The Playstation 2 or the PS2 is a video game that is popularly called the successor of the Playstation and the predecessor of the Playstation3.The console was designed and developed by Sony. The console was introduced to the users with the latest and the advanced features. The latest features comprises of the console comprises of DVD playback feature, USB support and the IEEE 1394 expansions port.
The playstation is capable of reading CDs as well as DVDs. The video playback feature of this playstation is another striking feature. The device has the ability to support Playstation memory cards that are used or meant for saving the playstation games. This PS also supports Playstations controllers.
The new version of the PlayStation 2 is very lightweight and the player can carry it anywhere and play games anytime. The PS2 have undergone certain revisions, some on the internal construction and the others involve the substantial external changes. The console comes with an integrated Ethernet port for the network gaming. The new smaller model of the PS2 has further been reduced by about 75% while their thicknesses have been trimmed down to 2.8cm.
The PS2 has created a craze among the consumers. The electronic gaming process is developing everyday, that every new gaming console that is launched has certain special features associated with it. However, in case of the PS2 it was not only the technology that was developed but also the quality of games were also improved. The graphics, music and the whole atmosphere of these games had advanced that the consumers would surely experience the difference.
Electronic games have also improved the creativity of the skilled players. Earlier, these games were regarded as indoor sports but now it grew to a full fledged gaming community that contains groups and clubs that are developed solely to play games competitively. These clubs also permit the player to pick up the game of their choice. Further the increased accessibility to the internet facilities have allowed the players to communicate and compete with each other across the globe.
This electronic game keeps the player gripped throughout the gaming process, and since they spend much of their time playing these games they gradually learn tips and tricks to improve their gaming experience. This has further inspired to develop Playsation 2 game cheats. The users can find in magazines, books and articles both offline and online and know about how to improve their skills and cheat at playstation required for any game.
The PS2’s DualShock controller is essentially an upgraded PlayStation DualShock: the analog face, shoulder and the D-pad buttons have replaced the digital buttons of the original. The DualShock 2 controller has a force feedback, which is usually called the “vibration” function. The memory card that comes with the standard PS2 is of 8MB capacity and uses the Sony’s Magicgate encryption. This feature prevented the production of the memory cards by the third parties who do not purchase a license for the Magicgate encryption. This memory card has the ability to store and save the PlayStation games but cannot read from or write to the card- it can only be used for the purpose of backup.
The console also features the USB and IEEE 1394 expansions ports. The compatibility with the USB and IEEE 1394 devices are dependant on the software that device. For example, the PS2 BIOS will not boot an ISO image from a USB flash drive or operate a USB printer, as the machine's operating system does not include this feature. By contrast, Gran Turismo 4 is designed to save screenshots to a USB mass storage device and print images on certain USB printers.
Playstation 2: Great Gaming Console
Wii Downloads - Download Games to your Wii Legally!
The Nintendo Wii’s high popularity cannot be argued. In a little over a year Nintendo has managed to re-capture the industry it ruled only a decade ago even though the industry has changed to now include two entertainment giants in Sony and Microsoft. Naturally there was always going to be download services pop up that allow you to download any entertainment you wish to your Wii.
The Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3 have both been praised as the two machines that can best hold things like movies and TV shows and with good reason. The huge hard drives these two consoles have and the power they wield allow you to not only watch movies and play games, but to do it right from the machines hard drive resulting in a clutter free living room. But with all that said, the Wii is more than capable too. While it doesn’t have the hard drive that it’s competiton does, the huge SD Cards that can now be bought mega cheap ($5 for a 1gb on ebay) more than makes up for that.
The games you can download not only include the current generation games, but also older games from any console including the PSX, PS2, N64, Gamecube, Xbox, Super Nintendo, Dreamcast you name it. This means Wii Media Downloads can turn your Wii into the ultimate retro gaming machine especially if you’ve already been taking advantage of the Wii Virtual Console.
