How do I make an automatic backup?
Are you worried about losing all your company information? Don't take the problem lightly, because a technical problem, a fire or even theft can deprive you of all your computer data and put you in difficulty. Creating a backup is now a simple matter. With a few explanations, you can choose the most appropriate solution for your business. Find out more about our tips on corporate data backup.
A medium adapted to your needs
When it comes to storage media, there are a large number of solutions available, but not all of them are the same if you're using them for business purposes. What may be sufficient for home use quickly reaches its limits when you're using it for more demanding purposes.
Removable local backup
Of course, everyone has a USB key or an external hard drive, so that data can be easily transported to meetings, or a few files can be passed on to a colleague. But this type of media is far from sufficient for a full backup or even an incremental backup. Backing up your PC requires significant storage space, and you can't just make do with a removable local backup. These media are :
- CD/DVD & Blu-ray: These are burned as and when required, and can sometimes be erased for re-use.
- USB sticks & memory cards: These can hold a large number of files, but are not very satisfactory for backing up your data.
- External hard drive: This is like a big USB stick. It just allows you to store a larger quantity of data. If you really don't have a lot of data to back up, you can make do with it, but if you have more than one computer to protect, you won't be able to use this solution.
Fixed local backup
This is still the most widely used computer backup solution, but not necessarily the most practical! It's based on the use of a NAS or Network Attached Storage. This is an independent, stand-alone server containing one or more hard disks. No software or drivers are required to use it. Once connected to your network, it acts like a conventional hard disk, storing all your data. It's the perfect solution for extending the storage capacity of all the computers on your network.
This server centralizes your data and facilitates the sharing of information between colleagues. But it can also fail, and you won't be able to recover your data if your company suffers a fire or heavy water damage.
Online backup
This is the easiest type of backup for novices who don't want to take computer courses to understand how a server works! It's a secure storage platform that lets you define your backup parameters. Full backup, incremental or differential backup, you define your needs. Online backup or cloud computing lets you store, retrieve and exchange your data from any computing device connected to the Internet. Need to view a file while on international travel? It's the ideal solution if you don't need to carry all your information on a hard disk. What's more, your information is updated regularly, so you can all access the latest version of a file as soon as it has been modified by another employee and saved.
However, take the time to choose an online backup solution that meets your company's needs. Files can quickly accumulate, and your storage space needs to be large enough not to quickly become saturated. You should also check the security of your data, as there may be risks of hacking. Don't choose the cheapest solution, but the one that can guarantee real security.
Best practices to protect your data
Automatically backing up your data is the first step you should take to ensure the longevity of your company's memory. But you can go a step further and launch a genuine data protection strategy. Getting together with your staff to define a set of backup rules to be respected, or being trained in the proper use of the Internet by understanding its deIn our article dedicated to protecting and backing up your computer data, you'll find a few tips to help you in this process.
If your staff or colleagues are aware of the possibility of having their e-mail hacked, or of losing data by carrying out certain actions, they'll find it easier to take the important steps to avoid jeopardizing your company's information. With a few tricks up your sleeve, you'll be able to keep your data safe and secure, and exchange files with less risk of loss.
To ensure that your information is truly protected, don't neglect your choice of backup media. For your company, opt first and foremost for a backup on a server or on an online backup platform (cloud). The latter is simpler to use if you're not a computer expert.
Article translated from French