Effective back up against viruses / malware / worms like Virut or Ramnit

[Avastfan1]

Dear Forum,

Can you effectively back up your files without burning them to a non-writeable storage device (eg. DVD-R) considering the threat posed by some viruses/malware/worms like Virut or Ramnit?

External hard drives can, of course, be attached to a computer and a back up copy made. Moreover, ghost partitions, ISO-images and several other back up methods exist.

However, given that a virus like Virut or Ramnit can potentially spread very quickly across different media, and completely a drive or files completely unrecoverable, is it really possible to effectively protect your files without burning them to a non-writeable source?

Please forgive my inexperience in this area. I possess an external hard drive, a DVD burner and a second computer. I am trying to work out the best way to secure my data.

For example, regular back ups to re-writeable media (eg. an external hard drive etc.) are of little (or no?) use if the virus has already spread.  In fact, even if you only wanted to recover pictures or other harmless files (ie. not .exe, .doc, .html etc.), can that be safely done?

I would be interested to hear the thoughts of my wiser and more experienced brethren. :-)

Best wishes,

Avastfan1

[essexboy]

If the backup drive is kept isolated from the main computer when not being used, and any backups are made when you are sure the system is clean then that is not a problem

[DavidR]

A robust backup and recovery strategy will recover from most situations, be that system issues or malware.

The recommendation is to get drive imaging software and religiously make a backup image of your system partitions every week, save it to a second hard drive or DVD. So if the dark brown stuff ever hits the fan in the future, restore the last weekly backup image.

At worst you may have lost 6 days of new program installations/updates, etc. and that is a breeze compared to what has happened. There are also backup programs that will backup your data files, etc. and that should be used at least once a day, for your data files that change regularly. Make a backup and recovery plan, what to backup, when and how to recover.

If you don't want to lose it, back it up; if you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.

[timcan]

JMO , I doubt a malware would infect a 'clean' image archive.I suppose the virus would have to be coded to infect the file type the imaging program makes,(such as .tib,.tbi,.pbf,.gho,.adi ect.)
But then I guess nothing is impossible. 

http://ask-leo.com/can_backups_be_infected_and_if_so_what_good_are_they.html

[Avastfan1]

Thank you all for your replies.

My main area of concern would be how a backup on an external drive could be protected from viruses etc.

[DavidR]

My interpretation of this is (could be wrong), Virut is a file infecter and the way it goes about its work is that it infects .exe files as they are opened. So dormant .exe files so long as they aren't activated aren't at direct risk. The same would be true of these hard disk imaging archives.

So long as you are making regular weekly backups to a second internal or external hdd/dvd, as soon as you start getting virut alerts by avast, stop what you are doing and shutdown. The longer you keep working the more files are going to become infected. Most drive imaging software have the ability to reboot using a boot CD/DVD and restore a backup image outside of windows.

[Avastfan1]

Thank you again for the input. I appreciate your thoughts, comments and advice.

If I may ask: which backup software do you use? What sort of backups, and with what frequency, do you personally do?

I have an external hard drive, which I intend to use as a backup for the computer. However, despite posting an earlier thread on this topic, I am still unsure which software and what type of backup (eg. sector-by-sector, file backup etc.) is the best solution.

The computer I purchased had Windows 7 pre-loaded, so I am unsure whether I have, or can create, a bootdisk!

Edit: The Windows version is apparently 'Windows 7 Home Premium'.

[timcan]

Hi, Win 7 has a system image program built in.It's located in control panel>system and security>backup and restore.It's rather basic,no configuration ect but I've read on other forums that it is reliable.I do know it prompts you to make the boot disc when you create an image. hope that helps

[DavidR]

Thank you again for the input. I appreciate your thoughts, comments and advice.

If I may ask: which backup software do you use? What sort of backups, and with what frequency, do you personally do?

