Will online backup services also backup a virus or spyware?

Posted by Joe on January 8th, 2009

The following post in our Reader Question series is an actual user submitted question. To maintain the integrity of the original question, we do not edit or change reader questions in any way.

Q:  My question about on-line backup is, if you somehow get a virus, or spyware, is this passed along w/ the regular backups and can they contaminate previous entries that make backups worthless?

A: This is an excellent question and one that we have seen come up very frequently.  The short answer is- no, you will not contaminate previous backups if your computer is attacked by a virus or spyware.  Here is the long answer:

Online backup services typically only backup files and program data and not the associated programs.  For example, online backup services like Carbonite and Mozy will backup your Microsoft Office documents and settings, but not the actual Microsoft programs.  So, spyware and virus programs will not be backed up by most online backup services.

It is possible that a document that you backup could include a virus, but viruses in documents are typically only activated when the file is opened.  This is where having an Internet security software program, including anti-virus protection, on your computer is important.  Most security software programs will scan files as you open them and alert you to any potential threats.

If your computer does become contaminated by a virus, we recommend following these steps provided by Len from Carbonite's customer support team:

When recovering from a virus infection, my recommendation would be to reinstall your operating system and applications, and in particular a good anti-virus program. Be sure to get the latest virus definition files from the manufacturer of the anti-virus program. (This is usually included as part of your subscription, and the latest definition files can be downloaded via the Internet.) After reinstalling your operating system and anti-virus program, restore your backup, but be careful not to open your restored documents until after scanning them for viruses.

You can learn more about online backup services by visiting our comparison and reviews of online backup services.

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