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Losing important files and data can have a devastating effect on a company. Weeks, months, or even years of labour may be lost in an instant if you haven't taken the necessary safeguards, which might endanger the very life of your firm.

It’s an absolute must to have this kind of recovery software installed, as part of the planning process in running a small biz.

Cloud Backup for Small Businesses

With it, you become free to do your best work knowing your data is reliably safeguarded against rare events, like a hard disc crash or loss of access. In this guide, we review the top cloud backups for small businesses.

Table of Contents:


The UK’s 10 Best Cloud Backups for Small Businesses ☁️ — Our Selection 💽

Being prepared frees you to do your best work. So it’s good to know cloud backups cushion you against unexpected events. As a business, these are endless.

Before you know it, you’ll be cosily spending date nights walking on cloud nine. We’re talking back-to-back massages.

While there are several cloud-based backup services geared toward consumers, few cater to commercial enterprises. Even those that do have business characteristics are typically an afterthought, making them inappropriate for use in a formal context.

Our list of the top online backup providers also includes backup services that are geared toward individual customers, so if your company is small enough, you may benefit from using one of these services. You may also be interested in our consumer cloud storage services or our guide to top unlimited cloud storage.

For this business selection, we’ve scoured the web to bring you a top-ten list. Just turn on your chosen backup once. And watch it auto-protect your most important business files in the background. All via the secured cloud.

Service ProviderRating
1. Acronis★★★★★Visit here
2. Arcserve★★★★★Visit here
3. Backblaze★★★★★Visit here
4. IDrive★★★★★Visit here
5. MSP360★★★★Visit here
6. Carbonite★★★★Visit here
7. CrashPlan★★★★Visit here
8. Zoolz★★★★Visit here
9. BigMIND★★★★★Visit here
10. Livedrive★★★★★Visit here


1. Acronis Backup * 👑 *: Review UK — Best Cloud Backup for Small Businesses

You want something that stores your business data, plain and simple. No matter your number of users. 

Well, Acronis Cyber Protect does that. All without sacrificing privacy and compliance, which is great, seeing as backups are as key as anti-viruses.

All Popular Backup Types are Supported… 

Acronis Cyber Protect could be a good substitute if the features lacking in less advanced solutions like CrashPlan are a deal-breaker for your company… It also has advanced enough device management to suit remote worker teams. 

To start with, most types of backups are supported, e.g. full disc imaging, NAS devices, servers, as well as smartphones and tablets. Program backups to run continuously, incrementally, or on a defined schedule. Uploading any new changes to files right away.

In-depth throttling controls let you adjust its footprint based on connection speed and battery life.

Because versioning is infinite, you can always access previous and deleted data. It works with a variety of hardware, software, and operating systems. Enable as many users as you like, group them together, and configure policies and rights for your users in bulk using the comprehensive management panel.

Expect a Learning Curve at First…

Using the client itself isn't as simple as it could be. Fortunately, as a small business owner, you’re accustomed to dealing with learning curves. The interface is filled with ambiguous technical buttons that don't make it apparent what they do, and the whole thing sometimes lags and stutters, making navigation difficult 〽️. 

Designed for Remote Working ☁️

The ability to apply particular rules and security plans even to distant targets is a big benefit for small firms managing remote staff and their devices.

The Devices section includes a Working from Home Policy with several settings for scanning for and blocking malicious software, blocking malicious websites, doing vulnerability scans, managing patches, and seeing a data protection map.

Acronis Cyber Protect

From this central hub, you can even initiate an instant backup of a single device.

Strong Data Privacy 

Also excellent are security and privacy. Acronis encrypts your files using 256-bit AES on its servers and TLS while they are being transmitted. Additionally, it conforms with a number of privacy regulations, e.g. HIPAA or GDPR.

Instead of restricting you to a small number of nations (or, worse yet, simply the US), Acronis hosts servers in eight different nations, including Switzerland, which has strong laws governing online privacy. No matter where in the world your business is located, you can select any of these data centres, which is great.

Although Acronis does not support multithreading, it uploads and downloads files in a respectable amount of time despite the lack of numerous threads, so this isn't really reflected in its speed.

Verdict — Covers the Bases

Acronis is our favourite cloud backup for small businesses when it comes to backing up common workstations with what you’d expect. It costs a little less than the advanced backup, CrashPlan. And it’s a full-featured, advanced tool.

It’s just £40 annually per device. But there’s no monthly payment option. If server backup is what you need, the pricing becomes much less attractive because you must pay a few hundred for each server you wish to back up.

Acronis Backup

Also, 2FA was unavailable last we checked… If that’s not a deal-breaker, the sheer number of data centres that Acronis provides is outstanding.

All in all, if you're worried about storing your files and data in a country with lax online privacy regulations, Acronis Cyber Backup is a great option for your business. If you only want to back up standard desktop computers or mobile devices, it's also slightly less expensive than other top options like CrashPlan.

Find out more about Acronis Cyber Protect ✔️


2. Arcserve: Review — Best Cloud Backup for Small Businesses that are Scaling

Are your business needs growing rapidly despite the recession? If you’ve found a niche and you want to protect your increasingly valuable data from any disaster, Arcserve may be for you.

Just keep in mind that there isn’t any anti-malware or provisions against ransomware that you get with our number choice, Acronis

Useful for Businesses of All Sizes

As a comprehensive backup solution, Arcserve Unified Data Protection (UDP) Cloud Direct is designed for enterprises of any size. It features a simple user interface but a rich feature set for IT professionals, including backup and recovery choices.

Arcserve Backup Options

There have been a number of updates to Arcserve Unified Data Protection (UDP) Cloud Direct recently, including a revamped web interface that is both more intuitive and capable of being rebranded. Even while this has simplified the corporate cloud backup solution's interface, its advanced features will likely only appeal to midsize and big enterprises that have their own in-house IT departments. 

While not every function is included in a single package, taken together, they amount to a complete disaster recovery solution. This, combined with Acronis Cyber Protect's superior reporting and restoration tools, is why they're in the number two spot. 

15-Day Free Trial, However, Prices Aren’t Transparent 🐙

You’ll quickly learn that Arcserve's price structure is a major drawback. 

The Cloud Direct plan, in contrast to many of its rivals aimed for small businesses, does not have straightforward price levels that can be easily located and subscribed to online. In its place, 

Arcserve only notes that the service starts at £40 per terabyte per month and has a minimum 50TB commitment. That's a significant increase from our last analysis, which found plans starting at only 500GB.

Other than that, it’s similar to other enterprise-oriented software suppliers in that a phone conversation with a sales professional is necessary to construct a unique quote for each client.

Arcserve

Again, you will need to explain your specific requirements to Arcserve's sales team in order to get an estimate for the cloud disaster recovery service, which is invoiced separately and has no minimum pricing that Arcserve is ready to offer. 

