Simply backup your zotero data directory (which is in your firefox profile directory by default). There are a wealth of apps that can do this, and some are listed in past discussions on backup.
One particularly useful method is using Window's SyncToy and FireFox portable. Since Zotero on a hard drive and Zotero on FireFox portable do not have exactly the same directory names, many applications can only backup. SyncToy can synchronize folders with different names between your hard drive and USB drive. In the end, you have a backup of Zotero and a portable version of it (the fringe benefits: you can do this will all of FireFox and have you web environment go with you everywhere).
No--SyncToy is an MS product for Windows only. There are many alternatives. Rsync, unison, iFolder, JFileSync, are free/open source & cross platform. If you have (s)ftp, cyberduck on OS X offers syncing.
The directions regarding backing up Zotero are not clear to me. They state:
"To back up your Zotero library, close Firefox and copy your Zotero data directory to a backup location, preferably on another storage device."
Since I access Zotero through Firefox, once I close it, how do I access the directory?
How do I store it, etc.
Also, all of the research that I'm doing and storing, is it confidential, afterall Zotero is online; I don't want others to just be able to pluck my hard work.
Thanks
reread this:
http://www.zotero.org/support/zotero_data
the data directory is on your harddisk, you can access it like any other file.
There is no need to have any information online and Zotero is to a significant extent offline and not online (i.e. all except the syncing options).
Zotero may be in Firefox, but your data directory is just a bunch of files on your computer. Go to your Zotero preferences->Advanced->Show data directory. That will open the directory in your file explorer. Then you can close Firefox and copy the directory.
Your library will not be accessible to anyone but you unless you make it public. You can find Zotero's privacy policy fairly easily on this site. Obviously nothing is 100% secure when it is stored online, and you can run Zotero entirely locally if you want to(turn off sync).
Upgrade Storage
There are also many others.
"To back up your Zotero library, close Firefox and copy your Zotero data directory to a backup location, preferably on another storage device."
Since I access Zotero through Firefox, once I close it, how do I access the directory?
How do I store it, etc.
Also, all of the research that I'm doing and storing, is it confidential, afterall Zotero is online; I don't want others to just be able to pluck my hard work.
Thanks
http://www.zotero.org/support/zotero_data
the data directory is on your harddisk, you can access it like any other file.
There is no need to have any information online and Zotero is to a significant extent offline and not online (i.e. all except the syncing options).
Your library will not be accessible to anyone but you unless you make it public. You can find Zotero's privacy policy fairly easily on this site. Obviously nothing is 100% secure when it is stored online, and you can run Zotero entirely locally if you want to(turn off sync).