Modern online backup services began emerging around the year 2005. Their popularity has been gaining speed ever since. That’s not surprising because backing up a computer online has huge advantages. Backing up a computer online requires no technical skill; it can be done automatically, and is 100% secure.
Understanding online backup is not difficult. Here are a few reasons why:
Online backup providers like Mozy own gigantic servers. These servers are located in different parts of the country so that it would be virtually impossible to destroy them all at the same time. Thus, they are immune from natural disasters, fire, and theft. You sign up with the service and are given a certain amount of space on their servers where you can store your data.
The services have varying degrees of functionality. Most services offer the ability to manually backup, as well as to schedule backups at given intervals. You can also choose which files you would like to backup and which files to ignore.
The best online backup services, such as Mozy, offer real-time backup, where software runs on your computer in the background and is constantly communicating with the central servers while backing up your data. These systems are basically set it and forget it.
Since online backup first emerged, prices have been steadily dropping. It’s now possible to purchase an unlimited amount server space to backup a computer, for less than five dollars a month.
What are the advantages of online backup?
- One of the huge advantages of online backup is the fact that your files will always be accessible. Since your files are stored on remote servers, you can access them from any place where you have an Internet connection. If you back up your computer to DVDs, CDs, or an external hard drive, you have to have access to that external media in order to restore your files. Suppose you’re on the road with your laptop when it crashes. If your backup is stored on external media, you would have to wait until you got home, to restore your files. If you have online backup, on the other hand, you simply log onto the server and download your files.
- When you backup a computer online, there is no chance that your backup will be lost due to natural disaster, fire, theft, or forgetfulness. Online backup providers such as Mozy provide backups of the backups. Your data are backed up over several servers and are not located in just one spot.
- Backing up a computer online is much more reliable than keeping your data on external media, because CDs, DVDs, and flash drives can be easily destroyed. CDs and DVDs are easily scratched. Flash drives are so small that they are easily lost. At current prices it’s probably cheaper to use online backup than it is to buy CDs and DVDs.
- Online computer backup provides real-time protection. If you’re using external media, like flash drives, your backups only get done when you have time to do it. Online backup, on the other hand, runs in the background on your computer, is automatic, and requires no effort on your part.
- Online computer backup is much more secure than old-fashioned solutions. Modern backup providers such as Mozy provide 128 bit encryption. This is the same encryption used by banks to secure your financial data. Your data is encrypted across the system and is not accessible by anyone except you. Not even the backup provider can view your data without your password.
- Online computer backup is also easier to restore than old-fashioned traditional solutions. When you back up a computer online, you can restore your data literally with one click.
At a cost of less than five dollars per month, how can you not use online backup. The choice is clear. You can try Mozy for no credit card is required.