# Cloud Backup Options



## pmsmith2032 (Jan 13, 2014)

I am looking for some suggestions on which photo storage site/cloud to use. The majority of the pictures and videos were taken with a Sony DSC-HX20V camera and are currently being stored on our PC and an external hard drive.  I would estimate that we currently have around 20-25 GB combined of videos and pictures.  The main purpose would be to act as a back-up in case of unforeseen disasters.  The ability to share them would be nice but not a deal-breaker.  The photos and videos aren't really organized right now so I would be doing so while I download them.  Ideally, the site would be free.  Thanks in advance!


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## The_Traveler (Jan 13, 2014)

For that small an amount, any cloud backup would work.
I think Mozy still has free options.

But, realistically, 25 meg could be backed up to a USB stick or cd/dvd without going through all the other cloud hassle.


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## pmsmith2032 (Jan 13, 2014)

I meant GB, not MB.  Sorry about that!


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## wyogirl (Jan 13, 2014)

What type of files? JPEG or RAW?  If you want to store and share JPEGs, Flickr is a good share site and gives you a TB free.
If you want true cloud storage or want to store RAW files, then I have no real recommendation.  I use dropbox as my cloud storage, but I don't store my photos there.
I have 2 hard drives that I store my RAW files on and I store JPEG files on Zenfolio and Flickr.


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## The_Traveler (Jan 13, 2014)

Imation 32GB USB 2.0 Micro Travel Drive | Staples®

USB drive is still an option.

https://www.google.com/search?q=fre...j4&sourceid=chrome&espv=210&es_sm=93&ie=UTF-8


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## pmsmith2032 (Jan 13, 2014)

I'm not really sure but I think JPEG (I am not at home right now).  What's the difference between JPEG and RAW.  And what would videos be saved as?


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## wyogirl (Jan 13, 2014)

RAW files are like a digital negative.  If you aren't sure, then you are most likely using JPEG.  Videos could be a number of file types.  I'd still say Flickr for sharing/storing and like Traveler said... thumb drive for backup.


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## pmsmith2032 (Jan 13, 2014)

Awesome.  I actually have an external Seagate drive (1 TB) that I can save on too.


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## ValerieGoettsch (Jan 13, 2014)

Flickr is hard to beat for a TB of free space for video and JPEG. Smugmug is one of the few that will store RAW files but there is a  yearly fee. It's a great service, though it sounds like you probably don't  need backup for RAW files. If you are storing on an external hard drive, you should have two of them and keep one of them off-site in the event of some kind of disaster. You just never know...


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## Majeed Badizadegan (Jan 13, 2014)

1.75TB and counting here. But I don't delete any RAW's.


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## Derrel (Jan 13, 2014)

What Happened to Digital Railroad?

Will you lose pictures stored online if your photo site goes bust? | ZDNet

The cloud's okay--as long as you're not REALLY,really,really counting on JUST one single player located in "the cloud".


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## skieur (Feb 5, 2014)

wyogirl said:


> What type of files? JPEG or RAW? If you want to store and share JPEGs, Flickr is a good share site and gives you a TB free.
> If you want true cloud storage or want to store RAW files, then I have no real recommendation. I use dropbox as my cloud storage, but I don't store my photos there.
> I have 2 hard drives that I store my RAW files on and I store JPEG files on Zenfolio and Flickr.



Microsoft has indicated that both drop box and cloud systems are routinely accessed and monitored by the US government.  Cyber security specialists advise you to encrypt anything that you store in either system if you want to maintain your security and privacy.


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## bennybanks (Feb 7, 2014)

I use Backblaze at the moment. I pay like $5 a month and i get unlimited amount of storage. I couldn't find anything else cheaper. here it's link


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## vimwiz (Feb 7, 2014)

I just wrote a script which dumps stuff I want to archive for a long time into S3/Glacier buckets, costs me only a few quid a month.


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## MGRPhoto (Feb 7, 2014)

I have a backup/media server where I send my backups. I have another server at a family residence. Those servers sync. That way everyone has 3 copies of their data with 1 offsite. I have some regular folders backed up by CrashPlan.
A simplified way of doing this is getting 2 Synology devices at separate locations and having them sync with each other. This way the Gooberment isn't checking out your personal documents and photos and you're not relying on some 3rd party host.


