Why Backup Online? I Say, Why Not?
Whenever I come across someone asking, “Why backup online?“, my immediate reply would be, “Why not?”
Oh, we’ve all been there and the scenario is all too familiar: we keep on putting off doing a backup of our data (thinking there’s always tomorrow), and, to make a long story short, eventually end up losing precious files and data – to a virus, hardware failure, theft, or simply human error.
They say there’s no use crying over spilt milk but still, you would have to live with that big “If only…” as you scramble for ways to recover the lost data. This brings us to a key argument for backing up over the internet:
Data Recovery Can Cost You
You may think that you don’t have a lot of files to backup anyway and losing them wouldn’t cost all that much to recover. But remember that unless you are trained to do so, you can’t do data recovery yourself and as such, would need to get the services of a professional. The price for restoring lost files depends on a lot of factors like the size of the file, the complexity of the recovery process, and the condition of the storage device itself.
But why even go through the motions of computing the expense for recovering lost files when you can simply avoid the hassle of dealing with such problem? And at a price that’s peanuts compared to the cost of recovery.
Online vs. External Backup
Now you may also ask, “Why backup online and not through the more traditional means such as burning files to a CD or DVD, or using an external hard drive or removable tapes?”
Let me get this straight first: I’m not advocating online storage as the sole method for keeping your files safe. What I’m encouraging users to do rather, is to make sure you have online backup as one of your storage options. I would be the first to admit that restoring files through hard drives is really convenient especially when you can’t be connected to the internet all the time.
When it comes to the ultimate security and peace of mind however, nothing beats having an online backup service. Hard drives fail, laptops could get stolen, and DVDs and tapes may be misplaced. But with an updated copy of your entire PC stored somewhere in the servers of a reliable online backup service, you can rest easy no matter what.
Why There’s No Time to Waste
In this technologically-advanced day and age, personal and business data can only grow, and conventional means of storing them may eventually be error-prone or simply unable to keep up. In addition to your usual storage devices, having online backup is the way to go.
If you don’t have your own data loss sob story to tell now, count your blessings and make sure you never will have to go through such an experience. With the use of services such as top-rated and widely-used Carbonite Backup and Mozy Home, you’ll see why there’s no need to ask, “Why backup online?”. You just have to do it.
