5 Reasons to Backup Your Data Online

If something were to happen to your computer at this very moment, would you be upset if you couldn’t recover the data on your hard drive? Is there any important information that is stored on that drive that can’t be replaced? Are you comfortable knowing that at any moment your hard drive could crash?

While hard drives are built to last several years, they are also very delicate, high-precision instruments that can easily break. Whether it is a sudden power spike/interruption, shaking, or wear-and-tear, the hard drive is vulnerable to the elements.

With all the data you probably store on your hard drive, you probably don’t want to lose it if your hard drive were to fail. One solution to prevent a loss of data is to use an online storage solution to use for data backup.

While many may be hesitant to have they data copied to an online server, here are some points you may want to consider before dismissing the idea of an online backup solution:

• Online backup is automatic.

Online storage providers will usually provide an application that you install on your computer. This application will load when your computer starts and then runs in the background. It will monitor any changes/additions to specific folders and files you specify, and if there are changes, the application will automatically copy the files to an online server. This means you don’t have to remember to back up your data.

• Your data is encrypted.

This is an important point that many people want to know. Most, if not all, online backup providers encrypt your data on the local hard drive before copying it to their servers. When your data is transferred, it is copied over a secure SSL connection. Once on the server, your data remains encrypted so only you are able to read it.

• Cost effective – very inexpensive.

The price of storing your data online is only a few bucks a month. I currently backup my data online, and it costs me less than $5 a month for unlimited storage space. I currently have backed up over 150 GB without any problems. The amount of money I pay a month is peanuts considering what would happen if I didn’t backup, and then lost all that data. The other option is I could burn about 40-50 DVD’s (80-100 for two copies), but that would be a lot to manage.

• Easy to access.

You can access your data at anytime, from anywhere there is an Internet connection. Since your data is online, you only need access to the Internet to restore your data.

• Offsite protection.

Many experts who manage data backups realize the importance of storing your data offsite, meaning at a different location that the original data. With online backups, your data is automatically at a different location, probably far away, so you don’t have to worry about storing your data at another location.

The above reasons provide several points of why you may want to look into using an online storage solution provider. Many providers even offer a few gigabytes of storage space for free, which is a great way to try out the service before you buy.

If you are interested in using online storage, I suggest you test out several providers to find one that is right for you. Visit www.onlinebackuphelp.com for more information.

About the Author

Paul Salmon currently maintains Technically Easy, a blog that provides information on using various technologies. He also manages another blog that provides information on data backup.