Is Carbonite HIPAA compliant?
Carbonite can be used to meet HIPAA compliance requirements. However, there are no HIPAA regulations or certifications governing Application Service Providers, so we can't get a certification to that effect. (Nor can any software company.)

For more detail on this topic, consider reading this article:
http://www.hipaadvisory.com/action/Compliance/compliant.htm

Will I get spam? What about Spyware / Adware / Malware?
The short answer is: absolutely not.

Where is my data stored?
Carbonite's Massachusetts datacenter is located in state-of-the-art facilities (with carefully temperature-controlled rooms, backup generators, restricted personnel access, and other features to
protect the security and integrity of your data.) As Carbonite expands, we'll add additional data centers across the country.

Your files are always available for you online should you need to restore them. Just go to http://www.carbonite.com and click on the Restore tab to login and retrieve your data.

If Carbonite is always on, won't it slow down my computer?
No. Carbonite has been designed to operate in the background so as not to slow down your PC or Internet connection while you are actively using your computer.

If you touch your mouse or keyboard, Carbonite automatically slows down until you've been idle for a few minutes. It's very unlikely that you will ever notice any change at all in the way your computer
performs while using Carbonite.

Does Carbonite adhere to the Safe Harbor data principles?
Yes, Carbonite adheres to the European Safe Harbor principles.

Can I delete a file from the backup server?
Yes, just right-click on the file and select 'Do not back up' from the Carbonite menu. The file will be deleted from Carbonite's servers 72 hours later.

What type of encryption does Carbonite use?
Carbonite uses a combination of Blowfish and DES encryption. Blowfish is a commonly used encryption algorithm that offers very strong data protection with the benefit of low processor overhead (hence your PC is not slowed down by Carbonite's encryption software).

Does Carbonite store a copy of my encryption key?
By default, Carbonite keeps a copy of your encryption key so that you only need to remember your Carbonite password to restore your files to a new PC. When you first install Carbonite, you can choose to manage your own encryption key; however, we strongly recommend that you allow Carbonite to manage your key for you.

Will Carbonite affect Skype, Vonage, or similar services?
We offer two options to help make sure Carbonite does not interfere with your Internet telephony services:
• Option 1: Double-click on the system tray lock icon to open the Carbonite InfoCenter. On the 'Set Options' screen, check the option 'Set Carbonite's Internet Usage to Low Priority.'
• Option 2: Alternatively, you can pause Carbonite by right-clicking on the system tray lock icon and selecting 'Pause for 24 hours.' Carbonite will remind you to resume your backup if you leave it paused for an extended period of time.

How secure is my backed up data?
Our reputation and business depend on protecting your data, so keeping your data secure is a top priority for the Carbonite team. Carbonite encrypts your files before saving a copy of them to our secure online servers. Your encrypted files are then encrypted again using the same kind of SSL connection that most online merchants use for credit card information. This combination makes our security comparable to what you would get with online banking or online bill-paying services.

Employees of Carbonite cannot see your backed up data; however, by default, Carbonite stores a copy of your encryption key in a secure location so that you can easily log in and retrieve your files
from backup whenever you need them.

Starting with Carbonite v3.5, you can elect to manage your own encryption key if you choose to, however we highly recommend that you allow Carbonite to manage your key.

How fast will my data be backed up?
Your first complete backup will take some time, but once your first backup is complete, updates to your backup usually take only a few minutes and are virtually unnoticeable.

Depending on your Internet connection speed and how long you stay connected to our servers, you should be able to back up between 2 and 3GB per day with Carbonite. So if you have 3GBs of data on your PC, your initial backup will take about 24 hours. If you have 30GBs of data, your initial backup will take about 10 days. That assumes, however, that you're not using your PC for other work. Carbonite slows way down when you're working on your computer so as not to interfere with your CPU or Internet speed. So if you use your computer 8 hours a day, your backup will go 33% slower.

Which files does Carbonite back up?
Carbonite's Online PC Backup is designed to backup all of the unique and irreplaceable files on your computer -- your text documents, spreadsheets, financial documents, photos, music, etc.

By default, Carbonite does not back up system files, executable files, or temporary files and folders, in order to avoid causing problems in the event that you need to restore all your files to a new computer. Carbonite also does not back up video files by default. However, you can easily back up any file you want to by right-clicking on the file and selecting 'Back this up' from the Carbonite menu.