Note that as testing of business continuity capabilities is not standard, it will need extra consultation and should be requested when requesting a price or signing up for a trial. Virtual machines (VMs) incur an extra monthly price as well as a daily spin-up charge from the firm. 

High-Performance 🚀

Since we last checked in on Arcserve UDP Cloud Direct, its web-based user interface has undergone significant revisions.

Arcserve - Advanced Setup

Its earlier iteration, which originated from its purchase of Zetta, didn't have the appearance and feel of cutting-edge, browser-based software. Despite its many useful functions, the app's user interface was poorly designed and laid out. The latest version fixes such problems.

The new Arcserve UI is responsive and easy to use; the developers have put in a lot of effort to make it such. It pivots around a panel on the left for navigation, and then another panel that morphs on the fly to display subcategories of the parent category's characteristics. The primary navigation bar consists of four primary categories: Monitor, Protect, Analyze, and Configure.

Simple Setup… 

Arcserve UDP Cloud Direct's backup scheduling is simple to use. Administrators have the option of setting a daily backup time.

While the schedule's days and times may be adjusted, doing multiple backups on the same day is not possible unless the task is started and stopped manually. Users that pay for the DRaaS feature have a lot more flexibility. 

Backups may be scheduled to run every 15 minutes, every hour, or every six hours. This will guarantee that your data are backed up as recently as possible in case anything catastrophic happens.

Email alerts will be sent regardless of whether the backup process was successful or not. The Monitor tab of the online dashboard provides access to useful real-time analytics. 

When you use Arcserve UDP Cloud Direct, you can set up a number of proactive alerts that will be sent to you through email and will let you know about any issues with your backups or any restoration operations that may be in progress. Notifications may be set for a variety of situations, including backup failure, backup success, backup warnings, and more.

Verdict — Make Sure You Have an IT Department!

While there is much to be appreciated with these additions, purchasers should be aware that the system's core is designed for IT specialists and not for end users in the corporate world at large. Products like CrashPlan and Backblaze are ideal if you run a small business and are seeking an automated backup solution that almost anybody can set up.

Arcserve UDP Cloud Direct, however, is one of the better alternatives for scaling businesses with some IT resources seeking a platform to keep their data and virtual infrastructure secure, both on-premises and in the cloud. Check out Arcserve online to sign up.

Get Acronis’ 30-day free trial. 🦅


3. Backblaze: Review — Top Cheap Windows Backup Software

Backblaze's status as a leading cloud backup provider is well-known.

Although there are services with greater features, few can beat Backblaze when it comes to backup simplicity and affordability. 

Due to its consistent Windows performance, we've covered Backblaze in previous reviews.

Fiery-Fast Install 🔥

It took me less than a minute to sign up for and instal Backblaze.

The backup progress report, together with the restore and settings buttons, are all that the window for the backup's control panel needs to show.

What Backblaze offers in terms of cloud storage space is great. There isn't a lot of backup software for Windows 10 that can guarantee to perform what you need it to.

All user data is backed up, but the system and app data are not. It also doesn't work on many computers at once. If you have many computers, you will need to buy separate plans for each one. Backblaze works similarly to other online backup services in that it will automatically back up the data you provide, as well as any new data you upload to the place you choose for backing up.

Turn it On Once and Let it Run Continuously… ⚡

When you first set up your account with Backblaze, you won't have to do anything further to be certain that your most important files are being kept securely.

Backing up data continuously and without interruptions. Backblaze's continuous, automated backups eliminate the need for users to set aside time on a regular basis to do backups. However, this isn't the only alternative timetable backup option.

AES Data Encryption 

Data is secured using AES 128 by default, and you can add an extra layer of security by generating and utilising a private encryption key with Backblaze. If you lose the key, however, you will never be able to regain access to the files.

The repair process is made easier via web-based controls. Your data may be delivered to you via Backblaze in a number of ways, including through USB flash disc, USB drive, or online download.

If you choose mail delivery, you have 30 days to return the USB flash drive or USB drive at your expense, and you may only make five such requests in a given year.

Using Backblaze's Locate My Computer feature, you can find your missing laptop in a matter of seconds.

Supported operating systems include Windows 10, 8, 7, and XP. Technical questions can't be resolved over the phone with the Backblaze staff. However, you may contact the service team by email or live chat if you have any queries or concerns.

Verdict — Light-Speed with a Long Free Trial… ☄️

Backblaze facilitates quick file transfers. It took around 2.5 hours to transfer 15GB of material, which included videos and documents. Also, I like how fast the download was. My time spent retrieving 1GB of media files was under 10mins.

Backblaze Backup

Normal computer processing time was required for both the first and subsequent backups. It is recommended that people use Backblaze at home. It may be put to use immediately, then forgotten just as fast. And by the way, that's fantastic news!

With Backblaze's 15-day free trial, you may try the backup and cloud storage service without any financial commitment. In contrast to the competition, it provides transparent pricing and a month-to-month subscription model.

  • Subscriptions for businesses and individuals alike cost less than £5 a month per computer.
  • If you sign up for a full year, you just pay £50.
  • However, a two-year business plan costs £90, and a single plan is about the same price.

Backblaze is one of the best automatic backup solutions available. The fact that it offers cheap, unlimited cloud storage is a major benefit. If straightforward backup software is what you're looking, you should give it a try.


4. IDrive: Review — “D.I.Y.” Best Cloud Backup for Small Businesses

IDrive is perhaps the finest personal cloud backup service around (and the best cloud backup option for NAS) because of its extensive feature set and user-friendliness.

When compared to the outstanding business-specific capabilities provided by CrashPlan and Acronis, this is not the best solution for more complex small businesses.

It works with a wide variety of operating systems and hardware, including mobile devices, NAS, and servers. Scheduled or manual backups, as well as continuous and incremental options, are all available. It's simple to manage people, and both individuals and organisations may have their own rules and access levels set up.

Why We’ve Rated IDrive Favourably…  ☁️

Simply said, it is top-notch software for creating backups without complexities. 

Everything is self-explanatory. For this reason, IDrive gets rave reviews from personal users perhaps running a side business… And here's why. The capabilities of IDrive are unrivalled at the essential level. It's the greatest cloud-based backup solution, and it lives up to every promise backup services give to entry-level consumers.

Features like syncing and sharing put it on par with other popular cloud storage choices like Dropbox, not only backup services. The system's efficacy stems from the comprehensive array of backup, security, and restoration choices it offers.

IDrive Interface

Generate Disk Images Across Data Centers 

A copy of your files and folders, or the files themselves, may be created.

To further guarantee that your data is secure in the case of a catastrophe, it also allows you to generate a complete image copy of the hard drives.

The cloud (IDrive is one of our favourite cloud storage providers, period, check out that link...), on-premises servers, mobile devices, and local hard drives are all secure options for storing any quantity of data.

