Backing up your data can be very easy to complete. Before we discus how you backup your data we suggest you read our other blogs about backups which are:
Cloud Storage backups
Cloud backups are a good way to ensure that your data is backed up in a different location and that you can access your data should anything happen to your PC or laptop.
One thing that cloud storage isn’t good for is having as a sole backup solution and there are a number of reasons for this but the most important one is that if you suffer from a cyber attack or cybercrime such as a ransomware attack, this folder on your computer could also be attacked and therefore render your , usually live, backup encrypted and not usable.
This is why we would strongly reccomend using another form of backup as well as using cloud backups if you choose to.
File Server
File servers are a great way to backup your data ensuring that your data is both secure and safe should anything happen to your machine. Unlike cloud storage there are many many different ways that a file server can be setup and secured meaning it is less likely to fall victim to a cyberattack from your machine.
File servers are a lot more versatile than they used to be and now the most common file server is to have a network attached storage device which can be installed in both homes and businesses and also accessed anywhere in the world, with an internet connection.
External Media
Last but by no means least is the form of backup media that will never be able to be more secure and robust than external media such as hard drive or memory sticks. There are a few reasons why external media is the king backup device including :
- At little to no risk of a cyber attack (only when connected to a PC)
- Cannot be accessed unless you connect it to a PC
- Can be encrypted by the user (yourself) for added security
So no matter what backup device you use or solution you employ to do it there are always going to be different risks and concerns however there are better backup solutions for a certain situation.
All in all , we would always suggest that you keep several different backups , one that you may need to access regularly (which cloud is great) and one that is completed and is a disaster recovery tool which will recover your data back to an earlier point (which external media is great).