With this new technology, if course there has been criticisms. Many believe that owning a digital version of a game simply isn’t the same as holding the case and instruction manual in your hand. This is true to a point, but Wii Media Downloads has taken care of an element of that by allowing instruction manuals to be downloaded as well.
Used correctly, Wii Media Downloads can definitely be used to expand your game collection. Click on to my blog (link below) for more information on the service.
Playing Fun Games Online
If you are looking for an alternative to the classic games, the online games that you can find today everywhere on the Internet might be just what you are looking for. You can search the worldwide Internet for games of all sorts and find out exactly what games are more popular with players today. You will find that the offer games is very diverse: there are car games, racing games, action games, strategy games, games that feature popular cartoon characters, Lord of the Ring games, Star War Games, mystery games, paintball games and the list could go on endlessly.
There are also games that you can download and play on your personal computer, games that you can play online against other players and even games where you can apply certain strategies, build an empire, a castle, buy credits online and so on. There are a few advantages of playing games online are that you can play them at any time of the day or night because the game never stops. You will also be able to create a new world and have lots of fun. Some of these games that you find online are even for free, or they offer you a free trial, and if you like the game, you can purchase it, download it, and play it anytime. The online games are played by hundreds of people at a time, so you can face some virtual players while engaging in different tasks.
These online games are also accessible for everyone. The rules are thoroughly explained, so that anyone can try the game. There is even a demo of the game where one can figure out some tricks that may come in handy during the game. And remember, if you want to become good at a game and go to the nest level, you have to train and play a lot. As a rule, these online games are designed in different levels, and the aim of the game is to get to the highest level possible.
In case you have never played an online game before give it a try! It’s sure to end up on your list of favorite things to do. You can find a complete list of fun games on the Internet if you search for games com. Be prepared to have lots of fun and develop new playing skills in a virtual new world.
Guild Wars Farming Guide For Gold
One of the fastest ways to start building up your gold in Guild Wars is to perfect your farming skills so you can find more items which can then be sold. Gold in Guild Wars is an important part of your survival in the game. Without plenty of gold, it's difficult to do much of anything within the world of Guild Wars. Warrior are great candidates for farming as they can get by farming on their own. If anything having a farming character is a great way to have a constant flow of gold to your more important Guild Wars accounts.
Farming in the Underworld of smite crawlers is a good way to constantly recover items that can be sold as a source of gold. Bonneti's defense, Dolyak signet, healing signet, Watch Yourself, Vengeful was Khenhei, and Vengeful Weapon are all essential skill needed for this farming build. Any additional speed buffs like sprint make farming even easier. The faster you can farm, the faster you can start building up on your gold.
In the beginning, use your extra speed to get yourself out of the chamber while avoiding the Aatxes. The way this farming build is setup makes in impossible your one to kill Aatxes, so running is usually the only option. Once you grab sight of the Lost Soul, you can get your quest there. Instantly your map should be showing many Grasping Darkness's. Try to attract a few at a time so you can handle them, and slowly pick them off. This build won't be able to handle all the Darknesses at the same time, so try to do your best to entice 3 or 4 away from the pack at a time.
Once lured, from the pack, you can use your Dolyak with a sword or axe at this point, or when Bonetti's has fully charged. Vengeful was Khanhei can then be used to wipe out your enemy. Do this repeatedly and you should be able to clear out the enemies fairly quickly. The faster you take out the Darknesses the better so they aren't able to drain all your energy. Bonetti's is extremely effective here.
Each time you do this you should be able to loot at least 10,000 in gold each run. Though it may be easier for you to just purchase 100,00 gold using real money for usually less then like $20. For those on a budget though, this is a great way to callect Guild Wars gold.
World of Warcraft: Low-level Gold Farming
I’m annoyed. No, I’m VERY annoyed. You could even say I’m miffed. Definitely on my way to peeved.
Let me explain.
I was reading some articles this morning about farming. Eh, I don’t only write them, but I read them as well. I can’t say that I’ve read them all, but I’ve read enough. Almost all of them recommend great farming spots, such as:
* Winterspring
* Eastern Plaguelands
* Anywhere in Outlands
Look, the first two are fantastic farming spots - think Ice Thistle Yetis - and we all know that in Outlands, the roads are paved with Gold.