After signing into IDrive, you'll be able to save copies of your computer's desktop as well as images, videos, music, and documents.

You may remove and re-add these folders at will by using the "edit" button on the "backup" tab. Alternatively, you may use IDrive's backup service to do an ad hoc backup with the click of a button. The second option is great if you don't want to back up your hard drive manually.

Capable of Robustly Recovering Data Fast 

Just like the backup section, the restoration section of IDrive is loaded with useful options. But it’s not overbearing.

IDrive Backup

You may restore files in two ways: either by dragging and dropping them to a different area on your desktop, or by using the radio buttons to choose the original backup device. The "View Previous Versions" option is accessible through the context menu that appears when you right-click the file. Any file may have many stored versions, and you can choose whichever one you want to use depending on your needs.

IDrive's snapshots function is also very well received. This feature, designed to assist with ransomware difficulties, presents a timeline of the backup set's history. Also, if your hard drives fail, you may retrieve your data from any point in time by using the timeline. This is not included against the overall capacity of backups.

Our Verdict?... Space and Power Galore 📀

Our in-depth analysis of other cloud storage services led us to the conclusion that IDrive is a top contender in this space.

It has a ton of features for DIY, business-grade cloud storage and cloud backup and delivers top-notch security and privacy for whatever data you want to save in the cloud. Even though the connection was robust, the transfer rates were slow.

IDrive

Plans on IDrive are affordable considering the amount of storage they provide, but there are no really limitless choices. Given the massive amounts of storage space provided by the service on the great majority of its plans, this may not be a huge concern for many customers.


5. MSP360: Review — Alternative Best Cloud Backup for Small Businesses

If you’re a software developer, SaaS provider, or something else in that wheelhouse involving lots of IT architecture, keep reading…

MSP360 is a great option for small companies that needs a managed cloud backup solution that doesn't break the bank and can compete with the industry's biggest names.

MSP360, formerly known as CloudBerry Lab, is based on and offers certain enhancements to the company's managed backup product. However, if you're prepared to put in some extra setup effort, you may access the solution directly (IT department recommended for DIY).

It's designed for managed service providers that want to ★ resell their services. The service's absence of its own dedicated storage facility is a contributing factor.

MSP360 Managed Backup

MSP360, on the other hand, gives you the option of using any number of external cloud storage services, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Backblaze B2, or even your own server's storage. All in all, it's a reliable cloud backup service for businesses of all sizes (SMB). Arcserve is our second choice, but note that it doesn't support mobile devices and its setup procedure actually needs your own IT team, whereas here you have the option to go for a managed service.

Surprisingly Competitive Pricing… 

Whether your company's clients use Apple macOS or Microsoft Windows, MSP360 is available to you for as little as £7.30 per endpoint

If you're making a large enough purchase, you may be able to negotiate a lower price or additional discounts and incentives (discuss with MSP360 sales staff for more specific information). Since servers are more costly environments to run, the cost per endpoint increases to £15. 

Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage, a partner of MSP360's, offers cloud storage options. Wasabi's cloud storage solution costs a fiver per terabyte, per month, so keep that in mind if you go this route. You can use MSP360 risk-free for 14 days so you can see whether it's right for you.

Wasabi MSP360

As soon as you have registered for an MSP360 account, you will have access to the service through the management portal. 

Virtually Instant Setup… 💨

MSP360, like many cloud backup clients, gives you the option to initiate a cloud backup as soon as it is installed on the target disc. Having an initial backup that can be used as a starting point for incremental backups is a great convenience for end users. 

However, there are a number of prerequisites and configurations that must be made before this first backup can be performed, which again might make it risky to rely on end users to carry out the installation without explicit instructions that you will need to produce and disseminate.

The backup console will provide two options: one for backing up individual files and folders, and another for backing up the whole disc as an image

But before that can happen, you'll need to decide on a destination—a storage bucket to which the backed-up data will be sent. 

As was previously indicated, this might be anything from a remote cloud storage service to a second hard drive on the machine itself. For the evaluation time, you'll need to make sure there's a nearby resource accessible, since most small enterprises and company owners testing out the service won't yet have a cloud storage provider.

How to Setup MSP360 for Backups

In addition to the conventional file-based backup, MSP360 offers a variety of other backup techniques.

MSP360 Setup

Let’s start with utilising MSP360's image-based backup capability, you may save the whole operating system (OS) or system state to a bootable USB and restore from there. In Linux or Windows Server, you may use this to create a single file that recovers not just a vital application instance but also the state of the instance at the time of the backup (meaning all settings as they were).

After a data catastrophe, such a malware attack or a hard drive failure, the ability to recover from a snapshot of the whole drive or device might be crucial.

In addition, there are no restrictions on what kind of data may be backed up using MSP360. Large high-definition video files and complete virtual computers may be backed up by businesses (VMs).

But if you just want to back up certain files, directories, or apps, MSP360 provides granular control. Further, everything is backed up so that it may be recovered quickly if necessary.

Verdict  — Powerhouse for Tech SaaS Providers…

You don’t necessarily need to have direct IT architecture proficiency.

The managed service gets you on track and set up. We were impressed with the availability of two-factor authentication (2FA). We strongly advise doing so, as it will safeguard not just your backed-up data but the backup process as well.

Due to the dispersed nature of most businesses today, an enterprise-wide solution like MSP360 is probably not in the budget. However, it may be shaped to provide precisely the services your company needs to ensure the security of its data regardless of where that data is housed or created.

This includes the most fundamental aspects of data security, as well as data continuity architecture design. If a law firm has federal government customers, that business may use Amazon's AWS GovCloud to store client data, while using Microsoft Azure for the firm's own data. Not all of MSP360's rivals provide for such flexibility for such customers, but MSP360 does…

Companies with limited in-house IT resources should avoid the MSP360/Wasabi package unless they really need a basic, easy backup solution. If you have IT knowledge and experience, or if you're a managed service provider trying to expand into the storage and backup market, then this is the sort of flexible and open solution you've been waiting for.

MSP Backup Banner

Try Out MSP360 ☁️🌴🌞


6. Carbonite: Review — Powerful and Popular Cloud Backup for Small Businesses

Carbonite is both modern and user-friendly, which removes many of the barriers that small businesses have when using cloud backups. 

However, it suffers from delayed restorations and an absence of mobile device support.

The Carbonite Safe package for small online businesses fares rather well in its newest iteration. Carbonite is a well-known brand among business cloud backup solutions. 

The fact that it's designed to back up only businesses with 25 or fewer endpoints, and that it only works on PCs running Apple macOS or Microsoft Windows 10, are two of the limitations. Due to these restrictions and the lack of mobile device backup functionality, it falls short of the standards seen in Acronis Cyber Protect.

