This is the third in our series posts guest authored by the Cloud Observation Squadron, offering inisghts, suggestions, and interesting facts about cloud storage to all members of the ElephantDrive Herd (and pretty much anyone else who will read).
Online backup services are made to keep important documents, videos, music and audio safe from accidental deletion, hackers, and other natural or digital disasters. Some people, however, still carry around significant doubts, still hesitant to trust that online services will keep their information safe. Today we’re going to review some of these concerns and debunk them as the myths they are.
Myth #1: An online backup service is ‘all or nothing.’
Some users feel they have too much data to back up, like an enormous music library or video files of TV shows. It doesn’t have to be ‘all or nothing,’ but using an online backup service will provide benefits. Pick the specific folders that include the files that can’t ever be recreated (e.g. documents and pictures, instead of items that could be repurchased from a digital content store) and use the backup service in those departments only. That way it becomes a gradual step and limits the size needed for your account.
Myth #2: Physical media is better protection.
People think that a online backup service is less secure than backing it up using a DVD or flash drive. The thought of someone else hacking or having access to your files is scary, but the flash drive or DVD isn’t a better solution. DVDs and flash drives fill up quickly and the longer a person continues to use it the greater chance of files getting erased accidentally. Plus, unless you are consistently moving the other media to a totally different location, the same disaster that strikes the computer could affect the backup (a fire in the house may get them both). An online backup service makes sure your files last as long as you want them and keeps them in a totally distinct physical location.
Myth #3: Online backup services are too exposed to the web.
The stigma is that anyone on the inside and outside can gain entry nto your personal data with our without your permission. The truth is information is backed up on servers where only the people you want access to it can get it. We don’t let anyone else have access to your information unless you allow it. The files are encrypted prior to leaving your computer and stay that way while in transit and at rest on our servers. Even if someone were to somehow breach all of our security protocols and actually get their hands on the disks from within the secure physical facility, all they would have is a bunch of encrypted blobs.
Online backup services are a brilliant way to get more work done without taking separate time to back up information. It’s safer than a hard copy or backing up to storage media. On top of that it’s a good way to eliminate paper which saves the environment. Contact us for more information on our backup service.
