Online Backup Computer Software Web Tips Guide
Online Backup Risks For Storing Data
By Rainbow Spear
If you have data you cannot afford to lose, then you should look
at using online backup data services to recover your data, in
case your hard drive crashes and you need access to your data.
The smarter computer user, would review their options and use
at least two or three alternative back up options. One option,
is to use a separate computer for all your backups, another option
is to use a separate external hard disk and the third is to use
an online backup service. This allows you to recover your data,
if one or two of these back up services also fail.
There are advantages in having data stored online, as the data
can be accessed remotely, including your desktop computer, laptop
and other devices, allowing you to access your data while you
are away from the office.
The data can be synchronized between devices, and accessed remotely
from different locations.
Disadvantages Of Online Backup Services
One should not totally depend for online backup services to
access their data, as there are disadvantages. One disadvantage
is ongoing costs.
If you buy an average external hard drive it may cost about
$100 U.S. dollars, while you may pay around $200 for a more advanced
hard drive. You only pay once for the unit and then you keep the
hard drive, until you need a new one.
Ongoing Fees For Data Storage
Online backup services charge ongoing fees for storing data.
This may be a few dollars per month or a hundred or more dollars
a year, depending on the space you need to store your valuable
data.
These ongoing fees add up over the years. If you have no money
or are unable to pay for a while, for whatever reason, your data
becomes inaccessible. Depending on the agreement you have with
the service, this can become quite difficult, if lack of payment
stops you accessing your lost data.
There may be a time when you need to access your data remotely,
or your hard disk has crashed and you have a new hard disk but
you cannot access your online back up service, until you pay the
outstanding fees.
Risk Of Compromising Access To Your Data
Another disadvantage is the ease of access to your data. Now,
remember these online backup services tend to use highly reliable
and advanced security systems, but your data is still stored in
a network and can be accessed by anyone who has the password.
If your access information is compromised, for example, your
login information, then all your backup data can be accessed without
your knowledge.
A Big Name And Reliable Company May Be More Expensive
You need to have confidence in the company running the online
backup service. Trust usually means to go with a big name you
recognize, and it means even more money because the better brands,
in many cases cost more.
What happens if the service is no longer available? If the service
is no longer in business, what happens to your data? Fortunately,
this is a very unlikely scenario, but you need to know about the
possibility.
Downloading And Uploading Your Back Up Data
If you have a slow connection, then using a backup system will
take a long time to upload or download data, depending on your
requirements. Even with the fastest connections, downloading hundreds
of megabytes of back up data can take a very long time.
If the data includes large files, such as photos or videos, then
retrieving them can take a long time.
Benefits Outweigh Disadvantages
Knowing these disadvantages, will allow you to seek online backup
services with eyes wide open. These online services are popular
because the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages.
At the end of the day, it is good to know your options and your
expectations of an online backup data service.
About the Author:
Rainbow Spear has written a number of articles on Computers, Data Recovery, Internet Security, Identity Theft and
Computer Software including
Data Recovery Software,
File Recovery,
Computer Troubleshooting,
Computer Forensic Evidence,
Identity Theft Statistics,
Accounting Business Software,
Zone Alarm Download,
Internet Banking.
Keep a lookout for more of his articles on this website.
Did You Know This About Data Recovery?
How much will data recovery cost me?
How much it will cost to recover your data
often depends on what had happened to the drive. Some companies
will charge a lower rate if the damage can be repaired with software
utilities.
A non-functional drive will require specialized
repair procedures, which can often carry hefty charges. Estimates
in the range of $20 - $40 per gigabyte are not uncommon. With
today's large capacity drives, this could become an unreasonable
amount.
For example, an 80 GB hard drive could
cost as much as $3200 to recover!
|
