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Cloud Backup Services: Which One is Right for You? Cloud Backup Services: Which One is Right for You?
Nothing quite compares to the feeling of losing all of your files. All the pictures, documents, movies, games and other digital materials you had... Cloud Backup Services: Which One is Right for You?

Nothing quite compares to the feeling of losing all of your files. All the pictures, documents, movies, games and other digital materials you had saved are just gone. How can you make sure your files are backed up and safe?

Using the Cloud, you can have peace of mind and security for your files. Here’s how.

Could Backup Services

What is Cloud Backup?

A Cloud backup service is a service that periodically scans your computer’s files and uploads them to the Cloud. The Cloud is the colloquial term for the interconnected system of off-site storage servers used by various network companies. Namely, Cloud storage is decentralized storage for your files that is kept online.

Cloud backup services are typically paid services that you subscribe to, not dissimilar from renting a storage unit in the real world. You’re essentially paying a company to hang on to digital copies of all of your files. This is a great system if you have a number of files that you want to keep backed up in case of emergency.

Examples

A number of companies offer these types of services. AT&T, Carbonite, Rubrik, Oracle and more offer you to access their cloud backup systems. These services are all similar: they let you back up and store your files off-site. Businesses often prefer to use these types of services, as they protect against hacking, sabotage, break-ins and fires destroying important files.

For residential use, these cloud backups are awesome if you travel a lot or use laptops primarily. For busy people who are often on the go, automated cloud backups are a life-saver. You don’t have to even think about them: your files are just backed up. If you lose your laptop or it gets destroyed, you’re covered. Well, you need a new laptop, but, you know.

Alternatives

Cloud backups aren’t your only option, though. You can also opt to back up your files manually on an external storage drive. This requires you to actually sit down and manually make copies of the files to the external drive, though, so it’s not as “clean” as automated cloud backups.

However, for those who want backups without having to pay a fee for cloud services, this is a good option. As long as you remember to back-up your files once per month or so, you’ll have a pretty good backlog of your own files. Then, if your files get lost, you can simply re-upload them from your external drive.