Best Data Backup Strategy for Business: Onsite or Offsite

All business owners know that it’s wise to back up their data. The difficult part is figuring out which backup strategy works best: onsite or offsite.

Which strategy will work best for your business? Keep reading to learn more about each approach so that you can choose the best data backup strategy.

Using On-Site Backup

It’s easy and affordable to utilize a backup system onsite. Backing up your information is simple and quick, with no passwords required.

This data backup strategy usually comes in the form of a hard drive or a USB, meaning it’s easy to have immediate access to data, it’s cost-effective and Internet access is not required.

On-site backup is enticing for its safety from cyber attacks. However, just because it’s not connected to the Internet doesn’t mean a hard drive is theft-proof.

In today’s environment, if someone wants your information, they’ll find a way to steal it. For instance, if you have a disgruntled employee or you accidentally leave your computer somewhere unattended, you could be at risk.

Hard drives and USBs can also be easily destroyed. Say you accidentally drop coffee on your hard drive. That information is now gone forever.

Lastly, hard drives are a part of technology, which has a shelf life. Whether their tape drives become desensitized because of heat or magnets or it simply becomes old and degrades, a hard drive will eventually fail you.

Using an Offsite Data Backup Strategy

Using offsite backup is a popular choice for many businesses. There are plenty of affordable options and price points for any size company to back up their information online and offsite.

Many businesses choose this option because they know their information is completely encrypted, making it safer from potential hackers. The same encryption levels for transmission and storage, which are used for banks and the government, are used for their data too.

They also realize that they have access to data from anywhere at any time with an Internet or FTP connection. They also don’t have to worry about forgetting their hard drive. Plus, data is preserved in case of a situation happening within the business and information can be shared with remote locations.

The downsides? You lose control over your data, there’s usually a long wait to upload and back it up, and if your Internet goes down, your access to your data goes down as well.

Using Both as a Data Backup Strategy

Increasingly, businesses are using both strategies rather than choosing only one. This way, if one way fails, everything isn’t lost.

Neither strategy is fail-proof. It comes down to personal preference. Most IT professionals agree it’s smarter to use both methods rather than relying solely on either one of them.

At Sagacent Technologies, we offer technology solutions for both onsite and offsite backup. To find out how it can benefit your company, contact us today for a free 1-hour consultation.

Sagacent Technologies offers technology management and support, including proactive/preventative maintenance, onsite and offsite data back-ups, network and security audits, mobility solutions, disaster planning and emergency business resumption services. The company serves clients of 10 to 150 employees within the Silicon Valley region.