Office365 Backup

Even with those limitations, Carbonite Safe provides a surprisingly wide range of customization options and robust set of features. The Microsoft Hyper-V hypervisor is required for backing up both physical and virtual machines (VMs). Carbonite also supports network-attached storage (NAS) devices and external drives, although these features are paid add-ons.

For up to 25 PCs per month, Carbonite is an affordable and dependable cloud backup service that is ideal for remote employees and scattered teams. Carbonite Safe is more akin to Backblaze Business.

Backup and, to a lesser degree, CrashPlan for Small Business since all these solutions forgo more complex functionality in favour to give the sleek and user-friendly client and management software. Carbonite's presumably more sophisticated capabilities need purchasing both of the other products in order to access them.

Plans and Offerings 🏨

Endpoint backup for personal computers and servers make up Carbonite Safe's primary offerings. Because Carbonite Safe Server Backup is not included in the base Carbonite Safe plan, we opted to research the more expensive Ultimate plan. If you have less than 25 machines and pay annually, this service costs £20 per month.

In this tier, you'll get access to 128-bit security, automated cloud backups, and customer assistance seven days a week. You'll also have the option to back up to an external hard drive for an additional fee.

This level also includes protection against ransomware, access to files from afar, and compliance with regulations like FERPA, GLBA, HIPAA, and GDPR.

Carbonite maintains that its higher-tier offerings, which include agents for Apple iOS and Google Android devices, are the only ones that have centralised administration and admin capabilities.

With so many remote employees using their own devices for both work and personal use, this might be a problem for small firms that don't want to spend money on yet another program to secure their mobile devices.

Devices and Drives

The Basic Server Backup tier is available to companies for £40 per month, charged yearly. If its features better suit your requirements, you may use it to back up both computers and servers.

This tier supports up to 5 servers and five terabytes of data. There are now separate backup options for Microsoft SQL Server, Exchange, SharePoint, and MySQL databases, in addition to image backup and bare-metal recovery. Not all rivals provide these perks, particularly those that concentrate on client backup rather than server backup.

Setting Up and Using is Very Open and Clear… 

Carbonite's website is split into sections for its residential and corporate versions, as is the case with many other cloud backup providers.

Testing showed the agent installation took less than a minute on a Windows system. After the setup was complete, Carbonite immediately started making a full copy of all of our data (a total of 100GB spread across different folders). 

Carbonite is different from other cloud backup systems in that it uses a locally installed agent programme, which operates in the background on your PC, in addition to a web-based dashboard. This method is preferred since it allows us to maintain our browser's attention on the other applications we need for our company.

You’ll find it a very open and simple software to use. The number of files being backed, the percent of files that have been backed up, easy connections to settings and controllers, and a link to your backup dashboard are all readily available for your perusal. When you click on this, a simple yet user-friendly website will load.

Carbonite Install

The online interface provides more settings and customization possibilities than the desktop version. Login details, a backup panel, backup policy management, alerts, and a notification settings page are all accessible through the tabs at the top of the page.

The online interface is easy to use, however, there were times when we had to wait to check on the progress of our backups. When you reset your password, you may choose to either solve security questions or use SMS 2FA.

The backup choices are quite limited. Carbonite Safe may be configured for either continuous backup (preferred if you need to revert to the most recent data recovery) or daily backup at a predetermined time, ideally when your network and computers are less active.

Since many companies today have individuals and teams working remotely outside of the standard 9-to-5 workday, we wish there had been more backup alternatives and times to choose from.

Verdict — Tiny Program… Strength with Simplicity 💽

Unlike MS360, above, Carbonite Safe's best attribute is its simplicity of usage. Not only can backups be easily configured, but so can restores, whether you need to bring back a few files or a whole system.

Carbonite's version control settings allow for backups to be kept for up to three months after a file is removed.

However, you are only allowed to save 12 revisions of a single file, which might be restrictive depending on how your firm handles document collaboration.

Carbonite

Even so, Carbonite successfully backed up every file, folder, and text document version thrown at it throughout the testing we researched. Although it was one of the most user-friendly and comprehensive solutions, its many useful features are spread out among a confusing assortment of paid add-ons.

When compared to other simple solutions for small businesses like Acronis and Backblaze, the service fell short. This makes Carbonite Safe Core Backup, although being one of the simpler services, difficult to justify for organisations seeking a single-layered backup solution.


7. CrashPlan: Review — Very Popular Cloud Backup for Physical Devices

While not so good for remote backups are restorations, does stand out for backing up physical devices.

Let’s investigate…

CrashPlan is the only cloud backup solution here that is focused only on serving the needs of small companies.

It's fast, has a ton of features, is secure, and respects your privacy, all while providing a wonderful user experience.

CrashPlan offers limitless versioning, comprehensive throttling settings, and the ability to back up to a server or an external disc. Scheduled, incremental, or continuous backups are all options, and the client employs a block-level method to save bandwidth when just a small portion of a file has changed.

However, there are several essential elements of an online backup service that are absent. Disk imaging (which lets you make an exact copy of your hard drive), multithreading, and NAS and mobile device backups are all examples. Nonetheless, the user administration is robust, allowing for granular adjustment of a wide range of features for certain endpoints.

Speed Test

CrashPlan is extraordinarily quick, even without the ability to use many threads at once. In reality, our testing showed speeds that were much beyond our expectations, particularly for downloading. While this probably won’t be the best solution for the high-scale data of a small business with its own IT department and remote payroll service, it is a laser beam for protecting physical devices. 

Standard AES-256-Bit Disaster Recovery Encryption 💥🐉

CrashPlan protects you against malicious man-in-the-middle attacks by encrypting all of your data with a 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) key and a secure transport layer security (SSL/TLS) connection.

Additionally, two-factor authentication is allowed, which makes it much more difficult for hackers to access your information. In addition to being GDPR and HIPAA compliant, CrashPlan also allows you to maintain your own private key for HIPAA compliance.

Hipaa Compliance

If you do that, CrashPlan will be unable to help you recover your password, therefore you should use one of the finest password managers out there right now.

If you're concerned about your data's security, you should know that the service is one of the finest online backups for Brits, but all of your files will be stored in data centres in the United States (save for those in Australia and New Zealand). This is problematic since the United States has among of the worst regulations regarding digital privacy in the world, as seen by the Patriot Act and secretive government projects like PRISM.

Simple Costs, Unlimited Storage Per Device

A lot of competing backup systems provide unlimited capacity for a lower price than CrashPlan does. The cost is simple: £7 per device for limitless storage and users.

It's not bad, but it's also almost twice as expensive as comparable cloud backup providers with unlimited capacity, like Backblaze.

CrashPlan for Small Business is a great option for businesses who don't mind spending a little extra on a cloud backup service that's simple to use in terms of storing up data and managing many devices and users. You should choose one of the options below if your business needs capabilities like disc imaging or network-attached storage (NAS) and mobile backup.

