage'.
Use a solid 'on-board' utility for this, and practice a couple of times with some nondescript file to master the entire process so you know for certain you can get your files back.
That would be: file encrypt> copy to media (or upload>download)> decrypt & verify contents match what you intended to save.
Once proficient, go ahead with the more delicate file work.

-So, do you have these or similar disaster plans?
Atta boy "...veil", good plan.
"Write..."; Not exactly sure what you're asking for, but it won't hurt to ask your own Q here on Answers to get guidance.
I'd suggest that you use a DVD-RW to start the baseline, then you can add to it again (using 'incremental') later...say 1X/week.
That would be the minimum for your 'in-house' backup.
And don't forget to use "Duplicati" (or other service) for those "off site" storage tactics.

[Black Veils]

i backup my files and program settings to a usb flash drive, which is kept in a different room from my laptop. the drive is fully encrypted. i backup once a week to this.

i also have my files (excluding music) and program settings in SpiderOak cloud backup, which is encrypted by the SpiderOak program before it uploads. i have it set to automatically backup when changes happen to my Pictures and Documents folders.

i have a data dvd of my music.

my laptap has encryption and various passwords.

[suzonka]

this choice is best for me http://www.truecrypt.org/

[Barry Herne]

I can say that in case of disaster I just backup all the data from my PC to the cloud and to external disks with the help of Acronis True Image http://www.acronis.com I think this is the best way as you get your data the same after the recovery and you don't need to do anything else.

[iron-side]

Avira

[Write on Time]

Thank you..great job of bringing to the attention(and remembrance),a very important subject.Using Win.7 on desktop and wanting to begin a back-up,was prompted to,'insert removable disk'..which for the novice or tech. challenged as I make one wonder,does it have a name?Is it a unique or special disk that one must look for?This posting is very informative and helpful..and being in Mi.,where a tornado could happen tomorrow,being prepared is a must.Thanks again.

[746]

We've been keeping our customers informed of the importance of backing up their data. Some people think of disasters as being limited to "natural disasters", but even something as simple as an employee transferring music from their USB to their work computer and accidentally installing a virus could be catastrophic for a business. This is why we write informational blogs to express the importance of building disaster plans. Here are some of the blogs posted on our website http://www.vaultnetworks.com/ all written by myself and one of our other writers:
<p>
<a href="http://www.vaultnetworks.com/blog/2014/02/disaster-recovery/">Disaster Recovery </a></p>
<p>
<a href="http://www.vaultnetworks.com/blog/2013/12/it-disaster-recovery-plan/">Why every business should have an IT Disaster Recovery Plan</a></p>