Summary: Cloud technology is growing at a rapid pace, given the multiple benefits of cloud storage. It is a secured storage solution preferred by many organizations and individuals, alike. But should we put all our eggs in one basket and completely rely on cloud backups for data security? Let’s find out.
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The rise in internet connectivity lead to an ever-increasing consumption of data which gave birth to the need for a storage solution that is secured, dynamic, and scalable. This gave birth to cloud storage and cloud backups.
Cloud storage is a new-age data storage solution that provides off-site flexible storage to users for creating backup on cloud. Unlike traditional storage drives that are bulky and prone to physical or logical damage, cloud backups are remotely stored, accessed, and managed.
Since its inception, this technology has seen rapid adoption by corporates as well as individuals. It offers several advantages, such as ease-of-access, reliability, and security. However, many data breaches like the iCloud data breach have compelled users to look for an alternate and safer data storage solution for confidential data.
Why Cloud Backups Aren’t Enough?
It is a fact that in the past few years, cloud backups have become quite popular among the masses, thanks to its simplicity, data availability, and scalability. It allows data on the cloud to be readily available to a user in any part of the world.
While they provide security and global access, cloud backups have many shortcomings as well. Let’s assume a situation where an unfortunate disaster has caused network disruption between you and your cloud service provider. All your data stored on it will become inaccessible and your work will stall.
This is where local storage solutions come into play. Local storage solutions provide an additional layer of data security, which can help during any unforeseen situation. In case of severe cloud service failure, local storage could provide immediate data backup and can restore the work in no time.
In case of individuals, local storage could prove to be an even better data backup option as all the sensitive data is locally available and stored securely.
Though there are many pros of cloud backups, the flipside to it is full of reasons that can make anyone ask why complete cloud storage dependency for data backups is a bad choice. Let’s look at some of them –
- Increased cost
Cloud service seems economical in the beginning when you need to store a small amount of data. However, as the data accumulates or an organization grows, the cost of renting cloud storage servers on monthly basis becomes huge. This steady rise in cost could become a liability. A locally available data storage solution like a server or hard drive could help an organization lower the costs of data storage, while providing data security at the same time.
- Security
Cloud storage providers created public API, a way to provide cloud access to everyone. This piece of code allows storage providers to grant access to global users. However, doing so also exposes the interface to malicious individuals who can exploit vulnerabilities in API and misuse user data. There is no doubt that cloud backups have security layers like end-to-end encryption to safeguard user data but still, the chances of cyberattacks remain high.
3. Switching cloud service provider is difficult
Switching cloud service provider is a time consuming process as the data takes time to download backup from cloud and upload it back on another cloud. This is also dependent upon the internet bandwidth and the size of the cloud backup. A small batch of data can be easily downloaded, but if it is quite large, running in tens of TBs, then it will surely take much longer time.
4. Potential post-contract data loss
There are many cloud service providers offering attractive deals for personal and corporate users. However, one should not simply hop on the bus and rather look at the policies before choosing the best cloud backup service. You should check the cloud data backup policies for data access and download. This will save you from getting locked out of your account and lose access to your data, once your contract ends.
5. Network Dependence
Cloud backups require fast and stable internet connection to upload and download files. If your internet connection is unstable, slow, or has low bandwidth, you may not be able to access or upload your data. This might leave you frustrated. On the other hand, it is much faster to backup your data on a local storage solution like HDDs. Further, if there is no internet connection, you won’t be able to backup on cloud or even access your already stored backups at all.
Local Storage – A Backup Solution for Cloud Backups
As discussed earlier, locally available solutions like HDDs can offer a fast, simple, and secured data storage experience. They can be used alongside your cloud backup and can even be used for storing highly sensitive data, which cannot be stored on cloud backups. Both of these services can work in tandem and can be used if either of the two goes offline.
As a safety measure, you could also keep a copy of a professional data recovery tool like Stellar Data Recovery Professional handy for recovering data in case your local storage drives crashes. Stellar Data Recovery Professional easily recovers data lost in various data loss scenarios like formatting, accidental deletion, corruption, and more. It supports recovery of almost every type of data from any storage device like HDDs, SSDs, and more.
Conclusion
Cloud backups are amazing. They make your personal or organization’s data globally accessible, right on your computer or mobile screen. But when it comes to the success and continuity of your business, relying on just one storage is a terrible idea. A locally available storage solution should be available that is secured and can be relied upon in a situation like network disruption. And if in case, there is an issue with your locally available backup, you can always rely upon a professional data recovery software like Stellar Data Recovery Professional for recovering your data and getting your work back on track in no time.
FAQs
How do I backup my data locally without creating cloud backups?
The simplest way to create a local backup is to copy all the data onto a storage drive like HDD, SSD, or a Pen Drive.
What is the best strategy to backup data?
The best strategy is the 3-2-1 backup rule, which states that you should have at least 3 copies of your data on 2 different media with one copy stored offsite in the form of a cloud backup.
Can cloud backups be hacked?
In simple words, yes. They can be hacked. There have been numerous data breaches in the past where attackers gained access to user data stored on cloud and used it for malicious intent.
How do I create a backup on cloud?
Select a reliable cloud service provider, purchase a suitable plan, install the cloud backup software, and upload the desired files to create a data backup on cloud.
