Offsite Data Backup WIll Save Your Business

About 1 out of 4 computers have had a hard drive corruption that destroys hundreds and thousands of hours of work and hundreds of personal memories due to natural forces of nature-floods and fires, or evil forces of humanity-hackers and viruses. In addition, if you own a business, your chances are 1 in 2 that your business will fail if you lose your all or most of your data. A brief review of the following backup methods show that they do not all offer the same amount of safety.

You might be using your CD or DVD recorder to back up your files, but CDs and DVDs aren’t as safe you might think. You might verify that the files did copy just fine to the disks, but for various technical reasons, when you really do need to get the data back, the disk might be scratched or otherwise corrupted and the files cannot be recovered. And if you are like me and don’t have the self-discipline to manually back up your data onto disk, then weeks and months of work will be at risk. Also, if your backed up files on CD or DVD are stolen, the thief will easily recover all of your data because they are probably not going to be encrypted.

Another way to store your computer’s data is to copy everything to an internal or external hard drive, or a tape backup system. These devices work well if they have not also been damaged or otherwise corrupted in the same flood, fire, or lightning strike as the original hard drive. And don’t forget theft. And some reports say that up to half of all attempts to recover data on tape backups do fail.

The most efficient and effective way securely backup your files on a regular basis is to perform a remote offsite backup. Offsite backup services usually involve a simple process:

Local Software Installation

First, you will install a small program that talks to the online storage backup server. It takes up to a half hour to set up the program.

Initial Backup of Entire System

Second, backing up files of this sort requires a fast connection, such as with a cable modem, DSL line or a T1 line. Third, you will want to schedule your first full backup during off-peak hours so that it doesn’t interrupt your other important computer traffic. All reputable offsite data backup providers store your data in server “vaults” second in safety only to that of the FBI and CIA, so don’t worry about that!

Web Management System

Finally, from almost any web connection anywhere in the world, you should be able to schedule regular online backups, verify the safety of your backed up files and retrieve them on demand, if a web interface is offered. You should also be issued a unique encryption key to access your data.

  To protect your files and your business, get more information about data backup strategies at Data Backup Solutions.