Continuous Backup, Virus Protection, and Recovery

Most Windows users are painfully aware that using an effective virus scanner is essential to protect a computer from infection. The increasing prominence of computers, digital data, and especially internet access has drastically increased the risk of attack. Not all users are protected. Why are so many systems vulnerable? Though most users are aware of the importance of virus protection, many have little or none at all. There are several ways in which a computer can lack sufficient protection:

1. Incorrectly Configured Software - Many users incorrectly configure their software, failing to protect against all types of viruses or leaving parts of their system vulnerable to attack.
2. Out of Date Subscription - Most Anti-Virus software requires you to maintain a current subscription to their service. If a subscription lapses, newer viruses can attack a user's system.
3. No Anti-Virus Software - Not all users are aware of, or see the need for, Anti-Virus software.

How does a continuous backup solution help? In addition to protecting a computer from accidental data loss, automated backup devices will be able to perform a complete system restore (known as a Bare Metal Restore, or BMR) in various unfortunate events such as hardware failure. Just leaving the continuous backup drive plugged in will create 'Restore Points', usually 1 per day, that it can use in the event of a hardware failure, or in this case, a viral infection of the computer.

Won't the restored system have the same problem? Due to the method employed by continuous backup solutions, viruses are not propagated backwards 'in time'. So as long as you are able to restore the PC from a point in time before the virus attack then the restored system will behave just as it did on that day, without a virus.

What should be done if a computer contracts a virus? Follow the instructions that come with the continuous backup software for Bare Metal Restore (BMR). The typical steps are summarized below. At the prompt to select a restore point, choose a date and time prior to the system infection.

1. Reformat the computer Hard Drive
2. Run full-system restore from the CD-ROM (if supplied)
3. Select the most recent restore point prior to the problem
4. After restoration completes, run a scan using a current anti-virus program. This may involve booting from an alternate Windows CD and running an anti-virus scan against the restored disk.
5. If some valuable data or files were created between the restore point timeframe and the present, it may be possible to navigate the automatic backup device and copy the new file(s) onto the live system.

Finally, it's crucial to install a trusted, commercially available anti-virus program and ensure that it is configured correctly and current. Though system restoration can prove inconvenient at times, the reassurance that your data is protected is worth its weight in gold.