CrashPlan Backup

CrashPlan for Small Business (CrashPlan) by Code 42 features a single, straightforward price tier: £7per computer, per month. That incorporates every user's desktop, laptop, and even physical file servers.

That's reliable and affordable, albeit not the least expensive cloud backup service for businesses we've compared. In addition, the total cost may increase with the number of devices being deployed. The price structure also reflects the platform's focus on serving the needs of smaller businesses.

Keep in mind that this method currently only works with actual endpoints running complete desktop or server OS systems. CrashPlan, however, stands out for how simple it is to use if that is what you want. Competing backup solutions sometimes need the expertise of an IT expert. CrashPlan's intuitive UI and quick setup make it a good choice for users at all skill levels. 

Ideal for Backing Up Physical Devices but Not Mobile

Because its primary goal is accessibility, CrashPlan's user interface is deceptively simple. 

Behind the scenes, though, is a rather robust set of backup and security measures that make this product comparable with the other players we've seen. But again, that's only the case if we're talking about tangible tools.

CrashPlan for Small Business is compatible with Apple macOS, Linux, and Microsoft Windows workstations and servers. In a sector where many rivals cater primarily to Microsoft Windows users, we were pleasantly surprised to find that installation took less than 15 minutes and all clients supported the same set of functions.

However, CrashPlan's ranking remains below our top rivals in this area, notably Acronis Cyber Protect, because of its lack of support for disc images, mobile devices, and virtual machine (VM) backups, as well as some rather poor customer service characteristics.

That said, CrashPlan is a great value since it supports all desktop operating systems, backs up in real time, and doesn't limit the size of your backup files. Additionally, the solution's straightforward recovery and restoration processes make it appealing to smaller teams as well as the rising number of remote and hybrid employees brought about by the current epidemic.

As CrashPlan employs a block-level algorithm, these processes are also rather fast. Accelerating incremental backups by analysing all files and loading just data that has changed since the last file version.

Key Downsides to Keep in Mind…

CrashPlan for Small Business does have a few drawbacks… 〽

There are several things it can't do, such back up virtual machines or take an image-based backup (a picture of the complete hard drive).

Image-Based Backup

Virtual machines (VMs) have become more commonplace than actual servers over the last decade, particularly amongst small businesses, while some may be able to get by without the disc image backup (though this is extremely convenient when transferring personnel to new computers).

For this reason, many people won't be satisfied until these features are included in the backup solution, or unless you're willing to purchase a separate backup package for these requirements.

CrashPlan can only handle external hard discs, and it has no way to back up NAS devices. The findings are inconsistent, although both are widely used as alternative storage options by SMBs and MSMEs.

While many businesses today may provide their remote employees greater freedom in the sorts of devices they use, this lack of a backup solution for mobile devices may be a severe shortcoming. CrashPlan has mobile applications for both Apple iOS and Google Android, but they don't do backups for the device itself; they only let you access data on your desktop that you've backed up to the cloud.

In other words, CrashPlan is an excellent option if you're looking for a simple backup solution that's tailored specifically to traditional computers and servers.

However, you will need to choose a different backup provider if you also require data protection for virtual machines, cloud infrastructure, and your company's mobile device fleet. CrashPlan for Small Business is disadvantaged in comparison to its rivals since some of them, like Arcserve UDP, provide all of these features in a single app.

Verdict — Quick Setup, Simple, and Uncluttered ☁️

Filling out a web form and choosing a payment method are all that's required to sign up for an account. You'll need a credit card or a PayPal account.

Having unlimited cloud storage as part of the package is a nice selling point.

CrashPlan for Small Business may end up costing more than its rivals for your specific device count, but not having to worry about surpassing size restrictions or your storage running out in the middle of a backup might be well worth the extra expense. After you join up, you'll be sent an invoice and all the account information you need, including a 30-day free trial.

The UI of CrashPlan for Small Business is a model of minimal, uncluttered design. The console may be accessed via a pop-up window that provides access to the Home screen, your downloads, and the console's settings.

This is followed by a rundown of all the connected devices and the opportunity to add more. You may add backup sets and access your device's options using the provided links. Find out how many files were backed up, how much space they took up, and when the last backup was performed.

A week of using CrashPlan for Small Business on a PC showed being able to reliably get backups every 20 minutes. These occurrences occurred in the background and did not interfere with our work in any way.

Compared to Acronis Cyber Protect, CrashPlan for Small Business lacked in overall features and coverage. Nonetheless, for smaller organisations that don't need extensive virtual or mobile device support, this is a basic, trustworthy option that may have your data protected fast at an inexpensive price.


8. Zoolz: Review — Established Small Business Backup Software

Of course, Acronis and IDrive aren’t the only cloud backup services out there… Zoolz is also a good option for small companies that need to back up to the cloud from a wide variety of devices.

This known cloud-based backup service gives you an infinite number of users, in addition to backing up both external hard drives and servers.

There is also the ability to set policies, robust data encryption, and round-the-clock human assistance.

When you use Zoolz for business, you’re not restricted to cold storage, thus lost information may be restored immediately from the cloud. Since you have unrestricted access to both deleted and modified files, versioning is also far better.

Zoolz Free Storage

Zoolz also has a sharing mechanism that makes it simple to provide others access to your data. These features are more widespread in cloud storage than in cloud backup services, thus they are often appreciated.

Check out our top picks for free cloud storage if you're looking for a provider that can provide this functionality in addition to your current cloud backup service.

Zoolz, like IDrive, lets you back up limitless devices, but only so much. Pricing starts at £12/month for 1 terabyte of storage and goes up to £620/month for 50 terabytes. While this makes Zoolz more costly than some other options, it might be worthwhile if you require online backup for several devices.

Continuous Backup and Restoration… 

If you want to back up data on a computer, server, or NAS, you can use Zoolz. 

However, you cannot clone a hard disc in its entirety, and there is currently no mechanism to back up mobile devices. 

As long as you don't exceed your allotted backup space, you may upload files of any kind and size. Plans range in size from 1 TB to well over 200 TB.

A backup service's primary function is to ensure that your data is backed up reliably and often. Fortunately, Zoolz can begin backups as often as every 5 minutes without any assistance from you, all while automatically monitoring for changes to your data.Not only is it exceptionally user-friendly, but its security and privacy features are top-notch.

Zoolz Devices

Zoolz offers excellent transfer rates in both directions because of its geographically dispersed and multithreaded server infrastructure. 

The reason for this variety is because rather of operating its own data centres, it leases server space from Amazon Web Services, which operates a distributed system of computers in several different locations across the globe.

When it comes to protecting your personal information, Zoolz excels as well, thanks to its robust encryption and the option to control your own private encryption key. Two-factor authentication would greatly improve security in the event that your password were ever hacked, but it is not supported.

If you're more worried with backing up a big number of devices to the cloud than you are with having a lot of room for your data, then Zoolz is a great option of backup service for you.

