Where’s the best place to store your personal data? For most users the decision comes down to the PC itself or an external hard drive. The underlying motto: my data belongs here under my own roof. More adventurous souls can also opt for a variety of web hosting providers and online backup services that allow for files to be stored on external servers. The costs are quite low. But are they safe?
The disadvantage to physical storage media is that it can age or be lost, says Strahinja Zuljevic from the online magazine Netzwelt. That doesn’t happen to data stored on the net. Another plus: it’s available at any time.
“Users don’t have to spend their money on expensive hardware,” says Sven Rohkamm from the webhosting provider Dogado Internet in Germany. Storing the files is also uncomplicated. There are even automated solutions available to eliminate the need to actively copy the files. The user doesn’t have to constantly worry where a given file is stored.
The choice between manual copying of data to the service or automated synchronization usually comes down to the price and features. On the one side is simple storage space. Files or folders are manually selected and dragged onto the online storage repository. The services providing automated backup make their copies of selected folders at specific, pre-determined times.
The best services provide software for the user to install, Zuljevic says. Rates for the recommended services start at around five dollars per month, with a minimum two year contract often required. Web-based mail services that offer data services as a side feature should be regarded with caution: their upload speeds are frequently too slow.
The big names in the field currently include Mozy, Carbonite, and Dropbox, Zuljevic says. The first two provide unlimited storage space, while Dropbox offers two gigabytes. Availability is…