In the modern world of ones and zeros, data is everything. The ones and the zeros. All of it. Every photo you’ve ever saved, every client contact information you’ve ever archived, every painstakingly crafted line of code that tells your computer how to function. It’s all data.
So when disaster strikes, be it in the form of a file corruption, a mainframe malfunction, or a malicious attack by a virus or Trojan, things can go from bad to wall-punchingly bad in a hurry. The surest way to safeguard your critical data (and fist, and wall) is through the process of data backup.
WHAT IS DATA BACKUP?
Data backup is the practice of creating duplicate copies of all of your computer or network’s shared data and storing them in a physical copy or off-site in a separate protected network. Imagine making photo copies of your birth certificate, wedding license, tax forms, home deed, car title, and all your other important papers and then placing them in a fire-proof safe. In a bank. At the bottom of the ocean. Should anything ever happen to your original copies, you’ll always have duplicates waiting to replace them. This is the basic principle of data backup.
Data backup can take one of two forms, physical backup or off-site backup. Making a physical backup means copying critical data and placing it onto a physical storage device; typically a CD, flash drive, or external hard-drive. Off-site data backup involves copying critical data and transferring it electronically to a secure off-site data storage center. Most any computer user can make their own physical back-ups, but off-site backup is best left to professionals. A paid off-site data backup server is going to be immaculately secure and often backed up onto its own secondary servers.
PHYSICAL OR OFF-SITE DATA BACKUP?
So which form of data backup is best for you? Both. Think about it, would you rather have a home security system that alerts the police of a break in, a guard dog that can scare off intruders, or a guard dog that’s been trained to contact the police before scaring off intruders.
Combining physical and off-site data backup provides for the surest way to safeguard your critical data. There’s no such thing as ‘too secure’ when it comes to data backup.
WHERE DO YOU GET STARTED?
What’s the first step in backing up your data? Start by making physical copies of any data you couldn’t imagine losing; photos, contact information, or valuable programs. One of the cheapest ways to make physical copies of your date is to copy the files onto a flash-drive, a storage device that plugs into a computer’s USB port and affords lots of storage space in a small package. Flash drives can be found in most electronic or department stores for between $10 and $60, depending on their storage size.
Bear in mind, while the storage capacity offered by flash drives is impressive, it is limited. A flash-drive data backup may be great for a personal P.C., but it would be wholly inadequate to backup up a business’ computer network.
For businesses or personal P.C. users that want their critical data wrapped in an extra layer of security, professional data backup services are the way to go. Bay Computing and Consulting Services offers data backup and recovery services specifically designed to keep the critical data for businesses and individuals safe and secure.
BACK THAT DATA UP!
Don’t leave your data open to damage, loss, or theft. Secure your data with data backup and recovery services from BayCCS.