Bits & Bytes
Information Technology Support and Services offers technology tips in this column. To submit questions or suggestions for topics, contact the IT Service Desk, ext. 1-4000 or ITService@mcg.edu.
iFolder to the rescue!
by Mark Staples
It’s easy to turn a deaf ear when the topic of data security comes up, since most of us don’t regularly store confidential information. But securing data is more than just protecting data regulated by law; it’s also about making sure we don’t lose all the data we’ve worked long and hard to create.
For example, many MCG faculty regularly store research or journal information that doesn’t fall under HIPAA, but if that information was lost, it could mean a missed publication deadline or hours re-analyzing data.
And like so many others, I keep a lot of information on my computers - project information, articles, meeting notes, etc. Some of it is backed up, but not all of it, not all the time. What if my laptop was stolen or lost, or my hard drive failed? Losing the data wouldn’t be logged as a security incident and wouldn’t make headlines, but it sure would be painfully time-consuming to recreate.
iFolder saves the day! This technology is more than just another folder to store your data. Imagine your files safe, secure, automatically backed up to a network drive and able to follow you around wherever you go, whether your laptop is with you or not. That’s the beauty of iFolder. It’s available to anyone with an MCG NetID using Microsoft Windows.
With iFolder, documents are automatically backed up when created or modified. If I’m working off line and save or update a file, the next time I connect to a network, iFolder automatically updates my data files and encrypts them. So if I’m hanging out at my favorite coffee shop and sign on to its wireless network, the files I worked on a few hours ago in the car while on a road trip (with my wife driving!) are automatically backed up as soon as I sign on. All its operations take place in the background – I don’t even have to think about it, saving me time and effort.
And say something happens to my laptop; I lose it, or it’s stolen – as one in 10 laptops are, most often when traveling. All I need to do is install iFolder on my replacement laptop and my files are automatically restored.
Here’s another great advantage. Because iFolder is backed up to a network drive, the folder is always available through NetStorage. So, if you don’t have your laptop with you, but you need a file, just find a networked computer with a Web browser, log into NetStorage and your iFolder contents are right there. Pretty slick, eh?
There’s just one restriction on using your iFolder: it’s for MCG data only. Keep your work and personal files separate; no MP3s, wedding albums or baby pictures, please, no matter how cute they may be!
For configuration assistance on your iFolder account, contact the ITSS Service desk at ext. 1-4000 or ITSERVICE@mcg.edu. For information on NetStorage and iFolder, visit www.mcg.edu/itss/Help/FilePrint.
Mark Staples is MCG’s chief information security officer and can be contacted at mstaples@mcg.edu or ext. 1-1577.