Web Backup

I’ve lost  a fair but of data in my time, some of it important, some of it not so but over the last few years the data that I keep on my PC and laptop has become more important than ever.  This is not because I have a more important job or more important financial information – it is simply because I have purchased a digital camera!

I think i’m pretty similar to most people these days in that my most personal possessions are stored on my laptop (or desktop) computer in the form of photos, photos of my family and friends and significant times in my life.  It was really this that got me thinking a bit more about how and when I back up my data.  This is when I came across web backup software and I think it’s changed the way I will back up forever.

There are lots of way to back up your data – CDs, DVDs, USB memory sticks, and external hard drives are just some but these storage devices are not always that reliable.  They also have other downsides, the most serious of which is that we usually keep them with our main computer which contains the original of the file.  It’s a great way to have all of your eggs in one basket but not a great way to store your backup.  If your laptop bag got stolen then would your USB key be in there too?  If your house got broken in to would your backup hard drive likely be stolen from next to the computer that they have stolen as well?

This was definitely the case for me until I discovered the web backup products on the internet.  The concept is simple.  Rather than storing you files on any of the previous mentioned media you, instead, upload your files to the internet where they are stored safely on your behalf.

It sounds quite a complex process but, actually, it’s not and there is quite a lot of software available for the home user.  The systems aren’t new but they used to be for business and had impressive sounding names like remote backup and off-site data storage.  Web backup is now available for the masses.

When I started looking I wasn’t sure what I wanted from my online backup software but I was concerned about security.  All of the descent applications encrypt your data on your PC before sending it to the remote backup server for storage.  The process of sending the data is encrypted too so you can be sure that your backup is safe.  During my research I found several things worth checking when looking for a web backup provider.

• Operating System – there is web backup software for both Mac and PC.  It is worth getting a version that supports both in case you change when you replace your computer.
• Accessing Your Files – some of the online backup providers offer a web interface for retrieving your files which is pretty useful if you just want to access a file when away from home.
• Recovering from a data loss – getting your data back is the important part if things go wrong.  Find out how you get hold of your data.  Most allow you to use the same application that you used to backup the data to restore is and some will even send you a DVD or USB key with your data on for a fee.
• External Hard Drives – if you want to back up an external hard drive then make sure the web backup software allows it.
• File Sizes – check to see if there is a file size limit if you plan to store video data.  Also check the total storage space – there are lots of unlimited accounts available.
• Free Trials – check to see if you can try the software for free before committing to buy it

I hope that my experience can help you when choosing a web backup product for yourself.  Please comment if you find it useful or would like to add to my suggestions.