Introduction
Having a good backup solution for your family’s computers is absolutely essential these days. As we rely more and more on our computers to store important photos, documents, and other irreplaceable data, it’s crucial to have a backup system in place that can save you when something goes wrong. In this article, I will discuss the must-have features you should look for in a backup solution for your family’s computers.
Automated Backups
The most important feature in any backup solution is automation. You want a system that will automatically back up your computer’s data on a regular basis without you having to remember to do it manually. Setting up a completely automated system takes the hassle out of backups and ensures your data is regularly protected.
Look for backup software or services that allow you to customize the backup frequency. For example, you may want backups to run every day, week, or month. Daily automated backups provide the best protection against data loss.
Offsite Backup Storage
While having an external hard drive to backup your computer locally is better than no backup at all, it still leaves you vulnerable to catastrophic events like fires, floods, or theft that could destroy the backup drive along with your computer.
For the best protection, you need offsite or cloud backup storage. This means having a copy of your backup data stored remotely on secure servers or storage infrastructure that is not physically located with your computer. Popular cloud backup services like Backblaze and Carbonite make this easy.
Multiple Backup Versions
Any backup solution you choose should offer versioning – the ability to retain multiple iterations of backup files over time. Versioning makes it easy to recover previous versions of files if you’ve made changes to a document and need to go back to an older draft.
Look for a backup service that keeps multiple versions of your backups for at least the past 30 days. Some may allow you to specify how long to retain backup versions.
Security
For backups containing sensitive personal data, security is a top concern. Look for backup solutions that encrypt your data both during transmission and storage. Encrypted data remains secure and unreadable without the proper encryption key.
Services that offer zero-knowledge encryption allow only you to access the encryption keys, preventing unauthorized access from anyone else. Verifying security practices and encryption protocols is important when evaluating backup providers.
Restore Testing
While regular automated backups provide peace of mind that your data is protected, you don’t really know your backup is working until you test restoring files. Any backup service worth using should provide the ability to restore backups and download files when needed.
Periodically request sample restores to confirm your backups are working properly. Also verify how quickly you’re able to access restored files in the event you need them. Fast and reliable restores are key in case of emergency or data loss events.
Maintain Multiple Backup Locations
I recommend maintaining at least three copies of important backup data in separate locations. For example, you could have one copy on an external hard drive, one copy on a local network attached storage device, and one copy in the cloud. This provides redundancy if one backup fails or becomes unavailable.
Spreading backups across devices also facilitates faster restores when needed. You can retrieve data from the source that’s quickest to access.
Customer Support
Even with automated systems, backups occasionally encounter issues that require troubleshooting. Choose a backup provider that offers 24/7 customer support in case questions or problems arise. The ability to easily get help from knowledgeable support staff provides peace of mind.
Prioritize services that offer phone, chat, email, and self-service support options. Check reviews and test out support channels yourself before purchasing a long-term subscription.
Conclusion
Protecting your family’s important digital data requires a robust backup solution with key features like automation, versioning, security, and redundancy across multiple destinations. Taking the time to set up reliable backups avoids heartache down the road if computers fail or data is lost. With the right provider, you can have peace of mind knowing your files are secure.
