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More than a third of all PC users have lost all or some of their data files due to catastrophic circumstances. Those circumstances can be as simple as a fatal computer crash, or as tragic as a house fire, tornado or flood. Today when more and more people store their photographs and music files on their computer, along with their tax and banking records, a data loss can be devastating.
The alternatives are two-fold. First you can backup your computer to an external hard drive. That will work if your data loss is due to a computer crash. However, it isn’t helpful if your data loss is due to a fire, flood, or other type of tragedy. In those instances, it is likely that your external hard drive will also be lost.
The best alternative is to use an online backup service for obvious reasons. For years, PC users have been skeptical about online backup services fearing that their data could easily be intercepted by hackers. Today, there are a wide variety of secure and cost-effective online backup services to meet your needs.
What should you look for?
Online backup services require an encryption key. Some services will generate an encryption key for you. Others will allow you to create your own. The encryption key is like the key to the vault, without it you can’t get to your data. Choose wisely.
Look for backup plans that will allow you to access your data from any computer and if you have more than one computer in the family, a service that will quote you one price for several computers.