Give it a go if simple backup software is what you're after.

We Appreciate its Hybridity 🐙

When it comes to file storage, all Zoolz plans favour Cold Storage over Instant Storage (which is available through Zoolz Business only). 

The files you save in this manner are intended to be maintained permanently; deleting a file from your computer will not cause it to be erased from your backups until you delete it from the web app.

When activated in the desktop app, Hybrid+ saves copies of your data to both your online storage and local hard disc. You may set limits on how much space Hybrid+ can use on your hard drive, which file types it can back up locally, and where those backups are saved.

Zoolz Backup

To recover a file without an online connection is a common use case for Hybrid+. If the files you need to recover are stored in a Hybrid+ location that is accessible, you may do it without an Internet connection.

Drawbacks include Speed… 

In contrast to Instant Storage, Cold Storage does have certain downsides. This comparison chart on the Zoolz website could help.

The fact that restoring data backed up using Zoolz's Cold Storage feature may take anywhere from 3-12hrs is by far its largest downside. 

Additionally, the online tool only allows you to recover 1GB of data every 24 hours. Due to this, recovering all of your information via Cold Storage is a very time-consuming process, taking far longer than with any other backup service we've tried.

When utilising the web app to restore data from Cold Storage, a download link will be sent to you through email. The process of backing up from the desktop app immediately begins.

Another thing that annoys me about this is that you can't opt to restore anything else while the Zoolz Recover application is waiting for the other files to restore if you're using the desktop software to do the restoration, which takes at least three hours.

On the other hand, while waiting for the others to complete, you may utilise the online interface to restore more files.

In addition to the above, it is impossible to recover two files from two distinct folders at the same time. Zoolz only allows you to recover the data in a single folder or the folders on a single disc.

Verdict 🧊 —  Not a Fave, though Useful, Cold Storage.

Zoolz Banner

While Zoolz isn't the cheapest option, it has a number of features that set it apart from the competition, which might be a positive thing depending on your needs.

To be completely honest (and maybe already clear), Zoolz isn't our preferred service. In terms of cost, several firms even provide unlimited backup plans for less.

However, maybe there is a feature or two that is very relevant to your needs. You should check out Zoolz if that's the case.


9. BigMIND: Review — Unique Cloud Backup Service by Zoolz for Streamers

BigMIND Business, which is owned by the same business as Zoolz, above, comes close to completing out our list.

The ordinary home edition doesn't support NAS devices, but the business edition does.

When it comes to online backup services, Zoolz's BigMIND Business stands out because to its unique set of capabilities.

Sadly, it lacks private encryption and is somewhat pricey. The following review of BigMIND Business will tell you all you need to know about the platform. The program does not provide disc imaging, but it can back up your mobile devices. The usual scheduling features, such as multithreading, throttling, and block-level file copying, are all present.

Can be Best-Suited to Social Streamers

BigMIND's ability to stream videos and edit documents on the cloud is a neat extra. 

BigMIND allows you to integrate with other popular platforms like Dropbox, Google Drive, and Facebook.

BigMind Client

Get started simply. BigMIND Business has a good amount of features that set it apart from similar products, such as robust AI-powered picture management tools and the ability to connect with other cloud services.

In terms of backup functionality, BigMIND Business is compatible with both hybrid and mobile solutions. There is no method to clone your complete system since there is no image-based backup.

Also, only BigMIND Business customers have access to features like our server backup and courier recovery service.

BigMIND Business performs a decent job at versioning, or keeping track of when files are modified or destroyed. Deleted files are kept indefinitely, but only the 10 most recent versions may be restored. 

Unique Features include Photos… 

In addition to excellent functionality on its own, Zoolz BigMIND Business also boasts amazing interoperability with other services.

By connecting to a cloud storage service like Dropbox or Google Drive, you can give your data an additional layer of protection. It's also possible to connect your smartphone to your various social media profiles, including Instagram.

Since there is no personal encryption, material in your BigMIND account may be streamed directly. However, unless you have the Family Plus package, you'll only be able to watch in standard definition.

Photos, films, and other data may be viewed straight from storage.

On top of that, there's an artificial intelligence-driven picture management tool that, if it really worked, would be a fantastic way to keep your images in order and something that very few cloud storage solutions provide.

BigMind Filter

BigMIND's object identification function has improved, and now you can search for specific items like "text" or "electronics" to get images that have them. And filter out unwanted files. However, when we tried to use BigMIND to recognise faces in a number of photographs, it consistently got them wrong.

Unrestricted Users and Size

It's a somewhat pricey backup service with some quite significant restrictions on both the number of users and the amount of data that can be stored.

But if you only want to save your media files in the cloud or edit them there, it's a good option. 

The options provide 100GB to 1TB of storage for £12-30 per month, which is very hefty considering the plan limits the number of users.

With Zoolz BigMIND Business, you can choose from a variety of individual plans, each of which comes with its own set of benefits and limitations in terms of supported gadgets and the amount of features you have access to. 

While upgrading to a more costly plan can net you additional capacity, there are more cost-effective options for online backup.

In sum, you're paying a lot for a service that doesn't provide nearly as much storage as you'd expect. One of the top unlimited online backup services, such as Backblaze, gives more than enough capacity for your needs at a significantly lower price than BigMIND Business. BigMIND is more costly than its competitors since it does not restrict the number of users or the amount of storage space. 

Acceptable Level of Security and Privacy 

Make sure your files are safe from prying eyes 🌐 and inadvertent deletion whether you save them in the cloud or use an online backup service…  

Strong data centre security and good (but not completely private) encryption make Zoolz BigMIND a somewhat secure platform.

BigMind Dashboard

All of your backed-up information is encrypted with a 256-bit AES key, and it's also encrypted in transit using SSL/TLS to ward off any potential man-in-the-middle assaults. As we detail in our definition of encryption, this is among the highest levels of security available for your backups.

Using two-factor authentication may be an extra layer of defence against account theft.

Last but not least, BigMIND supports the use of third-party applications like Google Authenticator for two-factor authentication. A hacker or cybercriminal wouldn't be able to break in if you implemented this safeguard since they wouldn't have access to your phone.

The majority of the company's data centres are in the United States, despite the fact that its headquarters are in London. 

This is a major issue since the United States has some of the worst regulations pertaining to internet privacy, with the Patriot Act and other secretive government programmes like PRISM being particularly egregious instances. Even the United Kingdom has some quite invasive monitoring laws, such the Snoopers' Charter.

You may easily avoid government surveillance if you have a private encryption key. Without one, Zoolz might be forced by U.S. courts to give up your data without your knowledge or consent.

Verdict — Small Security and Price Issues…

The smartphone app has useful picture management options, such as face and object recognition, albeit the former doesn't appear to perform very well.

However, BigMIND's lacklustre privacy features come despite the fact that it provides two-factor authentication, robust encryption, and data centre security.

