Offsite Data Storage Is the Solution to Saving Your Business

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. You have a variety of choices for data backup, but they don’t all provide the same amount of data safety.

CDs and DVDs are probably the most common way to back up files, but they don’t offer the kind of security that you might think they offer. Even though you verify that the files copied perfectly onto the disks, damage to the disk over time can corrupt the files making them very expensive or impossible to recover. And if you do not perform the manual backup onto disk, hundreds of hours of work and files will still be lost. In addition to that, your backed up files on CD or DVD are at risk in case of theft because the files are not encrypted.

Another popular method for backing up data is on an external tape storage system or a second internal hard drive. Recovery of data is easy with these solutions but only if the cloned hard drive or tape backup is not damaged in the same fire or flood in which your original hard drive was damaged. And don’t forget the possibility of theft. In addition, up to 50% of recovery attempts fail with tape backups, say industry professionals.

The most efficient and effective way securely backup your files on a regular basis is to perform a remote offsite backup. Off site data storage and recovery involves a few simple steps:

Local Software Installation

First, you will download and install an application to interface with the backup server of the online storage provider. Setup of the program is usually very simple and takes about half an hour.

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, try to schedule your first full backup during an opportune time. All respectable off site data backup providers secure your files in high security “vaults” that make the CIA envious, so don’t worry about your files.

Web Management System

Finally, many online providers offer a web control interface where you can schedule backups and retrieve files anytime. You should also be issued a unique encryption key to access your data.

I’ll stop here with a word of wisdom: don’t worry about data loss; worry about how soon you will contract with an offsite data recovery provider. To learn more about data recovery options to secure your business, visit Data Backup Solutions.