There’s a lot of talk these days about backing up your online data in places other than your regular hard drive. Companies like Google and Outlook have created huge clouds where people can store their important documents, and many customers pay for additional space and support.
But why is backing up your data so important, and why has it emerged so recently? The truth is, the amount of information in the world is expanding more rapidly than ever before. Your documents are just one piece of a trillion-piece puzzle. It’s important that you take all of the necessary precautions to protect this information and keep it safe from prying eyes. Backing up your data is an integral part of that process, and here’s why it’s so important.
You won’t lose your information if disaster strikes
There are so many types of physical disasters that will wipe out your data if it’s just in your office. A fire, a flood, or a tornado are a few extreme examples that your mind might jump to. These are definitely legitimate concerns, and natural disasters happen every day all over the world. Take a look at where you are located–by the sea? in the Dust Bowl?–and assess your risk accordingly.
But what most people don’t consider are the “everyday disasters”. If your small firm has five computers and one gets broken, that’s one-fifth of your data gone down the drain. It’s not that hard for a computer to break, either. You could spill coffee on it or drop it, or a technical malfunction within the computer itself could cause it to shut down. Protect against disasters, both large and small, by backing up your data.
Your information can travel with you
In the Information Age, everything is mobile. Today, more people are looking at your website from a phone than from a computer; that’s a fact. If you want to be successful in today’s global age, your business needs to be portable and operable on-the-go. When you keep all of your data stored physically on your hard drive, you can’t leave the office without taking all of your equipment with you.
Cloud systems and other types of data backup, on the contrary, aren’t physical and they move with you. That means if you have a business trip to Tokyo, you’ll potentially have everything you need on your phone. Not only is this convenient, but it’s essential for the global Information Age.
You need to protect the privacy and security of your company
Finally, backup means safety. If a robber breaks in and steals your computer, that sensitive information is now uniquely in their hands. But with most backup systems, you have the ability to monitor, edit, or delete documents from another source. By simply logging into your backup system, you could cut off the thief’s access to your personal information.
Of course, robbery is not the only scenario where this feature comes in handy. Backing up your data also prevents against losing important documents, like tax records or licenses, that could lead your business into a lot of trouble if they went missing. Keep your data out of the wrong hands and safely in your hands by backing it up.
These are just a few of the many reasons that backing up your data is essential. The best part about cloud backup is that you can start today–all you need is a free account with a service like Google Drive or OneDrive, and you’ll instantly have a more secure, private, portable data storage solution.
