Got cloud backup? If you haven’t already shifted from on-premises backup solutions to online ones, it could be time to seriously consider it. That’s because online backups are faster, easier and far more reliable than on-premise.
Getting it sorted, however, depends on knowing a few facts. Here’s our pick of the top cloud myths – and we bust each one of them, too.
- Myth 1: External hard drives and manual backups are good enough
For years, for many small to medium businesses, a thumb drive, hard drive or network attached drive was the only real option for a backup. Newsflash: those devices, while they provide a level of protection, are woefully inadequate. For one thing, as soon as someone forgets to do the backup…you have a problem (and people are notoriously unwilling to do backups). External drives are susceptible to theft, computer viruses, fires, floods, just plain getting lost or breaking, and other disasters.
Compare that to cloud backup systems. They are true ‘set and forget’ arrangements. Once implemented, they work automatically in the background, whether anyone notices or not.
- Myth 2: Storage is backup
Many of us use cloud storage ‘lockers’, like OneDrive or Google Drive. They may seem like backup solutions, but they aren’t. These services will protect information to a degree – but they do not have versioning capabilities to protect against the most common forms of data loss (like information compromised by a virus or other malware).
A proper backup solution provides more features and flexibility to protect information, not just store it.
- Myth 3: I’ve got anti-virus, so ransomware won’t lock me out of my data
Your data is valuable which is why you back it up. Hackers know that and, with ransomware, attempt to encrypt your data, then charge for access. These operators are smart and can get around even the best anti-virus software. If they get in, cloud backup with versioning is your best defence. You can just roll back to a restore point before the ransomware hit, effectively wiping it out. It’s almost like time travel.
- Myth 4: Cloud backup is expensive…too expensive
Actually, like many cloud solutions, online backup is quite affordable; certainly more affordable than dealing with lost data or ransomware. One bit of value it delivers which doesn’t have a price tag on it is peace of mind. We believe that’s worth a lot.
- Myth 5: The cloud isn’t secure
While we accept that nothing is entirely secure – even Fort Knox could, in theory, be breached given the right levels of motivation and resources – the cloud and the many services available from it has proven to be highly secure. Probably most notable is that any good cloud backup solution provider is FAR more secure than a small to medium business is. The levels of encryption, redundancy and reliability which go into these solutions costs millions to establish (those millions are shared across hundreds of thousands of clients). Properly implemented and configured, we’re happy to say your data in a cloud backup solution might as well be in Fort Knox.