But there’s something very WRONG. Come on, people. You have to be level 50+ for Winterspring, 55+ for Eastern Plaguelands, and level 58 just to enter Outlands, never mind actually killing anything.
If you’re a new player, or an experienced played on a new server - no rich sugar daddy - what are you going to do? Hope for Blue or Epic drops, from Hogger maybe? Vendor Linen Cloth? Try to be a ‘Master of the Universe’ on the Auction House and maybe lose your Red Linen Shirt? (That’s a reference to ‘Bonfire of the Vanities’ for you non-readers out there)
Fortunately, Renei is here with the solution to your low-level gold farming problems! Yes, Gold, not silver and coppers. If you follow this extremely simple recipe for success, I personally guarantee you 25g or more in 5 days, which you’ll agree is quite a bit for a low-level character with no backup (i.e., a friendly same-account level 70 who’s oozing WoW Gold from every orifice).
It won’t even take long.
Get out of the start area after getting your new character to level 6. That’s about the time they kick you out to Goldshire if you’re playing Alliance. Go to Stormwind, in the Dwark Quarter and pick mining. Buy a mining pick from the Mining Supplies vendor so conveniently located at the bottom of the stairs. Pick up any other skill you want while you’re there.
Then, go back to Goldshire and resume your adventures. By the time you are level 15, which won’t take very long since Blizzard redid the experience grids, you’ll be able to go anywhere in Elwynn forest, mining with impunity all the the while.
So you’re thinking, “Renei, is that your big GOLD SECRET!? That’s so lame, dude!” Yes, well, whatever. At level 15, in a one hour run through Elwynn Forest, you should be able to gather about 100 copper ore, turn it into 100 Copper Bars, and sell them for a minimum of 1g per stack at the Auction House. You can probably get more if you sell only on Weekends, which you should do anyways.
So you do this for 5 days, and you make yourself a minimum of 25g. That’s not even counting all the linen cloth you’ll be able to collect, the occasional green drops, the Shadowgems and Tiger’s Eye, even the Rough Stone, the money you’ll collect from all the mobs you kill (easily, since you’ll be level 15 - at least 3 levels above any mob in Elwynn), all the Chests you’ll loot… I could go on (and will, in another article). Remember: Everything that is not ‘Gray’ goes to the Auction House, never the Vendor!
In closing, remember that you only need to keep mining for a little while, as long as you feel like making easy low-level WoW Gold. At low levels it is very easy to switch to another profession and bring it up to the same level as your other skills without a huge time investment.
For more easy gold-making tips, make sure to visit and bookmark Hidden Warcraft.
Software for Parental Control - What you Need to Know
Children and adults alike are spellbound by the world of the Internet. Unfortunately, there are times when children can become exposed to material and information that is not appropriate for their age or experience. In addition, youngsters can unknowingly disclose sensitive personal information to an unscrupulous "lurker," revealing credit card numbers or other data without being aware. Because of these potential risks, PC computer security is vital, and software for parental control is a necessary component for an all-ages household.
The first line of part of your job is to teach your child how to use the Internet safely. Children are fascinated with computers and the Internet as early as age 2, and young children can be easily guided to appropriate web sites that provide entertainment and education.
As children get older, however, it becomes more difficult to know about all their online activities. By adolescence, they may engage in looking at pornography or chatting online with potential predators. Sometimes they'll post photos of themselves and provide information that could allow pedophiles to try to meet them offline.
Being involved with your child's online activities helps reduce some of these risks. Keeping the computer in the where you can see it or just being interested in what they view may be enough to help children resist the lure of 'forbidden' sites.
It's usually not possible, though, to supervise 100 percent of your child's total online activities. Frightening thought, but when you're at work or shopping you can't know what your child is being exposed to.
Or can you?
