What is online backup?
Online backup refers to storing data on remote servers to protect it from loss in the event of hardware failures, natural disasters, or cyberattacks. The process involves synchronizing copies of files, databases, or entire computer systems to a secure offsite location, ensuring your information is always accessible and retrievable.
Online backup vs online storage: What is the difference?
While online backup systems include elements of online storage, there are distinct differences. Online storage solutions offer easy access and sharing of files across multiple devices, while online backup services focus on regularly saving your data to ensure recoverability.
Your typical online backup options are:
- Offsite data backup: Storing copies of data on remote servers or data centers through the internet
- Cloud backup services: Using scalable cloud computing resources to store data, with the added ability to seamlessly integrate with other cloud-based services
How does online backup work?
Online backup works by transferring copies of data from a source location (such as a computer or server) to a remote server or cloud storage over the internet. The data is typically compressed and encrypted for security and efficiency before being uploaded to remote storage. Common data transfer methods include secure shell (SSH), secure file transfer protocol (SFTP), and dedicated cloud platforms.
Unlike offline solutions, your backups can be accessed from any location with an internet connection, often through a web interface or dedicated software, making it easy to recover files.
Let’s review the key differences between online vs. offline backup methods.
Factors to consider | Online backup storage | Offline backup storage |
Accessibility | Access data remotely from any location | Requires physical access to a data storage device |
Security | Stores encrypted data securely on remote servers | Requires a safe location with limited access and protection from fire, theft, or water damage |
Scalability | Easily adjusts storage capacity based on data needs | Limited by the capacity of an external storage device or offline server |
File restoration | Restores files to multiple devices quickly and remotely via the internet | Restores files manually from a physical device or series of devices |
Implementation | Simple setup with possible software installation | Involves purchasing and managing physical hardware |
Maintenance | Managed by the service provider with minimal user effort | Needs manual upkeep and monitoring of storage media |
Explore the best practices for scalable cloud data storage.
Why is online backup important for your business?
A 2024 Proofpoint report revealed 84.7% of organizations experienced one or more data loss incidents in the past year, some experiencing more than one per month.
By ensuring critical data is recoverable in case of disasters, hardware malfunctions, or human error, online backups are critical to business continuity.
Data loss, after all, can result in:
- Downtime for your business, impacting productivity and revenue
- Regulatory fines for non-compliance with data regulations
- Loss of business due to reduced trust and confidence from clients
- Damage to reputation when data breaches tarnish your brand’s image
What are the benefits of online backup?
With online backups, you don’t have to worry about losing critical content or rework due to hardware failure, accidental deletion, or even disasters. Specific benefits include:
1. Automated data backups
The problem with manual, local backups is that when people are busy with other tasks, they might neglect the task of backing up their files. With the unpredictable nature of data loss, skipping one backup could mean losing critical information, like customer data or financial records.
Online backup solutions generally offer automation features, which ensure your data is automatically saved regularly without manual intervention. Relying on automatic backups also reduces data loss due to human error, like accidentally deleted files or offline backups that omit key documents.
2. Simplified data recovery
An Arcserve survey shows that of the 76% of organizations that reported a severe loss of critical data, 45% suffered a permanent loss. Secure online backup reduces your risk of permanent data loss, making disaster recovery more intuitive.
Imagine your sales team stores customer files on external hard drives, and a fire in your office building damages all your equipment. If you have your data backed up online, you won’t lose customer information. Remotely accessing and downloading all your data would allow you to continue working — from anywhere — while you wait for your office space to become operational again.
3. Enhanced collaboration
Choosing a cloud backup solution enhances how your team collaborates on files, increasing productivity.
For instance, if you have a new document requiring multiple team members to review and provide feedback, working on files synced to the cloud ensures everyone always views the latest version. If someone accidentally overwrites final edits on a document, you can quickly restore the previous version.
4. Reduced local resources
Backing up your data online eliminates the need for physical storage devices, reducing maintenance costs associated with hardware. Online solutions also scale quickly with growing data needs, allowing for effortless storage space expansion.
Learn why your enterprise needs cloud document storage.
5. Increased compliance
Online backup software makes it easier to meet regulatory requirements and compliance standards for data storage. For example, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requires healthcare organizations to back up electronic personal health information to ensure its security and integrity.
Cloud backup solutions are built with compliance in mind, taking the stress off your team. They also provide document audit trails, which streamline reporting, and centralized access controls to ensure that only authorized individuals can access sensitive information.
Experience the best online backup solution with Box
With Box as your online backup solution, you get the peace of mind that your documents, photos, videos, and presentations are secure. Plus, you don’t need to worry about cloud storage capacity.
Using Box Drive, any changes you make to files on your desktop using apps like Microsoft 365 and Adobe sync automatically, so your team is always working on the newest version of any document. Even if you edit offline, your changes will sync when you return online.
Contact us to learn how to simplify your backups with Box.
While we maintain our steadfast commitment to offering products and services with best-in-class privacy, security, and compliance, the information provided in this blog post is not intended to constitute legal advice. We strongly encourage prospective and current customers to perform their own due diligence when assessing compliance with applicable laws.