Ask These 10 QuestionsTo Find the Best Online Backup Service For You:
With online computer backup growing in popularity there are a number of providers all vying for your business. Many offer tools for protecting your vital business or personal information from disaster. There are also a number of providers offering services at a lower cost, but what corners were cut, what features are you to do without, at what cost to you? Before trusting an online computer backup service with your personal information, it is important to know what features are available and how important these features are to you.
These ten questions will help you find the the best online backup solution for your particular situation.
1. Is my data secure?
Find out if the provider uses encryption when they store the data.
Although most online computer backup services use encryption to protect your data while it travels the internet, many don’t use encryption once they store the data on their servers. In fact, encrypting your data is not allowed on some services as they state in their terms of service. Its one thing if you are saving music files, but quite another if you are saving personal information that should be kept secure. Your encryption key should be unique to you and only you should have the ability to access your personal data.
2. Is your software easy to use and maintain?
How easy is it to install and maintain your backup software? Look for software that was designed for use by everyday people. You should not require any special skills to back up your computer, or have to hire a technician to do this for you. You want simple software that is easy to download and maintain, and that you can easily add or remove folders as you wish.
3. How often does it backup my files?
Do you want a service that only backs up your files when you tell it to? Is it enough to have an online storage space where you can periodically drag and drop your files? Or would you prefer to have a continuous backup process where the files are automatically backed up as soon as they change, in real time?
Is it enough for you to just have an online storage space where you can periodically drag and drop your files? If the service provider has a scheduled backup that runs weekly, there is the possibility that you could lose data from the last time it was run. There are continuous online backup processes where your files are backed up automatically as soon as they change.
4. Are there multiple versions of my files stored?
Many backup services only keep one copy of each file in order to keep costs down. This may not seem like a big deal, but if a file gets corrupted by a virus and you don’t notice till after your next backup, your provider could be preserving a copy of your corrupted files. To avoid this, places that offer multiple versions of your files is ideal. You can download an earlier version or whichever file you need.
5. Does your service backup the entire file every time, or only the changes made to the file?
Services that backup the entire file work fine for small files such as Word documents, however, it is a different matter if you want to backup your mail file every time you get new mail. If for instance your mail file is 500MB, it could take hours to back up just the one file, and if you get a new message you will have to start over. There are places that deal with this by backing up weekly or nightly, and some that do not back up email at all.
If this is a concern for you, there are providers that detect and extract only the data that has changed for back up that is once the file has been backed up once. So, if you have a 500MB email file that has already been backed up, and you get a new message of only 2MB, it will back up the the 2MB that changed in a matter of seconds. These changes would also be stored as different versions.
6. What happens if there is in interruption during the backup?
Internet connections can get interrupted or dropped which can cause your backup to fail and you will have to start over. There are services that will pause until the connection returns, then continue the backup from where it left off.
7. Will my files be deleted without my knowledge?
Some backup services delete files that are no longer on your computer. Accidental deletion is one of the main reasons people lose files. Find the service that won’t automatically delete your files, and may suggest files that you may wish to delete if you no longer need them.
8. What is the charge for multiple computers, servers, or networks?
Do you get charged again for each machine? Most plans are based on a single computer. Many places have restrictions on the types of devices you can backup. They may offer a more expensive plan for as server, or may not let you backup network shares or external hard drives.
Other places will allow you to install software on as many computers, laptops, or servers as you like, but you will be charged by GB for the actual storage of the file.
9. How much can I store and at what cost?
How does their plan work? Do you have to buy more storage than you need? What happens if you go over that limit? The plans vary; some offer a set dollar amount for a finite amount of GB storage. If you go over that amount you may have to upgrade your plan and even download and reinstall new software. It can get more complex if you have more than one computer. With this type of plan, you would need to figure out just how much storage each separate computer needs and manage each plan separately.
Other providers have plans where you only pay for the storage you use, so your bill could be different each month depending on the amount of storage you have. Still, others offer a flat rate for any amount of storage whether big or small.
10. Can I access my data remotely?
Some of the less expensive services will only let you access your files from the computer that you backed them from. If you need to transfer the information to another computer usually requires an additional sign up for the new computer and a separate plan. Other providers will let you install the backup and restore the software on an unlimited amount of computers, and they don’t charge you anything unless you actually back something up. There are also companies that offer remote access from any location as long as you have your email address and password. This is ideal whether you are travelling or just need to access a file that isn’t on the computer you are currently using.
Finding and trusting the right company to store your vital information is not an easy task. Knowledge is key. Arm yourself with facts and ask questions. This is the only way to find the best online computer backup service for you.
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