Offsite Data Protection is Better than CDs

The odds are 1 in 4 that you will lose all the data on your hard drive due to a virus, hacker or natural disaster, such as a fire, flood, or earthquake. Not only that, almost 50% of businesses that lose their data go out of business permanently, report industry analysts. There are many ways to backup your data, but they are not all equally safe.

Most personal computer users, if they backup at all, will back up to a CD or DVD, but this is not always safe. 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 do not perform the manual backup onto disk, hundreds of hours of work and files will still be lost. In addition, your files will be compromised if they are stolen because CD and DVD backups usually don’t involve data encryption.

Many people are also backing up their data onto a second hard drive or tape storage, either internal or external. You should have success with these backup devices if they have not been stolen, corrupted, or damaged in the same disaster that caused your original files to be stolen, corrupted, or damaged. In addition, up to 50% of recovery attempts fail with tape backups, say industry professionals.

The best way to keep your backups current and safe is to utilize offsite data backup services that specialize in keeping your files automatically backed up and secure until you need them. Off site data backup is fairly effortless and involves the following:

Local Software Installation

First, you will need to install a small program to interface with the offsite data storage server. Setup of the program is usually very simple and takes about half an hour.

Initial Backup of Entire System

Second, you will need to have a fast internet connection, such as a T1 line, DSL or cable modem. 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. To secure data backup, reliable offsite data backup providers store your files in high security “vaults” with 24/7 observation.

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 receive an encryption code unique only to you to access your online storage.

  To secure your business, learn more data backup strategies at Data Backup Solutions.