Your Questions: Answered
How likely is it that I’ll lose my data?
Computers are mechanical devices and as such will eventually break down and stop working, potentially taking your data with them. They are also subject to wear and tear from a myriad of sources that can affect their lifespan. Finally, unforeseen events such as power surges, accidents, fires or flooding can render your computer’s hard drive unusable at any time. This unpredictability makes it important to have a backup solution in place for all of your critical files.
How often should I back up my files?
This mainly depends on how often you modify the information in your files. Small business owners may alter some of their files on a daily basis and should back them up daily, or even continuously. Personal computer users may change their data less frequently and a weekly or monthly backup schedule may work better for them.
What backup options are available?
You can back up your files using external storage media such as flash drives, external hard drives, CD or DVD-RW disks, or even computer tape if you have a large amount of data to store.
There are also online or cloud based solutions where an online backup service will automatically backup and store your data at a remote location in encrypted form for a monthly subscription fee.
How do I choose the best solution?
There really is no one best solution for everyone. The best solution for you is one that is reasonable from a cost perspective, easy to use and provides the level of protection you need.
You need to consider the importance of your data when choosing a backup option. Is your data absolutely critical, or could you live without it? The more important your data is the greater precautions you’ll want to take. Cloud based data backup tends to offer better security than external storage media.
How quickly will you need to recover your data if it’s lost? Local storage media tend to offer the fastest way to retrieve your data. These are all questions you need to consider when choosing a backup option.
Which backup method is the most cost-effective?






