How to Choose an Online Backup Service

There are countless ways to lose your data, but with an online backup service, you can rest assured that your files are safe if your PC is ever lost, stolen or damaged. It doesn’t take a catastrophic event to lose all of your data. Hard drives are delicate pieces of machinery and can stop working without warning.

Backup drives are highly recommended, but you’ll to remember to plug it into your PC on a regular basis. You should consider an online backup service if you can’t keep in the habit of backing up your computer to a hard drive or want an extra layer of protection.

Thanks to high-speed Internet connections and advances in software, it’s easier than ever to back up your computer to protect your important files. Online backup services can be used to back up your data automatically, easily and securely.  These services generally cost about $55 a year per PC you want to back up.

Unlike using a hard drive, online backup services use a small piece of software on your computer to send your data securely to a remote location. Having your files stored at a datacenter offers an added level of protection against data loss disasters such as fire, flood or theft.

There are many online backup services, but it’s generally a good idea to make sure the one you’re using offers:

• Automatic backups – This simplifies process for you because your data will be automatically protected.
• Versions of backups – This lets you restore an earlier version of an important file in the event that you accidentally delete a crucial part of a Word document and save the change.
• Security – The most secure vendors use 448 bit Blowfish technology to secure your files. You don’t need to know much else other than that Blowfish is considered one of the best methods of securing files!
• Easy access to your backups online and off – You should be able to access your files through a web browser or through the backup application. Some services will send you DVDs with your data in case you don’t have access to the Internet or if you have to restore a lot of information.

There are 3 steps to getting started with an online backup solution for automatically and easily backing up your PC.

1. Choose a company to use for your online backups. Two of the biggest names in online backup are Mozy and Carbonite ; both offer free trials of their services to help you figure out which one works best for you.
2. Purchase a subscription and install the backup software on your computer. This should only take a few minutes after which the software will ask you a few questions about what you want to backup. The software is designed to identify important files.
3. Make sure you leave your computer on and connected to the internet until the initial backup is created. The first backup will take a while but after that’s done, the program will only backup new and changed files. Backups will happen slowly while you are using the computer so that you aren’t slowed down by the process; if you leave the computer on and not in use the backups will be significantly faster. Bear in mind, it may take several days to complete your initial backup if you a ton of files and data stored on your computer.