In this technological age, almost everyone’s important data and information is stored on laptops and computers. While they may seem like safe places to keep your stuff, they can also be unreliable. Data stored on your laptop can easily be wiped, be it by accidental deletion, a system failure, database corruption, hack or virus. As such, data back-up has never been more important.
Luckily for you, though, with online Cloud storage, it’s also never been easier. There are so many ways you can back up your data online, and at little to no cost. Save yourself the pain and hassle of losing crucial business or personal files with one of these third-party Cloud solutions:
1. Dropbox – with Dropbox, you can store and share all kinds of files, and depending on how much space you need, it’s free of charge. It’s simple and easy to use, and you can also access your files from your phone with the Dropbox app, making it number one for convenience. They offer up to 2GB storage free, with pro accounts allowing you up to 500 GB starting at $9.99 a month.
2. myDrive – based in Switzerland, myDrive pride themselves on data security and give users free storage of up to 2GB. You can use it to back up your information, as a sharing platform or as the collaborative platform in a business. If 2GB isn’t enough, you can order as much additional space as you need, from 1GB to 1000GB, at reasonable prices.
3. Google Cloud Storage – when it comes to anything computer-based, Google are a company you know you can put your trust in. Their cloud storage allows you to store, access and manage your data through their secure and reliable storage infrastructure. You can try it out for free and if it suits your needs, pay next to nothing per month for unlimited storage data forever.
These are some of the many ready available Cloud storage services, but if you would prefer to do it yourself, you can always set up your own cloud using a wireless hard drive. Installing software like SyncBack for Windows makes backing up your computer to an external drive quick and easy, and you can set it to do regular back ups automatically so you don’t have to keep updating it yourself. You can get a basic version for free, or if you need to do more complex back ups, for example on a business computer setup, you can download home or professional versions at little cost.
Using a third-party Cloud storage is generally the cheapest and quickest way to back up your data, though not necessarily the most reliable. Make sure you go with a reliable company, and if your data is very important, don’t be frugal. If you can get extra security guaranteed for a small price, then pay it, it will be worth it in the long-run. If you are unsure about a company’s reputability, then think twice before trusting them to store your data. Cloud options offered by Google, Dropbox or Microsoft, like Google Cloud, Google Drive and SkyDrive are reliable and secure back-up solutions.