Your Carbonite subscription is associated with a 'backup policy' which determines whether a file is, by default, included or excluded from backup. Online PC Backup backs up all files except for:
1. System files such as .EXE and .DLL files (an exhaustive list of these extensions is available upon request)
2. Files in known system and temporary folders such as the C:/Windows folder
3. Files contained in hidden system folders (a.k.a super-hidden folders)
4. Files which are over 4GB in size (however, you can add large files to your backup explicitly by right-clicking on them and selecting 'Back this up')
5. Video files (but you can add video files to your backup by right-clicking on them and selecting 'Back this up', or right-clicking on a folder and selecting 'Back up Video files in this folder')
6. Files on non-permanent disk drives (e.g., network and removable USB drives)

In other Carbonite products, only certain file types are backed up. All other components of the policy described above apply.

How much data can I store on Carbonite?
As much as you have on your computer. Carbonite will back up all the supported files on your hard drive whether you have 1GB, 10GB or more. As a practical matter, the speed of today's DSL and cable Internet services will make it very slow to back up more than, say, a few dozen GB of data.

What if I have files that I do NOT want backed up?
If you have files or folders that you do not want backed up by Carbonite, you can exclude them from your backup.

Right click on the file or folder icon. You will see a Carbonite sub-menu among the list of usual selections. Simply select Carbonite and the option that says 'Don't back this up'. If you later decide
you want that file or folder backed up, do the same thing, this time the option will say 'Back this up'.

How can I see the status of my backed up files?
There are three ways to determine the status of files in your backup:

1. All files that are backed up (or queued for backup) are marked with colored dots. Green means the file is backed up; yellow means the file is queued for backup. No dot means 'not selected for backup'.
2. Just right click on any file or folder and select the Carbonite menu to see its detailed backup status; its backup status will be listed in gray at the top of the menu.
3. You can see the status of all the files in your backup by browsing the Carbonite Backup Drive. Double-click on the Carbonite Backup Drive icon on your desktop, or open the drive from your My
Computer directory. In the folder called 'Backed up files', you'll see all the files and folders in your backup, organized just as they are on your computer.

Can I schedule my backup?
Carbonite is designed to back up all your files completely automatically in the background as you use your computer, but if you'd prefer to schedule regular backup times, it's easy to do. Simply doubleclick on the Carbonite lock icon in the system tray to open the Carbonite InfoCenter, then click the 'Set Options' button. Click the 'Backup Schedule' tab to set up your backup schedule.

Can I exclude certain file types from my backup?
Yes. If you right-click on any file and select 'Don't back up this type of file,' all files with the same file extension will be excluded from your backup.

Note that even if you have excluded files in this manner, you can still add any individual file to your backup, regardless of its extension. So, for example, if you have excluded .mp3 files from your
backup, you can still right click on a particular .mp3 file and select 'Back this up' from the Carbonite menu to add it to your backup.

If a file is excluded by default, can it be backed up?
Yes, you can use Carbonite Online Backup to back up any file, regardless of type. If a file is excluded by default, you may right-click on it and select 'Back this up' from the Carbonite menu.

You can also right-click on any excluded file and select 'Back up files of this type (in folders selected for backup) to include all files with that extension in your backup, as long as the files are stored in folders that are included in your backup.

If you're using a version of Carbonite that only backs up a limited number of file types, such as Microsoft Money Backup, you won't be able to include files that aren't covered by your backup policy.

How many versions of a file does Carbonite keep?
Starting with version 3.5, Carbonite will keep up to 3 months worth of old versions of the files in your backup. For example, if you edit a document daily over the course of three months, Carbonite will save one version for each of the previous 7 days, one version for each of the prior 3 weeks, and one version for each of the prior 2 months.

To restore an old version of any file, simply right-click on the file in Windows Explorer and select 'Restore previous versions' from the Carbonite menu. (The 'Restore previous versions' option will appear only when Carbonite has previous versions of a file to restore.) To restore an old version of a file you've deleted, locate the file in the Carbonite Backup Drive, then right-click on it and select 'Restore previous versions' or simply select 'Restore' to restore the latest backup version to its original location on your hard drive.

If I delete a backed up file, what happens?
Carbonite keeps a deleted file in your backup for 30 days from the time of deletion. This allows you to recover a file which has been deleted accidentally. You may check to see what date a deleted file will be purged using the Carbonite Drive in the Windows 'My Computer' interface.

If you would like to delete a file from your backup more quickly, simply right click on it and select 'Don't back this up' from the Carbonite menu. It will be deleted from your backup in 72 hours.