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## vimwiz (Feb 8, 2014)

MGRPhoto said:


> devices at separate locations and having them sync with each other. This way the Gooberment isn't checking out your personal documents and photos



If they are speaking to each other over public infrastructure, then of course the government is still watching......


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## skieur (Feb 8, 2014)

vimwiz said:


> MGRPhoto said:
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> > devices at separate locations and having them sync with each other. This way the Gooberment isn't checking out your personal documents and photos
> ...



Actually, you can use a 2 mile WIFI router and encrypt and secure your connection through a VPN, which would make it extremely difficult for anyone to be watching.


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## MGRPhoto (Feb 9, 2014)

vimwiz said:


> MGRPhoto said:
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> > devices at separate locations and having them sync with each other. This way the Gooberment isn't checking out your personal documents and photos
> ...



They can watch all they want but they don't have the means or the time to decrypt the traffic. If you're encrypting your backups/files in the first place... then they sure don't have any chance at getting the data.


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## vimwiz (Feb 9, 2014)

> They can watch all they want but they don't have the means or the time to decrypt the traffic. .



Its a fairly safe bet they could if they wanted to.


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## SCraig (Feb 9, 2014)

In my personal opinion there are no viable "Cloud" backup options.  Period.  I would never even consider putting important data in the hands of someone else.  Never, no way, will not happen.

I back up all of my photographs to 2 sets of DVD's.  One set stays here at home and the other goes to my office.


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## skieur (Feb 9, 2014)

vimwiz said:


> > They can watch all they want but they don't have the means or the time to decrypt the traffic. .
> 
> 
> 
> Its a fairly safe bet they could if they wanted to.



They have broken Tor, SSL, 128 bit and 256 bit encryption.  I know of only one encryption system that I doubt the government has broken and that is 4096 bit. used by a site in Europe.  The encryption key is held by the user and NOT recorded by the site.


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## MGRPhoto (Feb 9, 2014)

vimwiz said:


> > They can watch all they want but they don't have the means or the time to decrypt the traffic. .
> 
> 
> 
> Its a fairly safe bet they could if they wanted to.



No. They couldn't. 



skieur said:


> vimwiz said:
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> 
> > > They can watch all they want but they don't have the means or the time to decrypt the traffic. .
> ...



This is literally nothing but jibberish. Tor is just a proxy service that is still up and running so please explain what they "broke". How exactly did they break SSL, 128 and 256 bit encryption when they are all end to end schemes? That makes no sense. It sounds like you read some alarmist blog post filled with misinformation and now you're spreading that around. I work in IT security for a living and your claims make no sense.


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## BillM (Feb 9, 2014)

But it must be true, i just read it right here in the internet and everybody knows you can't put anything on the internet if it isn't true


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## table1349 (Feb 9, 2014)

BillM said:


> But it must be true, i just read it right here in the internet and everybody knows you can't put anything on the internet if it isn't true



Uhhh........................Bonjour.


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## table1349 (Feb 9, 2014)

SCraig said:


> In my personal opinion there are no viable "Cloud" backup options.  Period.  I would never even consider putting important data in the hands of someone else.  Never, no way, will not happen.
> 
> I back up all of my photographs to 2 sets of DVD's.  One set stays here at home and the other goes to my office.



I take it you don't use a bank then.  They put your important data in the hands of someone else every night in more than one location across the US.


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## skieur (Feb 9, 2014)

MGRPhoto said:


> vimwiz said:
> 
> 
> > > They can watch all they want but they don't have the means or the time to decrypt the traffic. .
> ...



"Tor is software that you can install on your PC to hide your identity as you browse the web, send emails, and share files.  It encrypts anything sent from your PC, so that no one can see who or where you are, even when you are logged into a website using your real name."   So, if someone can hack in, identify you, read your emails, find what files you have shared and where you have been browsing, DESPITE your use of Tor, then obviously that person has BROKEN the encryption and purpose and objective of the TOR program.

WHAT PART OF THAT SIMPLE CONCEPT IS JIBBERISH?

You also should not be working in IT if you don't know how encryption is broken.