BigMind Backup

Having no control over your personal encryption key is bad enough, but the fact that most of the data centres are based in the United States just makes matters worse. Ultimately, there is a good reason why BigMIND ranks near at the very bottom of the rankings.

You’ll find BigMIND Business gives you strong command over your backups and also has an intuitive UI and helpful staff to answer any questions you may have. With neat extras like picture face recognition powered by AI and the ability to connect to other online services like Google Drive and Facebook.

In all, BigMIND's respect for your personal information is adequate, but it does have several major problems in the area of security. It's a convenient service with plenty of cool features, but it lacks private encryption, which is a major flaw in terms of security and privacy.


10. Livedrive: Review — Good Cloud Backup for Small Businesses with 2FA

Livedrive is a Windows and Mac cloud storage solution that gives you two customizable, unlimited plans to choose from…

If you have a small workforce in the UK or EU, Livedrive for Business has all the cloud backup and storage features you'll need.

Despite the high cost, this service provides a well-rounded storage solution, including a user-friendly client, solid mobile device compatibility, and strong two-factor authentication.

The adaptability is something that appeals to us. 

Focus on Small and Mid Sized Businesses

Livedrive has been around for a while as well... Since its inception in 2008, it has amassed over a million users. Small businesses and their staff will benefit from Livedrive for Business, a cloud backup and storage solution.

Livedrive is a little pricey for an entry-level corporate cloud backup service, but it does have a few useful features. Overall, this makes it a strong SMB solution, despite its lack of features in the areas of collaboration and security.

Livedrive Backup

Even though it's hosted in the cloud and so has the potential to be utilised everywhere in the world, Livedrive for Business has narrowed its attention to the European Union and the United Kingdom.

All of these factors, together with a somewhat expensive price, mean that Livedrive falls short of the standards we set for cloud storage, e.g. Microsoft OneDrive for Business. Livedrive for Corporate may function as a cloud-based business backup solution, but it isn't as good as our top selection, Acronis or Arcserve UDP Cloud Direct.

Livedrive is Specifically Optimised for SMBs in Europe 🇬🇧 

Livedrive for Business performs well as a beginning cloud backup service for enterprises, especially those in the UK and the EU.

Livedrive's storage servers are based in the United Kingdom, so you'll enjoy the fastest possible backup and restoration times on that side of the Atlantic.

Furthermore, the firm fully supports the stringent criteria of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), a regulation controlling data protection and privacy inside the European Union (EU).

Livedrive presently serves companies in the Netherlands, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, but is growing to include other EU nations.

For small and medium-sized businesses in the United States, Livedrive is a good backup alternative, but one with a hefty price tag.

From a purely backup-related standpoint, MSP360 is a rival that costs £7 per endpoint and can make a complete OS backup that can be depended on as a data snapshot for recovering from hard disc failures or malware assaults.

Livedrive is none of these.

Livedrive for Business, on the other hand, has certain collaborative features that MSP360 lacks since it's not only a backup solution. However, it still falls short of leading file-sharing and collaboration platforms like Box (for Business).

Implementing Livedrive in your Organization

There are two pricing points available for Livedrive for Business.

Starting at £40/mo, the Business Express plan allows for up to three users and two terabytes of storage space.

This meets the demands of small businesses and startups for data storage and backup for simple things like laptop and mobile data…

Livedrive Mobile Backup

If your company needs additional space for storage, the Business Standard tier is available for £130 per month. This plan is designed to be shared by 10 or more employees, and it provides 10TB of cloud storage and backup space.

Considering the aforementioned, these costs are rather significant when compared to the competition. That service is £50 more expensive per month than, say, Backblaze Business Backup…

(Only 10 machines can be backed up at that price, but you get unlimited storage and the option to roll back in time 30 days, providing you with further security against ransomware. In addition to a greater selection of backup and restoration options, Backblaze will even send you a hard disc with your backup on it for free if you return it to them.)

Livedrive's cost is similar to that of its main rivals, but it offers more scalability in terms of both user count and data storage size.

In any corporate plan, adding an extra 1 terabyte of storage costs £5.70 per month, and adding new users costs a tenner per person, per month.

Again, those numbers are a bit excessive, but the capability is really a good touch, since it allows you to expand users or storage progressively rather than jumping to a new tier that may be too huge or costly.

Keep in Mind that Collaborative/Sharing Features Fall Short… 

Livedrive for Business includes cooperation but falls short when compared to other products. 

Since other leading cloud providers, including Dropbox Business and Google Drive Enterprise, also provide real-time document editing, it's not a good choice.

While this is a desirable feature from a business perspective, it is not a necessity for all companies. This is particularly true for smaller enterprises.

Livedrive Sharing Options

With the help of the Team Folders feature, Livedrive for Business provides superior file synchronisation. This enables folder synchronisation, ensuring that impacted users' local and cloud-based storage locations always have the same set of contents.

Up to 30 file or folder versions may be tracked and managed using version control and dispute resolution. In spite of its merits, more configuration options, such as a time-to-live (TTL) for earlier versions and manual replace, would be welcome. The current state of saving allows a user to permanently delete all prior versions of a file.

The aspect of sharing is also dealt with well, but with some small flaws. If you want to broaden your audience outside your company's employees, you have two choices. You have the option of either making the link public or sending it to a specific group of people through email. 

However, unlike ADrive, there is no option to restrict access to shared files by setting a password or a limit amount of downloads. This makes it a bit of an all-or-nothing situation when deciding whether or not to allow other users access.

Verdict — Good Compliance for the EU, Poor Integrations…

Livedrive for Business does not yet provide a public application programming interface (API) or any pre-built connections with other major business programmes like G Suite or Microsoft 365.

The news will come as a blow to the numerous small enterprises that have adopted a single standard.

Livedrive Unlimited Backup

Although certain third-party directory systems, such as OneLogin, do provide a Livedrive for Business connection, there is no native alternative for linking with Microsoft Active Directory (AD).

While this may not be a concern for a basic offering, it will need to be addressed if the firm plans to expand this platform beyond the very small business market.

Due to Livedrive's high price tag, limited integration possibilities, and rudimentary security measures, several small and medium-sized enterprises may decide to go elsewhere. However, Livedrive for Business is simple to setup and will meet your European compliance requirements if you're located in the UK or EU and have small demands.


Best Cloud Backup for Small Businesses (UK) — Buying Guide

Let’s explore how to use and choose the best cloud backup for your small business!


Remote Work Need has Spiked Ever Since 2021 💿

Data backup specialists in the IT industry have witnessed a lot of change in 2021-2023. IT staff increasingly use remote backup, which has both its management interfaces and storage resources on the cloud, instead of having total control over local storage resources.

It's clear that a higher level of data security is now required to back up normal operations. Since most of the workers and their data have essentially left the building, even firms that still need local, on-premises backups have shifted their tactics.

