Good reasons to backup your data online.
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Online backups may be a useful first- or second-line defence for your files, insuring against loss of both the data on your computer and any first-line backups that you may have. What makes online backups so useful? Below are 10 reasons why you should be using online backup services. Click an item in the list to read more about that reason.
- Separate location
- Requires no input
- Access your files from anywhere
- Backup from anywhere
- Incremental backups of important files
- File encryption
- No equipment or consumable costs
- No reliance on fallible materials
- No reliance on your memory or your spare time
- There are free solutions
Wait!
Naturally there are also negatives to using online services to store your backup data. In the interests of a balanced argument, we recommend that you read the article ‘Top 10 Disadvantages to Online Backups‘. It’s great. We wrote it.
Reason 1: Separate location - Online backups store your data in the ether, somewhere far away. The location of the server on which your data is stored is largely irrelevant for all intents and purposes; what matters is that in the event of a disaster at your office or home your data will be stored somewhere safe and will be available to you. This is the one greatest advantages of online backups, since achieving the same separation using other methods is either terribly impractical or prohibitively expensive.
Reason 2: Requires no input - Once the backup is configured, you will rarely have to provide any input to the process. Depending on the service, backups may occur continuously (whenever you are connected to the internet) or at a specified time; either way you should be able to make sure that this is at a time to suit your schedule.
Reason 3: Access your files from anywhere - one result of your files being stored on a server which is accessible from the internet is that you can access them from any internet connection. Unlike traditional backups that are contained on physical hardware, disks or tape, your online backups can be used to restore data to your computer from anywhere on the planet.
Reason 4: Backup from anywhere - if you are on the move then use of traditional backup techniques may simply be impossible. Backups may may require connection of a hard drive to you computer, the use of a server in a central office, or use of writable media that you cannot carry with you. Because with online backups your data is stored on a server with a connection to the internet it is accessible from anywhere in the world.
Reason 5: Incremental backups of important files - After the initial data transfer has taken place, only the changes that you make will be sent to the online backup server. This way of doing things is distinct from, for example, a traditional tape backup where absolutely everything is transferred on each and every occasion, and saves a considerable amount of time.
Reason 6: File encryption - Depending on the service you use, your files may (but you need to check!) be encrypted as they are transferred over the internet; they may also be sent using a secure connection. Whilst on the backup server, again depending on the system you use, the files may again be encrypted to prevent prying eyes examining your data.
Reason 7: No equipment or consumable costs - Using online backups means you are using hardware owned, maintained and operated by someone else to store your data. There is no longer any need to buy backup consumables like CDs, DVDs, tape drives, disks, or whatever else you were previously using; neither will you have to buy equipment that uses consumables, software with which to perform the backups, or servers to manage the process.
Reason 8: No reliance on fallible materials - Hard drives crash, CDs and DVDs get scratched or broken, tapes are notorious for perishing and breaking. Online backups mean that you don’t have to rely on equipment that can fail, break or get lost. True, you have to rely instead on a third party’s equipment but given that their entire business is based around reliable online backups, it is a safe bet that their equipment is more reliable than yours. It is probably also the case that the online backup service will have better systems in place to deal with disasters than you can afford.
Reason 9: No reliance on your memory or on your spare time - Backing up data is often something that is subject to the vagaries of free time and your memory. Since backing up is not an activity that directly makes money for you or your company, its postponement or cancellation can often be ‘justified’. Similarly, if you are relying on your memory and motivation to undertake this often unforgiving task on a regular basis then, with the best will in the world, it will get neglected. Automating the entire backup process has to be a preferable solution, and online backups allow this to happen.
Reason 10: There are free solutions - Depending on the service, you may be able to backup online entirely free. Those services that charge do so at a minimal rate and certainly the money saved in hardware and time will almost always outweigh the yearly cost. While cost should not be one of the first considerations when you are safeguarding very valuable data, it will be important to some users - especially those using it as a secondary line of defence.
Once again, there are bad sides too. We recommend that you read the article Top 10 Disadvantages to Online Backups before you make any decisions.
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