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## MGRPhoto (Feb 9, 2014)

skieur said:


> MGRPhoto said:
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> 
> > vimwiz said:
> ...



As I said... Tor is nothing but a proxy service with an encryption layer. I'm guessing you don't know what a proxy service is or how it works but they've been around for decades. Tor even started in the early 2000's. All it does is route all users traffic through a central network so that anyone watching would have a harder time deciphering where the traffic originated. When the government or anyone else that wants to see your data they are using things like browser exploits, bots and trojans to watch the traffic from it's origination. It has nothing to do with Tor and they haven't "broken" it or even decrypted any data. Tor uses no end-to-end security like a private VPN. Which is why no one that really wants to hide their tracks uses Tor... they use something like PureVPN or PrivateInternetAccess which provides true end-to-end tunneling over secure protocols.

Encryption schemes that have been broken are done with the use of physical access to machines on both ends, with massive amounts of hardware at their disposal and tons of time and have only been done in lab scenarios.

Again... the government hasn't broken any of the encryption schemes. Private security firms have broken some methods of encryption in labs but no one has cracked over the wire encryption. As I already mentioned they are using exploits completely outside the realm of encryption. 

Read this article... maybe you'll learn something. Hopefully you'll learn to actually do some research before pretending to be an expert on something you know nothing about.


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## skieur (Feb 11, 2014)

First try blocked.  Trying again.

I like the quote from a former Government security contractor: " If the encryption method is public, then it has been broken." 

 It is broken by brute force computer power from the new quantum computers, and it is broken by installed back doors as well as the weakening of encryption.  Tor was accessed by money as in development costs that were funded by NSA.
The FBI with a bulk warrant accessed all of Tor apparently searching for Dark Force.  Needless to say it was able to hack into content.

So, you are the one who does not know what they are talking about and by the way, I never pretended to be an expert, that is your characterization....only someone who does their research, but it is obviously at a different level than yours.


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## skieur (Feb 12, 2014)

Although the article writer does not know it, some of his supposed speculation about back doors was confirmed by regular news accounts about a year ago.Has the NSA really broken ?strong? encryption? | PC Pro blog


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## IgsEMT (Feb 14, 2014)

Two external hard drives and a set of edited and unedited disks


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## skieur (Feb 14, 2014)

IgsEMT said:


> Two external hard drives and a set of edited and unedited disks



In the nature of FYI, I had an external hard drive blown out by a defective but working (subject to reboots) power supply in the computer. Variations in power from the computer affected the speed of the external hard drive.


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## MGRPhoto (Feb 14, 2014)

skieur said:


> IgsEMT said:
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> 
> > Two external hard drives and a set of edited and unedited disks
> ...



You should right children's stories of make believe. Since everything you say is already childish and made up. 

Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk


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## skieur (Feb 14, 2014)

MGRPhoto said:


> skieur said:
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> > IgsEMT said:
> ...



Of, course, because I disagree with you, it must be made up. Type A personality, eh?


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## MGRPhoto (Feb 14, 2014)

skieur said:


> MGRPhoto said:
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> > skieur said:
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It's made up because the things you say are flat out false and /or impossible. 


Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk


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## skieur (Feb 15, 2014)

Here is one of the things you said is flat out false and/or impossible or maybe one of my children's stories.

The US Government Funds 60 Percent of the Tor Project


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## skieur (Feb 15, 2014)

Here is another of my so-called impossible stories:

NSA reportedly building quantum computer that could crack most encryption types | Fox News

I have another source that indicates that one has already been built and is in use.

YOU SHOULD LEARN HOW TO RESEARCH BEFORE making dumb comments.


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## Nickk (Feb 15, 2014)

Borderline schitzo paranoia aside......

Ssd just dipped under the 1$/gb mark and will continue to fall. HDD are dirt cheap. There are great NAS freeware programs where you can turn any home pc into remotely accessible storage. For example my setup;
6 1tb western digital drives
$400 home built pc of with high quality guts
This setup gives me full acess to my stuff on my terms.

If you want disaster proof you can easily setup to transfer the data to another computer offsite and backup from the network storage at a friends hous or the office ect. Heck you could run data to a water/fire proof box with your hdd in it with some creativity and have the ultimate backup ; p


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