I use local encrypted backup feature of Backintime on debian 8.3 to backup my files to an external drive. It automatically backups every 30 minutes. My external drive is always connected. I am the only user of this computer.
Recently I often hear about ransom-ware nightmare stories. As my backup location is always accessible, I am thinking about a way to to make my backup location safe and isolated from such attacks, as a precaution.
I thought if I run Backintime as a special "backup user" or root and use a backup location on which only "backup user" or root has write access, I would achieve this. I guess it is advisable to use root only when it is inevitable, so I think I'd prefer to create a "backup user" for this job.
I wonder if I can use file permissions for this purpose or is there a better way.
My questions:
- Is this a good idea to make my backup location safe?
- How can I run Backintime automatically as "backup user" while I use the computer with a different account at the same time?
- How can I assign "backup user" as the only user which has write access on my backup location?