A lot of companies offer online backup services and while this is a good development for users, it also poses significant risks. There have been reports of online backup services losing clients’ data and even, the mighty companies do fall. In 2009, Carbonite lost the data of over 7500 of its clients and although this was brought under control, it underscores the need for careful selection of a service provider. Some of the points to consider before making a selection include the following.
Verify their Security Measures
• Never use a provider that doesn’t offer AES 256-bit encryption and an SSL (Secure Socket Layer) transmission channel.
• Never use a provider that doesn’t offer CDP (Continuous Data Protection). CDP ensures that your data is backed up as new changes are made.
• Never use a provider with an unproven track record of keeping customer data intact.
• Never use a provider that cannot offer several high security data storage centers in different geographical locations.
• It’s better to use a provider that offers access restriction to pre-selected IP addresses. This makes it impossible for unauthorized persons to access your data from any other location.