As a small business owner or manager, you know how important it is to have extra copies of your most important data. You’ve seen enough headlines, or read enough of our articles, to understand that even minor tragedies like lightning strikes could wipe out customer records, financial documents, and other important details you need to run your company.

What you might be overlooking, though, is the importance of storing that data correctly. Every week, we meet with business people who rely on external hard drives, tape drives, and other outdated solutions to give them an extra layer of security. While that’s certainly better than not having any backups at all, the reality is that your safety net really should be stronger.

To help you understand why today we want to look at four reasons your data backups should definitely be stored in the cloud…

Cloud Backups are Saved Automatically
When you rely on physical data storage tools in your office you have to remember to run them manually. Even worse, you may need to clear out old backups to make space for new ones, leaving you vulnerable if you accidentally backup files that have become corrupted or infected with malware.

With the cloud-based backup and recovery system your files are sent automatically at regular intervals. That way, you always have a good copy ready to restore from.

Your Backed Up Files Will be Encrypted
In most situations, the backups you put on a hard drive, flash drive, or tape system are going to be easily accessed by anyone who is in possession of the drive itself. In other words, thieves could get hold of the device you use to store your files and then have all the information they need to steal from your company.

When you send your backups to a secure cloud facility they are encrypted during the transfer. That means you don’t have to worry about cyber criminals snooping in on confidential information.

Files Stored in the Cloud are More Secure
Not only are the files you send to a cloud backup facility protected with bank-strength encryption, but the facility itself is probably going to be a lot more secure than your office. That’s because a modern cloud center has a dedicated security staff, not to mention continuous climate control, and emergency power.

If something happens to your office, you lose any on-site backups you have. Files you store in the cloud are perfectly safe even if your entire building goes up in flames.

Cloud Backups Cost Less
So far we have focused on the functional benefits of using a cloud backup system. However, it’s worth pointing out that there are financial rewards as well.

Cloud backup systems cost far less than physical media while providing a much stronger safety net. So, if you’re looking to make the most of your IT budget and keep your information safe, there’s really only one choice.

Find Out More about Data Backups and Other Small Business IT Solutions
At Fantastic IT in Los Angeles, we help businesses just like yours is protect their data, find common sense tech solutions, and even lower their IT budgets. If you’d like to learn a bit more about what we could do to help your business move ahead, call our team today at 855-876-9363 so we can schedule a free consultation at your earliest convenience.