I have an external hard drive, which I intend to use as a backup for the computer. However, despite posting an earlier thread on this topic, I am still unsure which software and what type of backup (eg. sector-by-sector, file backup etc.) is the best solution.

The computer I purchased had Windows 7 pre-loaded, so I am unsure whether I have, or can create, a bootdisk!

Edit: The Windows version is apparently 'Windows 7 Home Premium'.

You're welcome.

On this XP system I'm using a very old paid for application Drive Image 7.0, which is no longer available. It has served me well for many, many years. But there are many other drive imaging applications out there and quite a few are free. Some do incremental image backups, this one doesn't so I do a full backup every week.

If this had incremental image backups function I would do that daily and still do my weekly one, in all honesty anything longer than weekly isn't effective and you should be saving those weekly drive images I keep the last 6 backups so you aren't relying on a single copy.

On my win7 netbook I use the win7 one only because I don't have an optical CD/DVD to boot from (I haven't got round to checking out bootable USB sticks). I don't think it is very friendly or configurable and if I can I would probably use Easeus Partition Master Home Edition as its interface is very similar to Drive Image 7.0.

[patton]

hello to you all.I have a problem.nu I'm completely useless when it comes to computers. but have windows 7 and at the bottom if it is called Taskbar I have something crappy to pop out and disappear quickly. notice and will keep it at that. looks like a fucking clown or skull. really need help with this. am very grateful if someone kind soul can help me with it. Not only that, either I'm worst at English too, so I'm one that's hard to help secure. THANKS IN ADVANCE HAVE THE BEST LIFE.

[patton]

hello again. I's just stupid. think I wrote and sent my cry for help to the wrong forum. but I do not know where to send it, so I hope I can help in any way here anyway. thank you greetings from the helpless

[bob3160]

hello again. I's just stupid. think I wrote and sent my cry for help to the wrong forum. but I do not know where to send it, so I hope I can help in any way here anyway. thank you greetings from the helpless

Welcome to the forum.
Please start a new topic in the following forum:
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?board=4
Follow the instructions posted here:
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=14433.0

[Charyb-0]

The following is a program I have been playing with. You will need to register and Paragon will send you a product key and serial number.

It has advanced mode (opens in basic mode) and differential backup. Read the bottom of page 14 and top of 15 in the manual. I am just learning this so I can't be much help at this time.

Paragon Backup & Recovery 2012 Free User Manual -> http://www.paragon-software.com/home/br-free/download_manual.html

Difference between incremental and differential backup -> http://www.computerweekly.com/news/1347703/Incremental-vs-differential-backup-A-comparison

This was the easiest explanation I could find.

[iroc9555]

If I may ask: which backup software do you use? What sort of backups, and with what frequency, do you personally do?

I ran EaseUS Todo Backup, but they do not offer a free version anymore:  http://www.todo-backup.com/

So I am trying out Macrium Reflect Free: http://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.aspx

The only thing I do not like about Macrium is I can not make a back up of my data (Folders). I can make an image of the sys or clone the whole disk.

I have an external hard drive, which I intend to use as a backup for the computer. However, despite posting an earlier thread on this topic, I am still unsure which software and what type of backup (eg. sector-by-sector, file backup etc.) is the best solution.

Normally every program has its therminology; However, What is needed, as davidR explained above, is to make an image of your sys every week or so and back up of your data when important changes have been made. You can also make incremental backups, but more than once a week is a waste of time.

To Clone a disk or clone sector by sector implies to copy (Imaged) the whole sector. The Full and empty part of it so you will need as much backup room as the sector has. This also depends on the program that you use. EaseUS would tell you you need the same amount of room (Size) in the bacup disk, but Macrium will reduce the sector backup.

Paragon is also a reputable free program: http://www.paragon-software.com/home/br-free/

I have not tried it yet because I read it uses or modifies its own MBR. Since I operate a Dell PC with a special MBR, I have not been particularly eager to try it out.

[essexboy]

Just for today only  http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/paragon-dc-12-compact-english/