Sometimes we don't realise how critical our data is...until it's too late. That's what happened to me in late 2002. I lost the contents of my hard drive; programs, data...everything.
Always one to look at the bright side, I decided to take the opportunity to explore all the options for safeguarding my data. There are plenty of ways to protect your data, I chose an online backup solution. Let me explain why.
Online backups provide a great alternative to other forms of back up such as optical drives, additional hard drives or USB memory sticks. There’s no initial outlay of capital to buy a drive of any kind.
There’s no need for training on how to use online backup. And best of all, you can totally automate the process so you don’t even need to remember to do it every week or month.
How do online backup solutions work?
Once you’ve selected your online backup provider, you download a piece of software onto the computer you want to back up. This busy piece of software allows you to select the files to be backed up, manages the internet connection, and encrypts and compresses the data before transferring it across the internet to a secure, remote location. Then it enables you to view or restore the backed up documents if you ever need to.
Another clear advantage is, if you have a physical hard drive and your house burns down, you just lost your backup! The disaster recovery offered by offsite storage is a big plus for online backup solutions.
Running costs are limited to paying a monthly fee, usually dependent on the amount of space you require. Setup and installation is simple – all you need to do is download the software and you are off and running. Recovering your data is just as quick – you simply log into your account and begin the recovery process. No more waiting for IT staff to fit you in.
The backup process itself is completely automated – you select what days, which files and how often you want your information backed up. It happened whther you remember or not. Your backed up files can be accessed by anyone with permission, so you can share your files with travelling colleagues, clients, or home PCs.
The downside to online backups
You really need a broadband connection to take advantage of this kind of solution. You could do it with dial up, but watching grass grow might be more fun.
And even with broadband – the first time you back up your data does take some time. All your files have to be encrypted, compressed and copied. After that first time, however, the system is smart enough to only backup new files or files that have changed. This speeds things up considerably.
I set mine to backup each week at 3am on a Wednesday morning. There’s an email waiting for me when I log on confirming the process has been completed.
What about security?
It’s understandable to have concerns about sending your data through cyberspace. Providers go out of their way to describe the levels of security they apply to your data. Before being transferred, the backup data is encrypted to 128-bit level (military grade) - making it effectively impossible for anyone to intercept or decrypt the data. The user is the only person who can read it.
Also, data storage centres are more secure than your own premises. They come with fire suppression, security cameras, personnel access controls and backup electricity generators. They use multiple ISPs, high-end firewalls and clustering and mirroring techniques to ensure the stored data is always available to their clients.
How to find online backup providers
Type “Online Backup Solution” into your search engine and you will see a plethora of providers. For the record, I use a service called ibackup, but the marketplace is competitive and your search will reveal numerous other solutions to consider for your business.
“ Sometimes we don't realise how critical our data is...until it's too late. ”
Megan Tough runs Complete Potential, a company that helps businesses solve their strategy and people problems. She loves being a solopreneur, and when she doesn't have her nose to the grindstone, is fulfilling her other passion of fitness and health.