In fact, there are a wide range of PC computer security software and hardware tools that can limit your child's Internet access or monitor his or her computer activities. Most cost very little, some are even free, others are simply pointers for how to restrict access.
HOW FILTERING SOFTWARE WORKS
Filtering software works by blocking certain web sites or specific keywords. Parents can specify them or use a pre-built list. For example, a list of pornographic or otherwise inappropriate sites is given by the software vendor and can be updated from their web site. Any time your child tries to access one of these web sites he or she will get a 'HTTP 404 Page Not Found' or similar message.
Filters can also be set up to prevent access to certain types of Internet traffic such as instant messaging, newsgroups, e-mail, or peer-to-peer (P2P) hosting. The latter is often used for file exchanges.
These filters aren't perfect and it's next to impossible for a database to be totally up-to-date because new web sites come onto the Internet all the time, but they help.
Another type of software for parental control records all your child's computer activity - sites visited, e-mails sent or received, programs run, even individual keystrokes in some cases.
Another option is to install software which only allows computer use to certain times during the day. The computer shuts off at scheduled times or when a certain amount of data has been downloaded from the Internet. Actually Windows has built-in facilities for doing this, but configuring it requires a level of expertise beyond the average user. You can search for parental control software ratings, as features vary from one manufacturer to another.
Software for parental control exists which can block your child's name, address or other personal details as specified by the parent from being sent. Be sure to do a parental control software comparison to determine which type of software is right for your family.
UPS AND DOWNS OF BROWSER PROTECTION
Some browsers are specifically created for children that incorporate many of the PC computer security filters discussed above. They're easier for children to use than Internet Explorer or Firefox but don't rely totally on this type of browser, however. Internet Explorer can't be uninstalled from the Windows operating system and any net savvy kid will probably know how to gain access to it.
How to Acquire the Top Anti-spyware Software
Antispyware comparison becomes very important to find out which would be the best antispyware for you. When you have some of the antispyware with some similar and few different features, you compare among them. Then you must research to find out which one would work for you better and matches your needs and would hopefully satisfy you completely. This is a very difficult task and here you have to look for the reputable company also while comparing the features.
There are some online companies that will offer you quite a low price and then after downloading you will feel that most of the features promised are not working effectively. So while comparing the antispyware available, you have to look for a lot of points including the feature of how much coverage does it actually provides.
If you ask how an anti-spyware enters your computer when you do not install it, the answer is simple. It is not software which seeks permission to install itself on your computer system and it can come through with any download you do from the internet. The next question brewing in your mind would be how does spyware impact your computer? Well, there are many things spyware can do, to name a few, it slows down your system and keeps track of the sites or the kind of information your searching for and then send the information to companies having vested interests, or it can keep giving you popups when you are working on your computer, online or offline.
A good anti-spyware can be downloaded from any good and well-known website. There are a few websites that even offer anti-spyware for free, and some which offer it at a price. To decide which anti-spyware is good for you, there are a few things to look for such as features offered and of course, most important part, the price.
A good anti-spyware would clean up and protect your computer from all kinds of spy ware on the net and also send you reports of the scan. It is not a one time affair, but needs to be performed by the anti-spyware on regular intervals to keep your computer system safe and performing at the desired speed
They are thousands of spyware on the internet, so it is advisable to have the best anti-spyware for your computer system to keep your information safe from all the harmful infections that are looking to affect your computer. For me, true value for money is not the amount spent but the returns I get off it and if you think the same way, then I am sure you would not mind spending that little extra to safe guard your computer system.
Antispyware comparison is therefore the most essential thing after buying a computer. Spyware infection can result in loss of computer efficiency or even identity theft as they can steal away your passwords also.
Entensys Campaign for Education Helps Pupils Easily Access Internet Learning Resources
The essence of the campaign is to provide educational institutions with a complete, fully functional, easy-to–use and extremely secure Internet sharing solution at a minimal price, which connects an entire LAN to the Internet through a single IP address, as well as monitors and controls how users access the Internet with advanced access rules and statistics.