Remote Work

Once reserved for smaller companies in need of a completely managed solution, cloud backup is now a vital factor for companies of all sizes to consider.

A study conducted by Spiceworks called Storage Trends in 2020 analysed the current and future condition of data and storage in businesses and predicts a dramatic increase in the use of cloud-based systems. There were 39% of businesses using cloud-based storage infrastructure in 2021, with a large-scaled switch by in 2022-23.

This is likely attributable in large part to the rise of the telecommuting workforce and the rise of dispersed teams and hybrid work arrangements. In such a circumstance, having dependable cloud backup services is essential for data protection. 

While cloud computing has numerous advantages, a recent poll by Spiceworks found that many managers are still wary of entrusting their data to the cloud due to security concerns. One obvious issue with remote work solutions is that only 31% of businesses are completely as ease with cloud storage as they are with on-premises storage.

Extra security precautions, such as third-party malware scanning, ransomware prevention, and virtual private networks, will certainly increase the price of your first cloud backup.

Related 📗: Best VPNs for the Cloud…🌴☁️


What is Cloud Backup?

Customers that use a cloud backup service may take use of a centralised, virtualized, and easily accessible data storage system.

Cloud Backup

Storage that is handled in a virtual sense. Providers may establish a massive storage pool using a software-defined architecture and then allocate portions of it to individual clients. 

This allows for granular resource management down to the byte, as well as the usage of multi-tenant systems to provide data isolation between customers.

Now, let's say your backup service gives you the option of using a different service to actually store your data. Most of these storage companies, like Amazon Web Services, also offer IaaS. (AWS). While it's true that many cloud providers let you set up servers and use them as backup destinations, the vast majority of them also offer specialised storage services that seem as network drives to your apps and users.

From a modularity point of view, that's fantastic. Ensure that you include the price of these services in your budget for backup as a whole.

How Complex Should your Backups Be?

In most cases, a cloud backup provider will tailor the administration tools they provide to the specific needs of each customer.

This means taking into account factors like the latter's size and bandwidth fluctuations, the strictness of their security needs, and the length of time they need to keep customer data.

Backup

This final option indicates that any file or folder versions older than the time period specified by your IT administrator (say, six months) will be deleted automatically by the cloud provider.

Customers may benefit from cloud backup services by storing data in easy-to-retrieve places. It might be the provider's data centre that is physically closer to the customer's office, or it could be a local storage resource at the customer's site that acts as a go-between for backups.

Like a NAS, it may keep track of the most frequently used files and make them available through the local area network, which is significantly quicker than the internet.

There are various pricing structures for each storage tier, and the backup tools offered by the cloud storage provider may automate the process by which data is moved between levels depending on the rules set by your IT department.

This is very much like traditional hierarchical storage techniques, but it is more simpler and is handled completely by a managed service. 

After a brief period of setup, you may access your company's information from any device with an internet connection. It is not necessary to have costly physical or virtual servers, expensive tape drives with proprietary (and sometimes cryptic) backup software, or a remote warehouse to store crates of vital cassettes.


Common Questions ☁️ — Best Cloud Backups for Small Companies…

What is the 3-2-1 backup rule?

The cloud makes it easier for IT managers at SMBs to execute many backups than it was previously possible with bulky tape drives.

3-2-1 Backup Rule

So it's common sense to back up important firm information on numerous devices, particularly if doing so is quick and cheap. Still, it's a good idea to adhere to standard operating procedure, and the 3-2-1 rule is a good example.

For optimal data protection, adhere to the "3-2-1 rule," which mandates that you always have three copies of your data, store those backups on at least two distinct kinds of storage, and store at least one copy of that data offshore.

This used to be very difficult, or at best, quite laborious, due to the aforementioned large and heavy cassettes and hard drives.

Using a cloud backup service for your business is far more convenient than, say, hiring a warehouse to keep hundreds of shelves' worth of obsolete tapes.

This is because cloud backup services give a distinct and remote target. With the help of the more sophisticated providers, you may construct a 3-2-1 architecture with a single provider, since they provide you the option of employing a single data centre or a network of data centres.

What are three examples of corporate backup plans? 

  • ✔️ Full - The most comprehensive backup method is a Full backup.
  • ✔️ Incremental - If you have recently created or modified files, just those files will be backed up by an Incremental backup.
  • ✔️ Differential - Like an incremental backup, a Differential backup only stores changed or new bits of data.

In terms of backup, what KPIs are there? ★

Key performance indicators (KPIs) in the field of backup and recovery evaluate the efficiency with which an IT department achieves its objectives.

How can I store my files permanently?

Technically, you can’t. Information can be temporarily stored in secondary storage (also known as external memory or auxiliary storage) until it is overwritten or erased, in the event that the primary storage device loses power.  That is, it's a device like a hard drive or a floppy disc that saves information indefinitely for later use… So, what's the optimal strategy?

  • ☁️ It's essential that you create backups on a regular basis. Keep frequent backups of your data.
  • ☁️ Construct a repository....
  • ☁️ Create duplicates.
  • ☁️ Be sure to keep your collection of historical documents in a dry, cool area.
  • ☁️ Make sure your social media data is backed up regularly.
  • ☁️ Eliminate the need for proprietary formats by converting your files.
  • ☁️ You should think about locking down your storage space using encryption.

What is the typical lifespan of hard drive data?

Whether it's an internal drive for a server, desktop, or an external HDD, its lifespan is still only approximately 3-5 years. Everything inside has moving components, and sooner or later one of them will break.

Can I save data forever?

Your data may be stored for an unbounded length of time, or for an unlimited amount of time, but not forever. Even Google, with all its resources, couldn't possibly save all that information forever.

Under GDPR, how long may data be stored?

In light of the General Data Protection Regulation, how long should members keep customer data? There are no hard requirements for how long data may be kept under GDPR. Data must be kept for no longer than is required in light of the reason it was collected. In essence, this criterion is identical to the one found in DPA Principle 5.

Are there legal repercussions for violating GDPR?

Why is it problematic to not adhere to GDPR and what are the consequences? There are harsh consequences for organisations that don't comply, including jail time for executives.

What do I do if my personal information is stolen by a company?

If your personal information has been compromised, can you file a lawsuit against the company responsible?

Individuals who have had their personal information compromised may file a lawsuit against the corporation responsible for the breach. However, the victim must show that the firm was negligent or otherwise violated UK data breach regulations in order to win in their claim.


Conclusion

It's much easier to put forth your best effort when you're not wasting time worrying about things. Knowing that cloud backups protect you against the unthinkable is reassuring. These possibilities exist indefinitely for every given enterprise.

Put simply, what you need is a system for archiving your company's data. Regardless of how many people are using it. The good news is that this is exactly what Acronis Cyber Protect is designed to achieve. Given the importance of both antivirus software and backups, this is excellent news.