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Which Backup Solution is Right for Your Business?

Data loss can be devastating to a business, not to mention costly and highly disruptive. Whether it’s due to a hard drive or server failure, a natural disaster or a cyber-attack, without recent, robust backups of your vital data, documents, media and system files, you could be left unable to operate and facing extensive losses.

 

Backups should be part and parcel of your information technology infrastructure. But which backup solution is right for your individual business? Let’s take a look at the options.

 

External drive backups

 

There are a host of external backup drive options available, and the process is a simple one. Just plug the device into your PC and copy your data over. A solid state drive (SSD) is one of the most popular external backup options, because it has no moving parts, which means less risk of failure, plus these drives offer exceptional performance, especially beneficial when you have lots of data to copy.

 

Of course, you will have to remember to do this on a regular basis, and you will only ever have access to the data from your most recent backup, which could be hours or even days ago. Another consideration is where you will store your backup. If it’s on-premise, and you lose access to your building, or there is a fire or natural disaster, then your backed up data could be compromised.

 

Disc backups

 

CD, DVD or Blu-ray backups are one of the most old-fashioned options, although they are still widely used. Modern PCs don’t tend to incorporate disc drives these days, so if you have recently upgraded your IT system and were previously using a disc backup, you will need to rethink things.

 

Disc backups are limited in terms of the amount of data which can be copied, although the discs themselves are usually quite cheap to buy. Copy speeds can be very slow however, especially if you have to keep changing discs throughout the process.

 

Again, you’ll need to ensure the backup discs are kept offsite so that you can access your data should something happen to prevent access to your premises.

 

USB backups

 

USB drives are almost as inexpensive as discs, even though their storage capacity is generally a great deal higher.

 

The trouble with USB drives is that their portability, often considered an advantage, can be their downfall. Being so compact, these drives are easy to misplace, and are also prone to theft. However, they are easier to safely store in a fireproof safe, taking up much less space than a solid state drive or set of discs.

 

Network Attached Storage (NAS)

 

Network attached storage devices are drives that live on your IT network. Sometimes referred to as ‘home servers’, they are accessible by all network users.

 

NAS devices do more than simply back up files. They can back up multiple PCs, stream media to devices and share files across networks and the internet. Most will feature online remote access, security controls and flexible configuration options. Some will be fitted with ports to connect via USB, Ethernet and Wi-Fi so that you can backup files from the likes of cameras and video cameras.

 

Cloud backups

 

Whilst all the backups we have explored so far offer their own forms of peace of mind and some degree of flexibility, they do have their limitations. The fact that you have to remember to run the backup, ensure it is done correctly, and then find somewhere secure to store it, leaves the safety and security of your data prone to human error. You are also only protected as far as the last backup, which could leave you with a data gap.

 

The solution that resolves all of these issues is the cloud backup. Not only do cloud backups provide the ultimate disaster recovery solution, they can also reduce IT operating costs.

 

Cloud backups remove the need to continually invest in expensive hardware. They also allow users to access systems and files from any device via the internet, plus your organisation will have full control over who can access what data.

 

Online backups provide the answer to protecting yourself against hardware failure, cyber-attacks and natural disasters. No more having to remember to run the backup. And data is backed up continually, which means no gaps.

 

An online backup works by scanning hard drives for file changes, encrypting them and then transferring them to the cloud server. Once files are uploaded, they can be accessed and restored from any location. Not to be confused with cloud storage and file syncing services such as Dropbox, Google Drive and OneDrive, online backups can also protect servers and all types of devices, with no file size limits.

 

A full range of industry-leading online backup solutions from PC Docs

 

Whether you are looking for disaster recovery solutions in London, flexible remote work solutions, or you just want to reduce your business risk by switching to an online backup system, you can rely on PC Docs to provide you with industry-leading options that will give you the reassurance you need to stay competitive and profitable.

 

To discover how PC Docs can transform your backup processes, and improve your IT structure in general, you are welcome to contact our helpful team.

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