How To Choose Storage Sites
The following guide will review some key considerations when selecting physical storage sites, and/or online file storage providers to store your protected files.
IMPORTANT: This information is provided to help you make decisions about selecting the right storage sites and/or online storage services for your protected files. Ultimately it is your responsibility to understand how Panwrypter protects files, and select the most suitable storage sites and storage media, based on your needs.
What is a Storage Site?
Panwrypter protects your files in a unique way - by restructuring the file data into protected volumes that can be securely stored across a series of storage sites. A storage site can be any physical or online file storage location that you entrust for storing your protected files.
When protection is complete, your protected volumes are prepared into individual site folders under your Temporary Sessions Folder on your Mac. Each site folder represents a storage site. You can then either automatically or manually transfer the contents of each of these site folders to your designated storage sites.
You are thus free to determine how and where you will store the data from each site to ensure your files remain secure.
In the event that the stored data at one or more sites is accessed/breached by another party, the data cannot be partially or fully recovered without knowledge of, and access to the protected volumes at the other remaining sites.
Examples of Physical Storage Sites
- Your Home
- A Family Members Home
- Your Office
- Safety Deposit Box
Examples of Online Storage Sites
- iCloud Drive
- Google Drive
- DropBox
- Microsoft OneDrive
What is a Media Volume?
When Panwrypter protects your files, it puts them into volume folders beneath each site folder folder. By default, only one Volume 0 folder will be created under each site, with no size limitations.
If the amount of files and resulting protected volumes you have exceeds the size of your preferred storage media, or online storage service, you have the option to automatically size them using the Media Type option under each site's Site Preferences when configuring sites.
If needed, you can apply a specific Media Type to ALL sites. During the protection process, if you selected a preferred Media Type, and the total size of a site's Volume 0 folder exceeds your selected media type, additional Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3, etc... folders will be created as needed, making it easier to transfer these additional folders onto your preferred storage media.
More on Selecting Storage Types.
Selecting the Right Storage Site
Panwrypter allows you to freely select your storage sites that define how and where you want store your protected files. Before you decide upon storage sites for your protected files, we recommend that that you review these considerations. This guide assumes that you have already reviewed the selecting storage types guide, which provides guidance on selecting the right type of storage media for your needs, based on several considerations
Choose Secure Locations
Choose storage sites that are secure. Sites that are under your control, and are not frequented by others are ideal. Be especially aware of sites that can be accessed by others when you are not present. Sites that are public property, or publically accessible increases the risk of losing the media at that storage site. Make sure the storage site is not subject to being moved, cleared or destroyed over time.
Choose Media Friendly Locations
Choose physical locations that meet the environmental storage needs (ex: temperature, humity requirements) of the storage media that you intend to use. Information about the environmental needs of different types of storage media are given in selecting storage types
Make Backups of Sites
No matter what type of storage media you use, there is always the chance you will lose site data - such as media failure, lost media, or the possibility of losing access to your online storage service. Based on this, we highly recommend that you duplicate all storage media, so you have a redundant copy for each volume, in the event that one copy gets corrupted or destroyed.
IMPORTANT: You should try to physically separate backup volumes from original volumes at each storage site. Do not store backups alongside originals.
Choosing the Number of Sites
Choose the number of sites based on the sensitivity of your data. On one extreme, choosing too many sites for files that are NOT SENSITIVE, or MODESTLY SENSITIVE will unnecessarily decrease the convenience of accessing them. On the other extreme, choosing too few sites for files that are HIGHLY SENSITIVE will reduce the security of these files, putting them at risk of unauthorized access.
Physical vs. Online Storage
Your storage sites can include storage media that you manage physically, or a file storage service, such as iCloud Drive, DropBox, Google Drive, or a combination of both. Be especially aware that the protected volumes at any storage sites that use these storage services are governed by the policy of the file storage service provider.
Internet Connected Storage
If any of the storage sites you use is Internet-connected, this dramatically increases the possibility that the protected volumes at that storage site can ultimately be gleaned by hackers over time. For this reason, it is always less desirable for a storage site to be Internet-connected if the ultimate intention is to protect your files from unauthorized access. Using a hybrid of Internet-connected storage and portable storage media is one way you can balance convenience and security.
Physical Distance
For sites that are not Internet-connected, increasing the distance between your physical storage sites will dramatically increase the security of your files. It is extremely inconvenient for an attacker to physically go to several different places to gain access to your protected files.
Remember
Be sure to remember where your storage sites are. The Clue Cards feature can help make it easier to do this. Remember the original password you used to protect them.
Due to the nature of depleted file storage, if you lose a site, or even one volume from a site, you will not be able to recover your files.
Make backups of the volumes at each site, and make sure the duplicate copies are physically separated.
Perform regular practice protect/collect/restore exercises to build familiarity with Panwrypter's style of protection, and prevent any potential problems related to the storage of your information.
Entropic accepts no responsibility for any loss of files or information that you might incur while using Panwrypter.