| Online backup is something that most of us need. | | | | will find that most of the well-known online backup |
| You may have realized this already. But when you | | | | services do work very well, but reassuring yourself is |
| start thinking about using an online backup service | | | | very important. |
| yourself, you wouldn't be human if you didn't have a | | | | - What happens if my online backup service goes out |
| few doubts. | | | | of business? This is a perennial worry in this or any |
| After all, you are entrusting your money and your | | | | other field, especially in the current economic climate. |
| precious data to people who are total strangers to | | | | Even well-established companies have no cast-iron |
| you. You can't see them. In most cases you can't | | | | guarantee against business failure. But every |
| speak to them (although some companies do | | | | company should have a contingency plan for what |
| operate a telephone support service.) You can't see | | | | would happen to your data if they were to go out |
| what is happening to your files. Nobody could blame | | | | of business - how to guarantee its security and |
| you for chewing your nails a bit. | | | | safety. Your best plan is to ask them, before finally |
| So what are the most common worries that people | | | | committing yourself. |
| have about online backup? | | | | - How can I be certain that unauthorized people can't |
| - How do I know my files are being backed up? You | | | | get access to my confidential files? This can be a |
| have paid your money but nothing much seems to | | | | very daunting thought, especially as you hear rumors |
| be happening. How do you know that if you lost | | | | of some online backup services accessing people's |
| your data tomorrow, you could get it back? Most | | | | data and using it for marketing purposes. But every |
| online backup services provide an icon on your | | | | good online backup service nowadays has an |
| computer desktop, which you can click at any time | | | | encryption system in place. The files are encrypted |
| to check if backup is taking place. A good service will | | | | before being sent to the data storage center, and |
| also allow you to log in and view all the files that are | | | | can only be decrypted with the decryption key |
| backed up, either from your computer or a different | | | | provided by yourself - i.e. your password. So nobody |
| one. | | | | can access your data, including the backup service |
| - How can I be sure that I can retrieve my files? This | | | | itself. |
| is a big one. Of course you hope that you will never | | | | These are all perfectly reasonable questions, and you |
| lose your data and so have to find out the hard way. | | | | should find that most online backup services will |
| But half the point of using an online backup service is | | | | provide this information on their web site. If not, the |
| to give you peace of mind from knowing that if the | | | | time to ask them is before you confirm your |
| worst happened, you would be able to retrieve your | | | | purchase. If they won't answer the question, or the |
| files. Your best plan is to "accidentally" delete a file, or | | | | answer isn't satisfactory, choose another service. If |
| more than one - not too essential - and then contact | | | | you don't trust the service, you won't have peace of |
| the online backup service to restore the data. You | | | | mind. |