We like to have two backup methods operational at any business to minimise the risk of data loss. Ideally we have something like Shadowprotect saving an image of the whole of each server to on-site storage, and an online backup of your important data.

For a discussion on Shadowprotect, click here

Our online backup using Crashplan Pro E has the following benefits:

• Backups are point in time and completely unlimited. You can backup anything on your computer and it will keep every copy you send to it.
• Backups can be encrypted prior to leaving your computer, nobody can access your data without your passphrase and / or key file. *
• Data is stored in Sydney, at no point does it leave Australia.
• Backups are setup to report to you weekly and anytime there is a problem, even if it hasn’t backed up in x days.

Possible cons to any online backup:

• * Don’t lose the encryption passphrase and / or key file. If you do there is no way to restore your data. Yes we’ll happily keep a copy safe for you.
• Bandwidth – You’ll need enough of it to upload backups overnight and may have to watch your upload data limit. Any reasonably new business plan should be fine.
• The first backup may take many days. If your data set is huge it can be “seeded” by sending the data on physical storage.

We see online backups, properly set up, as an essential service.

Costs are low, $20 per month, per computer backed up.