How secure is my data?
Your data is totally secure. The data is encrypted before it is sent over the Internet to our servers and you can change the default encryption key to one of your choice. A master decryption key is also set for us by our infrastructure partners but is only known to the directors of our partner company and is stored at their law firm. You have the option to have your account disabled from being accessed with the master decryption key, but then it will not be possible to read your data if you lose your key.

The servers themselves are behind secure firewalls. Even if access were gained to the servers, your data is of no use to anyone as it is encrypted, and therefore meaningless as it is stored without the key.

Our servers use RAID disks for reliability, and there are multiple backup servers clustered together for processing the data. Your backup data is then copied to our data center in London for ultimate protection. The London servers are backed up each night to an automated tape storage system, and the tapes are rotated off site each day to a secure storage vault.

How much does it cost?
The starting point is $29.95 per month plus applicable taxes which allows you up to 1GB of space on our servers. Additional space is charged as shown on the price list.

Can I backup any data to Hotsite Back-Up_TM?
YES, absolutely. You can backup any data you want. You just select the files within the Hotsite Back-Up_TM client software. It is very simple.

How long does it take?
The initial data synchronization may take some time, depending on your connection speed and your backup volume, backups after that will normally be extremely fast due to the differential backup algorithms which only send data that has changed, even inside a file. For example, we have backed up large PowerPoint presentations when changes are made in a few seconds. We have backed up 100MB or more of SQL data in less than a minute, except for the very first time.

How often can it be run?
It can be run as often as once every 60 minutes. The more often you run it, the better the overall performance of the system, although you will incur additional disk space as you will get more versions of each file. Of course, you will limit your potential loss of data to 60 minutes.

What connectivity is required?
128K or better DSL is recommended, although dialup may be sufficient in many cases. We have had good success backing up data volumes in excess of 10GB with 128K DSL. The initial data synchronization can take up to 48 hours or even longer with very large data volumes but it is not a problem, as once the initial data is stored, subsequent backups are very fast.

How quickly can I restore files?
Normally within a few minutes, unless the file is very large in which case it could take a little longer to download. This will also depend on your connection speed.

How easy is it to restore files?
Extremely simple. You can try it for yourself once you have installed the software. By default, selecting a file will restore the most recent version of that file. You can determine whether it goes to the original file location or a new directory path. If you right click the file, you can choose any version that has been backed up during the previous 30 days.

Is there support available?
Yes. Tech support is available via email at support@hotsitebackup.com and via telephone at 800-930-5380 from 9am to 5pm Pacific Time, Monday to Friday.

What if I decide to stop using the service?
Your data will be kept for 90 days during which you can retrieve it and transfer to another medium if you wish. After that it will be removed from our servers. You are not committed to any long term period when you use Hotsite Back-Up_TM.