While traditional methods can be very effective, they require capital to set
up and staff to operate them. An online backup system avoids these problems.
Benefits of Online Backup
Online backups offer several advantages. The main one is the disaster recovery
offered by offsite storage but there are also several advantages in terms of
ease of use.
No capital outlay is required for purchasing new equipment. There are no ongoing
media costs or staff costs, running costs are limited to paying a monthly fee.
Setup and installation is a simple matter of downloading the software, and takes
only a few minutes to set up. Data recovery is equally fast, as there is no
searching for the right tape or waiting for IT staff to recover lost data.
The backup process itself is completely automated which ensures that it gets
done, and the backed up files can then be accessed by anyone with permission,
allowing file sharing with traveling colleagues, clients, or home PCs.
The Limitations of Online Backup
An intrinsic characteristic of online backup is that it relies on an internet
connection. For smaller data volumes a dial-up connection may be adequate, but
permanent broadband connection able to handle significantly larger volumes is a
necessity in most cases.
Whatever type of connection is used, the initial backup will take a long time. A
complete copy of the data must be encrypted, compressed, and copied. This
initial copy could possibly be unrealistically long if a large amount of data is
being sent over a dial up connection, although most online backup providers will
allow the user to break off and resume the backup later. Once this initial
backup is complete, subsequent backups will only backup files that have been
changed, making them a lot faster.
Security of Online Backups
Though some may have understandable concerns about a third party holding their
most valuable data, in reality online backups are very secure. Before being
transferred, the backup data is encrypted to 128-bit level - military grade -
making it effectively impossible for any one to intercept or decrypt the data.
The user is the only person who can read it.
Another common concern is about the security of the data storage center itself.
These are invariably class-A facilities equipped with fire suppression, security
cameras, personnel access controls, backup electricity generators, using
multiple ISPs, high-end firewalls, and clustering and mirroring techniques to
ensure the stored data is always available to clients. Except in exceptional
cases, the storage premises will be more secure than the client's own premises.