The Different Methods For Personal Data Backup

One of the most fundamental concepts in data management and data security is backup. Essentially, data backup refers to the process of creating copies or duplicates of important data and subsequently storing it someplace safe. This strategy helps you avoid different kinds of data threats, including but not limited to file corruption, hardware failure, hacking, and data theft. Fortunately, we have a lot of options when it comes to backing up our data. In this article, we are going to explore some of these options and explain the advantages and drawbacks of each one of them. This list will include the following: physical, cloud, as well as NAS storage and backup.

But first, why do you need to back up your files?

Data, in all its forms, has now become a critical component of our lives. In this modern world, we regularly deal with data for things like our accounts, passwords, email addresses, credit card numbers, and so on. Our lives have become so involved with data that, in case something goes wrong, it can significantly disrupt our daily activities. Additionally, data threats have also become a lot more damaging lately. Unlike in the early years of the internet, where data threats are often in the form of harmless pranks, these things now have considerable impacts on our person, our property, and even our relationships. This is why data management and data security are of paramount importance.

Physical storage units

The simplest and most common method of backing up your data is by keeping them in physical storage units. This typically involves using hard disk drives (HDDs) or solid-state drives (SSDs). This method of data storage and backup allows for direct and extremely convenient access to data because you effectively own and control everything. If you prefer or need to have this much degree of accessibility as regards your files, then this setup is best for you. Do note, however, that this method tends to be quite heavy on cost and maintenance. Because you own everything, you have to look after the parts and components every now and then. If you run out of space, you also have to acquire the parts and install them yourself, which can quickly add up to the total cost of the setup.

Cloud storage and backup

Cloud storage and backup are great alternatives to physical storage units. Instead of keeping your files in HDDs and SSDs, you can opt to upload them directly to a cloud server. This means a couple of things. First, you save up local storage space on your computers, which means you can store more important and more frequently accessed files. Second, you won’t have to deal with any maintenance, which could save you some money in the long run. Finally, because cloud servers are owned by third parties, there’s some degree of responsibility and liability involved, which can increase security and quality of service. Cloud storage and backup provide you with the ability to access your files from anywhere. However, because it is heavily reliant on internet connectivity, it can be quite slow, erratic, or unreliable at times.

NAS system

A Network-Attached Storage (NAS) system is very much similar to that of a cloud server. However, instead of being owned and operated by a third-party service provider, it is attached to your own private network. Effectively, because the storage system is attached to your own private network, only you will have access to these files. It could also provide you with better upload and download speeds since it does not involve any external communications. If you tend to keep very sensitive files or if you want to have some qualities of both physical and cloud backup, then this setup could work for you.