| Traditional methods of backup like optical or tape | | | | colleagues, clients or home PCs. |
| backup are very effective but they need capital to | | | | But the limitations of online backup are that it fully |
| setup and staff to operate them. An online backup is | | | | depends on Internet connections and therefore |
| free of such problems. | | | | requires permanent broadband connection to handle |
| Online backup provider offers software, which has to | | | | significantly large volumes. Also, the initial backup will |
| be installed on the computer. This allows the user to | | | | take a long time because a complete copy of the |
| select the backup files, takes care of Internet | | | | data must be encrypted, compressed and copied. |
| connection, encrypts and compresses the data and | | | | Once initial backup is complete, subsequent backups |
| transfers it through the Internet to a secure remote | | | | will only backup the files that have been changed, |
| location. The prominent advantage of using online | | | | making the process faster. Since online backup |
| backup is the disaster recovery offered by offsite | | | | companies compress the data and do only |
| storage and is easy to use. | | | | incremental backup, it may sometimes decrease the |
| Another advantage is that online backup can be done | | | | value of the backup and increase the restoration |
| even at odd hours because the providers work round | | | | time. |
| the clock, 24x7. Most importantly, online backups | | | | Though a third party holds the invaluable data in |
| decrease the amount of media needed to keep track | | | | online backup, in reality, they are quite safe and |
| of, since much of the backup storage is offloaded to | | | | secure because before being transferred, the backup |
| the offsite storage. A person need not purchase new | | | | data is encrypted to a military grade -128 bit level. |
| equipment and there are no ongoing media costs, | | | | Therefore it is impossible for anyone to intersect or |
| staff costs and so on. The running costs are also | | | | decrypt the data except for the user. |
| meager. Setup and installation of the software is | | | | The data storage center is also reliably secure, which |
| quite simple and can to be downloaded in a matter of | | | | has invariably class- A facilities equipped with fire |
| a few minutes. | | | | suppression, security cameras, personal access |
| Data recovery is also very fast since the user need | | | | control, electricity generators, mirroring techniques |
| not search for the right tape or wait for the staff to | | | | and what not. In fact, the storage premises are far |
| recover the lost data. Online backup is automatically | | | | more secure than the client's own premises. |
| completed so that after the process is over, the | | | | Online backups can be a valuable addition to the data |
| backed up files can be accessed by anyone (with | | | | protection but cannot be a replacement for manual, |
| permission), thus enabling file sharing with traveling | | | | onsite backup. |