Secure Online Cloud Backups
We know your wondering why would you use the Internet as a backup method. Well, there are a great deal of reasons. First, you can use the Internet to backup your data instead of dedicated hardware or software. If you have Internet access, your good to go.Second, you can retreive your files from any computer connected to the Internet (well, only by you of course). And with proper encryption and security, nobody else will know it’s even out there.
The Internet has thousands of pedabytes of disk space available, and there are several good services you can find that specialize in Internet backup.I pay about $4/month for over 30 Gigs of data. Now I have 40% of my backup allocation free which leaves me with plenty of space to for future backup at a very cheap rate.
The first step is to determine which service to use.Most of the “free trial” providers are way more expensive each month that the providers that use simple pricing. So it is a good idea to do your homework and join a site with the best features with no free trial.It will save a fair amount of money for you in the end. With all the product review sites, blogs, comparison sites, etc. it’s simple to make a quality decision.
So now, you’ve decided which service provider you’ll use. Next, you need to make some judgements about what data is important and need to be backed up. The online backup providers that give you software that does most of the work for you tend to be the best providers as well. and will copy the backup files AFTER securing them with good encryption. As you can easily now see is that the best providers are also the easiest to use. And the best will run on all common operating systems (online backup for Windows, MAC, and Linux is what I mean here).
The simple explaination is if they make it too difficult for you, you’ll just go somewhere else. Just as in any business the market is a competitive one and services who don’t have a rich feature set or are only providing services for Windows or MAC, etc. generally arn’t very stable and may not even exist in a few months. So it’s important to make sure they support MacIntosh and Linux in addition to Windows.I they’re a quality provider they will.
So, now you have a good outline of what to look for with Internet backups, here’s some basic questions you need to ask.
Do they provide free software to do the dirty work for you?
Does their software support MAC, Linux and Windows?
Can all your computers be backed up with one login account?
What type of online backup is it? How much control do they give you regarding the backup schedule?
Is encryption provided by default? You must insist on AES 256bit encryption to protect your data.
You have other issues that are important to you.But these questions will help you narrow down your selection to only the best providers in short order.
How to Backup your Computer and Keep Data Safe
I’d say that everyone knows you should be doing a backup of your PC.If you’re one of those lucky people who has never had a serious computer crash then you’re one of the lucky ones. Anyone who has knows that this very second is the best time to start backing up important information on your PC to save it from loss should something happen.
There’s a few tips and items you should familiarize yourself with before you select a backup method to use. Knowing what you want backed up, remembering to keep it simple and do your home work are just a few of the items you need to keep in mind when making your decision.
Know what you want backed up
Now just before you take off to purchase the latest and greatest backup software or service take a minute to determine exactly what it is you need backed up.Some of the backup programs are designed to create complete system backups, how ever this is often more then the average computer user needs.
Most personal computer owners require their my documents, photos, and any videos backed up, how ever the rest of the stuff can be skipped.This can make things a little to high tech for someone who’s just an average joe or jane PC user.
Keep It Simple Silly
Just because a backup service or program offers more features then another doesn’t make it better.Trust me when I tell you to avoid buying a service or program that is very feature rich. Get the features you need but to many features slows down the backup process, this will in turn make it difficult for you to stick to a regular backup routine.
Instead opt for a simple program, more specifically one that backups up your files all on it’s own and only requires a one time setup. A couple of good programs to consider are Carbonite or Mozy online backup.
Do your Homework
Don’t just rush off to buy into any old service, take some time to read online backup reviews to ensure you’re getting a quality product and service that will serve it’s purpose.This is a good way to ensure that the service or software you’re about to spend money on is as good a program as it suggests it is.
Spending just a bit of time before you buy can save you hours of time and data if you ever have to restore files. Ensure that the program backs up files properly and also is easy to restore files.