How best to keep your data safe?

There are many ways to keep your data safe ranging from saving it to a USB stick, using external drives, CD or DVD�s and automatic data backup software.

All have pro and cons. USB sticks are ultra portable but this makes them easy to lose or get stolen. They�ve also been known to become corrupted, break and simply stop working. The same applies to external hard drives, as these become cheaper some are quite flimsy and a slight knock could damage the drive.

Disks such as CD�s and DVDs get scratched easily and can be damaged through excess heat/cold temperature changes.

With all of the above if you are archiving computer information to any of these devices makes sure you make multiple copies, encrypt the data and store them safely off-site away from potential harm.

The safest and most convenient option is using automatic online backups from remote data backup services.

Such software is easy to set up and once in place automatically picks up your files, encrypts it for safety and stores it securely off-site in remote data centres. There is no hardware to purchase or maintain, you don�t need to remember to do the backups and the computer files will always be safe.

For business continuity this is a great way of ensuring quick disaster recovery in a crisis. It would form part of your business continuity plan which are available free from banks, insurers and the local council.

If you are not currently backing up using automatic data backup software you should give it a try and see how simple this method really is and even more so if you are a business following compliance guidelines and needing to prove to your regulator that you are protecting yours and any customer data. When visited by compliance officers, showing that you are using the best online backup in the UK will demonstrate how careful you are and that you take business continuity seriously.

There are plenty of companies to choose from based on whether you need Exchange backup software or just remote online data backup. Most provide a free trial so take advantage and invest 10 minutes putting in place the business continuity that will save your company when disaster hits.