| "Your computer backup is only as good as the | | | | provider has only been storing the information as it |
| information put into it, and the regular monitoring and | | | | appeared the day before the Windows update. |
| testing applied thereafter." | | | | You've just lost an entire year's worth of progress, |
| Q: How do I know if the online data backup and | | | | and there's nothing you can do about it. You can |
| recovery service I'm using is actually backing up my | | | | fight with your service provider to have your storage |
| computer every day? | | | | charges refunded, but that's not going to get you |
| A: Excellent question--because, unless you're receiving | | | | your data back. |
| email confirmation on a daily basis from your chosen | | | | You're extremely surprised to learn that no one |
| storage provider, telling you that your backup has | | | | employed by your service provider was monitoring |
| completed successfully on that particular day, you | | | | your account. There were no safeguards in place to |
| can't know for certain. | | | | alert you or your storage provider that something |
| And herein lies one of the many dangerous pitfalls of | | | | had gone amiss. Why? Because you chose the |
| "self-serve" websites that allow you to (translate as: | | | | cheapest solution that requires that you know |
| insist that you) download applications unassisted, | | | | enough about your own system to verify, on your |
| leaving you to install and set up the application | | | | own, that your backup is running properly. And guess |
| yourself. How can you possibly know that you've set | | | | what? You agreed to this arrangement when you |
| up the application to run properly? What assurance | | | | clicked "accept" to the service agreement at the |
| do you receive from a faceless corporate website, | | | | time of installation. You agreed that you would |
| without even a telephone number for possible | | | | monitor and test your backup yourself. |
| contact with a human being, that your digital records | | | | Shocking, but true. This being said, here are some |
| are indeed being encrypted and securely stored | | | | tips to prevent this nightmare from happening to you: |
| offsite? Are you willing to accept an automatically | | | | What Not To Do: |
| processed charge on your monthly credit card | | | | 1. Keep convincing yourself that this won't happen to |
| statement as proof that your business is being | | | | you. |
| backed up in entirety each and every day? | | | | 2. Tell yourself that you have the time, energy and |
| And with something as critical to the survival of your | | | | expertise necessary to monitor and test your backup |
| business as daily computer backup, you certainly do | | | | yourself. |
| not want to take the chance that you've missed a | | | | 3. Put off making a decision on a reliable backup |
| step or omitted a critical file from your backup set. | | | | solution for another day. |
| Moreover, as a savvy business owner, you want to | | | | 4. Employ an online data backup service based strictly |
| know that you're getting the service that you're | | | | on price. |
| paying for. | | | | What To Do: |
| But, even more to the point, the whole purpose of | | | | 1. Online services need not be impersonal nor absent. |
| computer backup is the ability to recover information | | | | Outsource your daily online data backup to a storage |
| destroyed by a hard drive crash, or lost to a fire or | | | | provider that first speaks with you to learn about |
| theft. | | | | you and your business, and then completes the |
| So picture this: 18 months ago you downloaded an | | | | software installation and setup for you. |
| application to automatically backup your computer | | | | 2. Insist on daily email confirmation that your backup |
| online on a daily basis, allowing you to erase the | | | | is running successfully. |
| concern of data loss from your mind. Every month | | | | 3. Choose a storage provider that invites you to call |
| you notice the small charge on your credit card | | | | for telephone support 24/7/365. |
| statement, and you feel relieved that your | | | | 4. Ensure that the onus for regular monitoring and |
| information is protected, and glad that you never | | | | testing of your account is placed on the storage |
| have to think about data backup. | | | | provider. They're the experts, so make them prove |
| But one day, unexpectedly, your trusty computer | | | | it. |
| crashes and wipes out your client database, all your | | | | 5. Commit right now the time and resources |
| accounting records, emails, and documents. It's a bad | | | | necessary to protect the survival of your business |
| situation, but at least once you get your new | | | | with daily offsite computer backup. Don't become a |
| computer set up you'll be able to restore your | | | | bankruptcy statistic because you procrastinated on |
| information! Right? | | | | protecting your company's more valuable asset--your |
| Wrong--because about 12 months ago you installed a | | | | information. |
| Windows update that, unbeknownst to you, changed | | | | And remember, your computer backup is only as |
| a setting that prevented your backup from running. | | | | good as your ability to recover lost information when |
| You've been charged to store your information for | | | | you need it most. Survive the crash, restore your |
| the last 12 months offsite, but your chosen service | | | | information, and look forward to your next success. |