The Internet is one of the most important and easiest ways to interact and obtain educational resources, but there are several obvious issues that need to be addressed before we open this door to our children.
How do we protect pupils from adult or other inappropriate content? How do we secure a school network from virus attacks and intrusions? How can we monitor and control user Internet connections? How can we know exactly how much Internet traffic each computer and/or user consumes?
Entensys provides UserGate Internet Security Server, a multifunctional, stable and secure software solution that enables network administrators to set up and easily manage their network users' Internet access. UserGate is easy to install, quick to deploy and simple to manage (it doesn’t require any special knowledge) and it has a clear, intuitive interface. The whole installation, including the settings procedure, takes about 10 minutes.
UserGate is not only a very sophisticated Internet connection and proxy server. It now has a built-in dual antivirus core (Panda Software and Kaspersky, both industry leaders), an advanced Authentication Client and includes many other extremely high security capabilities. There are also extensive plans for more security settings in UserGate to make it even more of a multifunctional Internet security server, so you can set it up depending on your network specifics.
Within this project, Entensys is focused on providing the strongest possible package of network hardware combined with UserGate Server as a complete network solution for Internet access sharing for German schools. In this effort, Entensys is working with HardwareWelten (http://www.hardwarewelten.de/), the innovative German provider of hardware, which together will supply customized solutions for public schools, boarding-schools and other private educational organizations.
Entensys Corporation recognizes the need to provide a special discount to education and to government organizations. UserGate Internet Security Server is deeply discounted to make it affordable to students, teachers, staff and schools, including home schools. Entensys provides educational institutions a 40% discount for UserGate software.
For sales enquires, customer service, technical support, or to contact project management, go to http://www.entensys.com/contactus/
To contact the Entensys partner in Germany, go to info@hardwarewelten.de
How to Discover the Best Spyware Removal Application
That's great, you finally realized how vital it is to have antispyware software on your computer and you?re shopping around for it. But how do you know which is the best spyware removal software. Hmm, now that is a difficult question. There are so many different spyware removal software's that it becomes difficult for people to choose the right one.
Of all the online threats, spy ware is the fastest growing one. It is a safe bet to say that almost 90% of the PCs with an Internet connection have spyware. Don?t take these figures light-heartedly because spyware is a real pest and it causes many problems, such as bad system performance, errors that can?t be repaired, cluttered system, decreased speed and reliability of your computer.
You can?t say there are no good anti-spyware programs (also called spyware detectors) on the Net. But if you want to get really the best protection, you need to constantly keep an eye on what is happening in the anti-spyware community. One of the best approached to choosing a good anti-spyware program is to trust the judgement of the world?s leading research labs, such as PC World, CNET, PC Magazine, PC Pro Magazine, PC Answers, PC Authority or any other reputable anti-spyware lab. The most important is never to trust reviews from unknown sites because often they are biased and they simply attempt to trick you into purchasing an affiliate product they are promoting. When there are so many really reliable spyware removal tools why should you spend your money on something which has suspicious reliability.
You can download spyware removal software from the Net. Many sites offer free trials of their products. You can download the trial and experiment with it for some time and then you can get the full version. But don?t forget to check if the spyware removal software you download is good or not because if it is not among the best spyware removal programs, this can cause you more harm than good. As we already said, ratings and reviews on unknown sites are not the best source of information about the quality of the software.
One of the distinguishing features of the best spyware removal software is that it is easy to use. It is unrealistic to expect that a beginner will be able to deal with all the complex spyware terminology. Because of that a good spyware removal program must be easy and simple. This means that the instructions provided must also be easy to understand and follow. But no matter how great your spyware removal software is, if you want reliable protection, you must keep it updated. Getting regular updates is simply vital because new spyware appears all the time and if your spyware removal software is not updated to catch it, you are not protected. Most often the only thing you need to do in order to keep your spyware removal software updated is to check the auto update option and it will update itself automatically.
