Protect More Than Your Physical Belongings, Says Mozy

SEATTLE, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- As FEMA's National Preparedness Month draws to a close, coalition member, Mozy™, the industry-leading online backup service from EMC Corporation (NYSE: EMC), is urging people to reflect on the lessons learned and protect their digital, as well as physical, assets. To make it easy and painless, Mozy has outlined seven simple steps that everyone can take today to protect their digital assets.

"We may see hurricanes coming, but we don't know when the next disaster is going to strike, whether it's an earthquake, a chemical spill, or even a terrorist incident. This month should remind all of us to get ready, have a plan, and if you're not sure where to start, you can visit www.ready.gov to start your plan today," said Craig Fugate, FEMA Administrator.

"It's easy to imagine the impact of a disaster on the items in your home, but we often overlook the value of all the irreplaceable stuff stored on our computers," explains, Dave Robinson, VP of Marketing at Mozy.  "The photos, financial documents and music that you have stored on your laptop are just as susceptible to fire and water damage as the photographs and baseball trophies on the shelf. Both are important and need to be protected."

Seven Simple Steps

1. Have a backup plan – preferably store copies of your important documents both locally and offsite
2. Automate your backup – you likely won't have time to transfer the latest versions of your files as the tornado is approaching.
3. Make sure your antivirus software is up to date – if you're depending on your computer as a communications tool during a crisis, it's the last thing you want to stop working
4. Consider investing in a UPS if your area is prone to power surges or failures
5. Anti-theft software, which locks down your computer and sends back tracking signals can help protect your privacy and speed the return of your property if your computer is lost or stolen.  
6. Scan any important physical documents so you have a digital copy as well.
7. Make sure you have a physical copy of all your important passwords. You don't want to find out that all of your passwords were stored in a spreadsheet on your laptop – after something has happened to it.

"Being prepared should not cost anything other than a little bit of your time," explains Robinson. "You can get 2 gigabytes of free online backup from Mozy to protect your computer files for example, and most of the other suggested actions are just a matter of devoting some time to getting organised. It's a small amount of effort in exchange for the peace of mind that you'll enjoy in knowing you're protected. We encourage everyone to learn the lessons of National Preparedness Month and ensure that both their physical and digital possessions are protected in the event of disaster."

About Mozy

Mozy is the world's most trusted online backup service for consumers and small businesses with more than one million customers, 60,000 business users and 50 petabytes of information stored at its multiple data centres around the globe. Mozy was the first company to offer a fully featured free online backup service. Mozy was acquired by EMC Corporation in 2007 and now operates as part of Decho Corporation, an EMC company. More information can be found at www.mozy.com.

Mozy is a trademark of Decho Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE Mozy