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 your computer has been idle for a few minutes. It’s very unlikely that you will ever notice a change in the way your computer performs while using Carbonite.

Yes, simply right-click on the file and select ‘Do not back up’ from the Carbonite menu. The file will be deleted from Carbonite’s servers 2 days later.

(Please note that if you are using Carbonite on a Mac, you will have to use the ‘More’ menu after right-clicking)

By default, Carbonite creates and stores an unique encryption key for every customer automatically. This key is used to encrypt (scramble) your files before they leave your computer so no one can see them.

However, when you first install Carbonite, you are given the choice to manage your own encryption key. If you choose this option, Carbonite will not store your encryption key. Unless you are experienced at managing encryption keys or have a special need to do so, we strongly recommend you allow Carbonite to manage your encryption key for you. If you choose to manage your own key, and you lose it, there will be no way to recover your files.

Please note that Carbonite does not yet support private encryption key management for Mac users.

Our reputation and business depend on protecting your data, so keeping your data secure is a top priority for the Carbonite team. Our state-of-the-art data backup infrastructure protects both the privacy and safety of your data. We believe that the combination of industry standard technologies like RAID 6 and strong encryption, plus the unique and proprietary capabilities of the Carbonite File System, make Carbonite the most secure way to back up your files.

Carbonite encrypts your files on your computer before sending a copy of them to our secure online servers. Your data is then sent to us using a secure SSL connection, a standard practice for most online transactions among merchants and financial institutions.

Employees of Carbonite cannot see your backed up data. However, by default, Carbonite stores a copy of your encryption key in a secure server so you can easily log in and retrieve and decrypt your files whenever you need them.

When you first install Carbonite, you can choose to manage your own encryption key. However, unless you are experienced at managing encryption keys or have a special need to do so, we strongly recommend you allow Carbonite to manage your encryption key for you. If you choose to manage your own encryption key, and you lose it, there will be no way to recover your files. Choosing to manage your own encryption key will also mean that Carbonite’s Remote File Access feature, a program that lets you access your files securely from any computer that has access to the Internet, will not be available for use for that computer.

Please note that Carbonite does not yet support private encryption key management for Mac users.

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 each day 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 computer, 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 computer for other work. Carbonite slows down when you’re working on your computer so as not to interfere with your CPU or Internet speed. Therefore, if you use your computer 8 hours a day, your backup will go 33% slower.

Carbonite has two state-of-the-art facilities in the United States that are designed to protect the security and integrity of your data. Our RAID 6 arrays that store customer data are housed in climate-controlled data centers with fully redundant power distribution unit (PDU) diversity, independent AC systems, battery backup, uninterruptible power supply (UPS) and on-site generators with guaranteed fuel contracts.

Carbonite’s data centers are guarded 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Personnel access to our data centers is controlled by multiple biometric scanners and electronic keycards with pin codes. All activity is monitored through closed-circuit television (CCTV). This hardened infrastructure protects our customers from disruption caused by external factors such as power loss, weather events, or unauthorized access.

Your files are always available for you online should you need to restore them. To restore your files, just go to our Restore page, login, install Carbonite on your computer and retrieve your backed up data. Also, you can access your files online using Carbonite’s Remote File Access feature.

Carbonite uses a combination of Blowfish and DES III (Triple DES) encryption. Both are strong encryption algorithms with the benefit of relatively low processor overhead (hence your PC is not slowed down by Carbonite’s encryption software). These encryption algorithms, in combination with the use of SSL for data transmission, make Carbonite’s data protection/encryption process similar to online retails and online financial institutions.

Blowfish is one of the fastest block ciphers in widespread use. Blowfish is a symmetric block cipher with a variable-length key up to 448 bits, making it ideal for both domestic and exportable use. Blowfish was designed in 1993 as a fast, free alternative to existing encryption algorithms.

The Data Encryption Standard (DES) was developed by an IBM team around 1974 and adopted as a national standard in 1977. Triple DES (DESIII) is a much stronger variation of this standard and is billions of times more secure.