Another important feature, which best spyware removal software has, is a large spyware database. When the spyware database has data about many different varieties of spyware, this provides much better protection. After you have found the best spyware removal software, the last step is to install it right away, so that you can protection without any delays.
Can you Find a Deleted File Even if Windows Can't?
It happens all the time all around the word on business machines and personal computers, a file you may think you don't need any more or one you accidentally delete without looking too closely and then you empty the recycling bin and ... that's it; the file is gone ... Or is it? Can you find a deleted file or is it totally lost? The answer is yes.
To understand why we must understand how windows and other operating systems find and display files on your computer. Every file and program and bit of data that your operating system can access has what is called a reference or pointer to where that file is stored on your hard disk. This file may not even be stored sequentially on your disk it may be stored in bits and pieces if it is large and the file itself has pointers referencing where the next pieces is and so on. These pointers are absolutely essential for windows to be able to see if a file exists, if there is no pointer to that file then as far as the operating system is concerned it does not exist.
Data on a hard drive when deleted is not lost, the same sequence of 1's and 0's that make up all parts of data and software are still there sitting on the disk it just cannot be found as there is no reference, it is lost not deleted. To truly delete a file the locations where the file is stored must be scrambled so that it does not make any sense to any system, only then is a file unreadable and effectively destroyed.
However when you delete a file it does not scramble and destroy the file it simply removes the pointers that reference it. This means that while windows cannot find your file and never will be able to the file exists and will continue to exist until such a time when that space on the hard disk is used to store other data.
So if you cannot find a deleted file at the moment you will not be able to get it back without some outside help from third party programs that can scan your hard disk and find your files for you. While annoying (or possible job security threatening!) losing a file does not have to be the end of things as it still exists!
Website Loss and Recovery
Website maintenance is often written only on paper and never implemented. The result is a gamble where there is every chance of your website being damaged and inaccessible.
Causes
Server Problems: Sometimes, websites run into problems when the host network server is running redundant sites and backups. Apart from analysing personal location risks, a user has to consider certain factors about servers:
• Does your host server have redundancy backups?
• How often does the host server perform backups?
• Can the host server handle ‘denial of service attacks’?
• Does the host server provide a program of virus scans and firewall protection systems checking all data and website material released to your network?
Physical Problems: Sometimes, a user gets disconnected from the web because the contact service provider was running an illegal operation. It could also be that the network connections got faulty due to sudden power surges of lightning. This could affect your system and make your website inaccessible.
Natural Disasters: A user also runs the risk of losing website access due to natural disasters of earthquakes and floods. These natural disasters could occur at the service provider location or host location. Either way, website access is lost. Sometimes, limited and minimal LAN connectivity also restricts the user in opening up personal website.
Human Error: Usually human error is accidental in nature. Maybe the user forgot to renew the domain name. It could also happen that the user accidentally input the wrong date and time. Usually, this happens for online business that input 2003 instead of 2007 or 01/07 instead of 07/08.
How to Plan for Website Loss
Risk Assessment: In order to plan for any eventuality of website loss, every user -- whether a business or a home user -- has to conduct an analysis of risks and vulnerabilities. This includes documenting financial, server and human error risks and prioritising them.
Prevention: This usually includes activities which minimise the possibility of an emergency occurring in your organization. The main aim of prevention is to protect user assets minimising risk and loss.
Response: Response deals with reacting to loss and disaster situations in a practical and safe manner. It includes dealing with issues of life safety, emergency policies and server rules and website functioning guidelines.
Resumption: This stage refers to the actual stage of planning and implementing the website recovery plan. The recovery plan should be time-sensitive, cost-effective and enable a user or business to resume normal business activity.
Recovery: The phase of recovery can be described as the timeline of expanded operations after a website loss. The phase helps a user to deal with time-sensitive business operations after resumption.
Restoration: This can be classified as the final stage in website recovery planning. It involves pre-planning the repair or relocation of the primary site and its contents. It also ensures that the repaired website is functional including latest tools and processes to detect sluggish speed.
