How Safe Is Your DATA?
What would you do if you switched your computer on tomorrow
morning, only to see an error message and to find that some of
your important files had become corrupted? You may no longer be
able to open some files - or, even worse, files might have gone
missing without a trace.
Welcome to the world of data loss!
If you rely on your computer, then this would be a total
disaster. If you run any kind of web site or online business,
things would get worse before they got better.
Imagine losing your entire ezine subscriber base. Need I say
more? Backing up your data on a regular basis is not an option,
but a necessity - for the sake of both your business and your
sanity.
Consider the following statistics, which show the most common
reasons for data loss:
42% Mechanical Failure 34% Human Error 15% Software Failure 6%
Viruses 3% Natural Disaster (Statistics taken from The Security
News)
Repeat out loud: Backup, backup, backup!!
Now that you've got the message, you'll need to know how to go
about backing up your data. There are several options available,
but for the purpose of this article I want to concentrate on the
different methods of online backup available over the internet.
Basically, there are two types of online backup services. With
the first, once you have downloaded the software and installed
it on your PC you just connect to the backup provider's server
and away you go. Just select the files you want backed up and
then transfer them over the internet, rather like using FTP to
upload your web pages to your web host.
This option usually entails a monthly fee of anywhere from
$5-$20. The software is easy to use, and restoring your files is
just as simple as backing them up in the first place. You can
back up as many files as you wish and even your entire PC if you
like, although this will take quite some time.
If the worst happened and you lost everything, you could just
restore all of your files back onto your computer. As this may
take a while, some services will provide you with a CD
containing everything you have backed up, though often there is
an extra charge of about $20 for this.
The second option is to use a web-based backup service. You can
do this from your browser window and, as with web-based e-mail,
you have access to your files from any computer with an internet
connection. This kind of service will generally provide you with
10-20 MB of file space and is most often free. You can't back up
quite as much using this system, but if you just need to back up
the odd file or two, then this could be the best option for you.
Top Tips For Backup:
- Know where your important files are located. - Keep your
backup disks safe. - Keep several copies of important data. -
Store disks in different locations. - Decide on a backup
schedule and stick to it. - START TODAY. Remember, it's better
to be safe than sorry! - Replace backup disks regularly.
The following are a number of different backup services. Have a
look through the list - you should find something that works
well for you. Remember the key is in having a simple system and
putting it into practice.
Repeat out loud: Backup, backup, backup!!
Connected http://www.connected.com
FreeDrive http://www.freedrive.com
X Drive http://www.xdrive.com
Driveway http://www.driveway.com
Maxisafe http://www.maxisafe.com
Managed Storage http://www.sgii.com
E-store http://www.e-stor.net
@Backup http://www.backup.com
StoreActive http://www.storactive.net
BackUpNet http://www.backupnet.com
eVault.com http://www.evault.com
MySpace http://www.freediskspace.com