Backing up of data has come of age. Those were the days when even in large companies part of an employee’s regular chore was to undertake the backup of data every single day. Companies cannot afford to compromise on a stringent backup policy as the stored data is too valuable to lose in the event of malfunction of the computer.
Computers and their functioning can be adversely affected by the smallest errors. Files can be corrupted and damaged due to various reasons from natural disasters, human error and system failures. The damage caused can either be logical damage or a physical damage and both cases can lead to data loss.
Companies cannot afford to risk data loss and so over the years backup has become a very integral part of the functioning of a company. Most backup media that are available come with a shelf life and are not permanent in nature. Of the media available, tapes and portable hard drives offered a somewhat hardy solution to a company’s backup needs.
The task of backup didn’t end with backup but had to continue into archival maintenance, security and updating. With the increase in volume of data to be backed up and a solution that could protect against natural disasters, the concept of remote and online backup has come to play a central role in backing up data.
Outsourcing versus DIY Backup
The emergence of remote backup has seen many companies choosing to outsource this integral function. The main idea behind remote back up is that there is a backup of the data off site and so even under extreme natural disasters, all is not lost and a company can resume functioning very soon. Also, once backup is out sourced it does not require any real time of employees as it is automatically carried out and the details are handled by the company offering the service.
Another reason companies prefer outsourcing backup is because the data is more secure against theft. With backup being done on physical media and kept on the premises, there is a risk of valuable data being stolen. Most companies who outsource data backup are assured that there is an encryption code which helps protect the data from hackers.
If data backup is not outsourced and has to be done on a regular basis, the chance of an oversight is high and failing to backup on the one occasion that disaster strikes can be catastrophic to a company. The sheer volume of data to be backed up also ends up being a monumental administrative task. Storing data and maintenance can be quite tedious and sometimes almost impossible.
Outsourcing backup also ensures that the data is available anytime, anywhere and one does not need to physically carry around backup media. The companies who offer backup services manage the whole function efficiently and with the maximum possible security.
Time being so valuable to the corporate world, the outsourcing of data backup saves a lot of time as it is an automatic process. Employees can function more efficiently without constantly having to worry about backup. If backup is done in house, it involves cleaning of the tape drives regularly, having to physically carry around tapes so they can be accessible at all times, test and restore at intervals and maintain several backup rotation.
Remote backup does not restrict the number of computers and multiple computers can be backed up.
Drawbacks of Outsourcing
The main drawback of outsourcing backup is that one cannot lose the encryption password. If lost it means losing all the backup data. However, on the other hand despite the security features of remote backup there is always the chance of hackers getting to data that is online.
Being dependent on another company implies trusting that the internal functioning of that company will go on smoothly. If the server there is down it would stall accessing of data. If the outsourcing company winds up there could be a chance of losing data. Despite the backup being automatically carried out it does require maintenance and management internally to keep track of all the data that is backed up.
Conclusion
While there are a few drawback to outsourcing backup versus doing it internally, they are relatively trivial compared to the very real advantages of having a professional company carry out the service.
It is too important an aspect to be ignored and yet fairly tedious to have to be carried out on an ongoing basis. Given the nature of this function, outsourcing backup offers the best option to safely and efficiently carry out backup of data. Computer Forensics (or Digital Forensics) experts can provide you with more information on keeping your data safe.