The Recovery Plan: Every website is made up of three parts:
• What you need in order for users to view the website
• The tools you need to maintain the website
• The things you need for new development on your website
Thus, a user has to first consider the things that are available which relate to and deal with the live operation of the website. This includes all hardware, operating system, network connectivity and all files and scripts that make up the website. A user has to have hosting package i.e. regular backups. This ensures that the website does not use or run on redundant mechanisms. It is recommended not to depend solely on the host service provider. Develop personal service contents installing regular backups and updates.
Next in line is content management or analysing all the web tools and mechanisms that are available. A user has to update them regularly. Sometimes, updates including virus scans may take a long time. But, a user needs to install for website protection. The last step involves analysing the tools a user will need for future development and maintenance of website. This includes documenting digitally and in paper format, all the tools of your browser, host provider and business guidelines. A user also needs to develop and store a web log in a data storage device. This device documents in detail the exact procedure followed when opening the website initially. This helps the user to retrieve the website and make necessary changes for the future.
Data Backup Challenges and Solutions
I don’t know of a single medical practice that does not perform some kind of data backup or save information on some medium. The correct choice often goes unnoticed, but the incorrect backup selection can lead to many issues. So what are some of the challenges you may face in a data storage environment?
• Traditional data backup is time consuming, intrusive and unreliable. Mission critical medical data and information can only be backed up into whatever time is available, usually during off hours or weekends.
• Data restore is especially critical and must be fast and reliable. The backup process is usually uneventful, but the quality of data retention will not be known until someone needs the data right now. Did you know that 50% of tape back ups fail to properly restore data, and tape failures were often caused by human error.
Now there is a more effective solution; a “managed offsite” backup solution which securely backs up all of your network data. Backup is accomplished directly to an offsite secure vault. With this system:
• there are no time-consuming manual programs;
• no tapes to manage or store;
• no expensive tape hardware to maintain;
• backup more often to minimize data loss between runs;
• and quick recovery lost data.
Further, an offsite data back up system is cost effective because you only pay for the total aggregate amount of data protected—no matter how many servers, personal computers and laptops you are protecting. Typically pricing is based on gigabytes of data backup on a per month basis; and usually the more you store the lower the price per gigabyte.
If a practice is heavily invested in a current backup system, one should consider a migration strategy that begins with the back up of practice management or EMR data to an offsite vault. As the current backup system becomes obsolete, one can move additional data offsite.
In the final analysis, as with everything, not all offsite backup solutions are created equal. When a practice is considering an offsite solution, the following key factors need serious examination:
• Fast, easy installation—is there just one software application to install or are you required to install multiple agents to accomplish your backup needs?
• Accountability—can you easily access real-time reports and/or is there email alerts to ensure that you will know your backups were successful?
• Fast and efficient data recovery— is there quick restore capability? And is there an option of having the most recent data backup being stored locally and in the vault?
• Data security—is there advanced security technology that is HIPPA compliant to ensure safety and confidentiality of your data at all times? The minimum is AES 128 bit encryption, but one should consider AES 256 bit encryption.
• Network optimization—is a solution capable of detecting data duplication and block-level incremental backup? Is the data compressed to reduce the amount of data transmitted to a vault?
• Restorability—is there an enabler that ensures that data stored in a vault is restorable? Without this feature, there is no way to confirm data can be restored.
As for implementing an offsite data backup solution, one must first perform an assessment of all medical practice data. The assessment begins with locating the data, then identifying duplicate data to ensure the back up of the right and appropriate data. Depending on the amount and size of data to initially back up, it may be downloaded to an external hard drive, enabling the delivery and uploading to a vault. All subsequent data backup would be completed automatically through a secure Internet connection. And scheduling of the
backup could be throughout the day, at the end of day or as dictated by policy.
In sum, there are many solid data storage solutions. However, the traditional backup method where tapes are used is expensive, time consuming, unreliable and could spell disaster. In fact, 40% of firms that shut down for three days due to a disaster, failed within 36 months as cited in Contingency Planning and Management magazine.
