The Archive Backup function enables you to save messages offline in a completely secure way.
In many cases messages are not needed online, however, you can't or shouldn't delete them.
There are many such examples, like:
- Yearly backup
Regulations in many countries and good practice require companies to keep digital
information and email correspondence with clients for a certain amount of time.
The period could vary from country to country and might depend on the nature of the document.
With the download feature, these become a simple job.
- Project backup
On completion of a project all the relevant messages are organized in the Archive
folder and downloaded. At any future date, when and if needed, the file will be
uploaded and the material becomes available.
This is very useful for individuals and businesses of
many professions like: law, architect, accountant etc.
- Special sensitive information
Wills, important evidence, contracts, medical records, sensitive design,
programing code and many other type of data, could be arranged in the Archive folder and
downloaded for the highest security and survivability.
Initially we will serve our Security minded users that will not accept sensitive
information that is saved unencrypted or poorly encrypted.
The Archive backup offers the highest security.
Even if a copy will be stolen, lost in mail, misplaced etc you shouldn't worry -
the backup is not useful to anybody but yourself.
As long as you have a copy, you are OK and will be able to retrieve the messages.
This method creates data that you or anybody else couldn't read and we can't access
and still it is fully available to you as long as you keep a copy and the associated
Safe-mail.net account.
In the future, we might add Backup functions to our Album and Briefcase functions.
We will also consider weaker protection that will enable local decryption.
Important notice: Upload / Download
Most Internet connections use non-symmetric connections. This is correct for both ADSL and Cable.
In real life this means that Download is 10 times faster compared to Upload!
Connection rated as 5Mb (mega bits) is 5Mb for Download and and only 500Kb for Upload.
Sending data from the local computer will be 10 times longer compared to getting
(downloading) the same amount of data.
How does Archive Backup work?
Download.
The Download function will download the whole Archive folder, including any number
of messages in any number of sub-folders, to a local computer for uploading at any future date.
While in Archive or when you see the folders list, click on Download.
You will get a summary of how many folders and files are in your Archive folder
and the total size of them. As soon as you verify the server will start sending the
encrypted backup.
On successful completion of the download, a message will be sent to you containing
a full table of your Archive folder - all messages (subjects?) with relevant header information.
On successful completion of the download, a verification message will be sent to you.
This message contains help text, information about this download and an attacment of
a table of content of the Archive folder.
Verify that this list is what you expect, verify that the size of the file you have
downloaded is as quoted in that message and secure a copy. Once this is done you
may delete your Archive folder.
Upload.
You may only upload a backup file to an empty Archive folder. If your Archive
folder is empty you may upload any backup file you have previously downloaded.
Successful upload will recreate the Archive folder exactly as it was when you
prepared that backup.
Notice: upload is a bit annoying as it will usually takes 10 time longer compared
to download of that file and because the browser doesn't provide tools for following
the upload progress.
Though you may continue browsing, you shouldn't close the window from which you
started the upload or Sign-Out from Safe-mail.net.