Benefits of Online Backup
Many things can cause data corruption and accidental computer file loss, from viruses to hard drive crashes, making file backup is an essential part of online security. According to a 2016 study by Acronis, 1 in 3 people have suffered data loss and would be willing to pay $500 or more to recover lost files. But can you really put a price on those vacation photos, pet and baby videos, or letters from friends and relatives?
What would you lose if your computer crashed?
- Photos and Music
It's estimated that more than 1.7 trillion digital photos were taken in 2017. More than $7.8 billion was spent on digital music worldwide in 2016. Restoring lost music can be timely and expensive, but you’d be sorrier you didn’t print that photo of your baby's first steps. - Addresses and Phone Numbers
Huge amounts of contact information are stored on computers, and almost all operating systems now come equipped with an application that works as a Rolodex stand-in. E-mail address books are commonly used to store phone numbers and postal addresses as well. That means if you lost your email address book and a former coworker's phone number were stored there, you couldn't even call to tell him what happened, making the benefits of online backup critical. - Business Documents and Resumes
The lines between work and home are more and more blurred, with bring-your-own-device (BYOD) now a widely accepted norm. Resumes, job histories, and work references take a great deal of time to compile, but through accidental file loss or data corruption, they can be erased in a second.
The risks of computer file loss
While a computer crash is the most common way to lose files, there are other risks to consider, too. You could also lose data due to viruses, theft, natural disaster, accidental deletion or software corruption.
What are the benefits of online backup? The facts speak for themselves. According to the online publication Small Business Trends:
- Each week in the United States, more than 140,000 hard drives will fail
- Of all hard drive failures, 29% are caused by accidents
- Only 6 percent of computer users back up their files daily.
Recovering lost files
While data recovery services exist, they are expensive and sometimes impossible. The best way to prevent losing valuable information is to back up the files stored on your hard drive. Then if disaster strikes, you can easily access a secure copy of the information you need.
How to back up files
Files should be backed up to a cloud-based online account or to a local device such as an external hard drive. Software programs can greatly simplify the process. Be sure to look for automatic backup capabilities so your files will be protected regularly and you never have to worry about forgetting to back up.
About online backup
The benefits of online backup are many. Not only does it protect files from loss, but it can also make them more useful. You can access online files from any computer and securely share them with friends and family. Sending file sharing links is a great alternative to large email attachments.
Products like SecureAnywhere® Internet Security Complete include automatic file backup to an online account or local device. Webroot uses multiple layers of security to protect your files and privacy during online backups. Data is encrypted twice and transmitted to Webroot’s high-security data centers.
To learn more about the benefits of online file backup, read our Protecting Your Digital Life report.
