Yes, You Do Still Need Offline Storage in 2023

External Hard Drive, magnetic tapes, Offline Storage, Ophtek, Optical Drives, USB Flash Drives, , , , ,
07
Mar 2023

Cloud storage continues to grab the headlines with all manner of head turning statistics, but this doesn’t mean that offline storage is now redundant.

Ease of access, scalability and high levels of security are just three of the many reasons why cloud storage has become the go to solution for data storage. As a result, in many people’s eyes, offline storage appears clunky and outdated in comparison. However, offline storage solutions – no matter how old fashioned – remain relevant to businesses in 2023. It’s simply a case of understanding why you should implement them into your storage schedules and the best ways to achieve this.

What is Offline Storage?

In its simplest terms, offline storage is data which is not connected to your network or accessible by the internet. Cloud storage solutions – including mainstream services such as Google Drive – all require one key element to grant access to their users: an internet connection. Therefore, a storage solution which isn’t accessible by the internet is classed as offline storage. Examples of offline storage options include:

  • External hard drives
  • USB flash drives
  • Optical media such as Blu-Ray and DVD
  • Magnetic tapes (still in use, but less popular compared to more modern solutions)

Why Do You Still Need Offline Storage?

The wonders of cloud storage may be cutting edge and deal with an old problem in a new way, but offline storage remains crucial for the following reasons:

  • Multiple backups are critical: relying on a single data storage solution is a recipe for disaster. Say, for example, your cloud storage provider is hacked and all your data is encrypted or, worse yet, wiped from the servers, this is going to cause you major continuity issues if this is your only backup. However, with offline storage options in the background, you are significantly reducing the risk of your productivity dropping to zero. The 3-2-1 backup method is the best approach to adopt and could save your organization.

Final Thoughts

Cloud storage is clearly an exciting and effective option when it comes to data storage in 2023, but it should not be considered the only option. Instead, it’s vital that businesses understand that a multiple backup approach, which utilizes both online and offline storage, is the surest way to keep data safe.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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Taking Care of your External Hard Drive

Backup, Backup Strategies, Data Storage, External Hard Drive, Ophtek, , ,
14
Jul 2020

We process and evaluate a huge amount of data every day, so external hard drives are vital for our storage needs. But how do we get the best out of them?

Capable of holding up to 12TB (that’s 12,000GB) and easily connected via USB, external hard drives are an affordable solution to data storage. However, when a device is holding so much data it’s important that you know how to use it properly. An external hard drive which is used correctly and maintained will keep your data safe for years. But one which is mismanaged can soon lead to a data disaster. And no business needs that.

Luckily, we’ve put together a few pointers on the best ways to use an external hard drive.

Getting the Best Out of Your External Hard Drive

Making sure that your device remains operational and productive is simple as long as you follow these best practices:

  • Don’t Move Your Drive When Transferring Data: Beneath their solid exterior, external hard drives are delicate pieces of kit. This is particularly true for Hard Disk Drives which contain spinning and moving parts. Therefore, moving or jostling your external drive when it is transferring data has the potential to not only damage the device, but also create data errors. Make sure that your device is properly connected, on a flat surface and not in the way of your general PC activities e.g. using the mouse and keyboard. 
  • Format Your Drive as NTFS: There are many reasons for formatting your external hard drive, but it’s important that you format your drive as NTFS. Using this method, as opposed to FAT32, is perfect when your device is mostly used with Windows PCs. NTFS formatting provides faster results and has the added bonus of making your drive less susceptible to disk failure. 
  • Run CHKDSK: Better known as Check Disk, CHKDSK is a handy system tool which should regularly be used to check the status of your external drive. It has the capacity to identity any file system errors and repair them. This gives you the dual benefits of a stable folder structure on your device and less chance of it crashing. 
  • Better to Repair than Replace: It can be frustrating when an external hard drive fails, but it’s often simpler to replace a troublesome device rather than repairing it. The labor, and associated costs, to repair an external hard drive will usually be more expensive than a replacement. And, as our next point will show, this shouldn’t compromise your data too much. 

If you can follow the advice above then you should be guaranteed a hassle-free experience with your external drive. And you can rest assured that your data will be safe and available at all times.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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What Are Local Backups and Why Are They Important?

Cloud, External Hard Drive, Flash Drive, Local Backups, Security, , ,
21
Nov 2017

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Local backups are one of the most popular forms of backing up data, so it’s a method that organizations should seriously consider for storing their data.

While cloud backups are grabbing all the headlines, they’re not necessarily the definitive answer to everyone’s backup needs. What’s more, local backup can easily run alongside cloud backup systems, so they’re not an option which should be dismissed.

As backup is such a critical business need in an era of huge data growth and ransomware threats, we’re going to take a look at what local backups are and what they can do for your business.

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What is Local Backup?

As the name suggests, local backup is any type of physical storage medium which is kept locally and can be quickly connected to a PC/network which requires a backup to be saved or restored. The most popular forms of local backup are:

  • External Hard Drives – These devices are now capable of holding huge amounts of data with 16TB (that’s 16,000GB) external hard drives available. Usually connected through USB ports, these hard drives provide a swift transfer of data and this is even quicker when USB 3.0 capabilities are present.
  • CDs, DVDs and Blu-Rays – Optical drives may sound fairly limited in their storage capacities (a single layer Blu-Ray holds 50GB and a CD only 750MB), but they’re still highly popular for quick data storage that can be kept close at hand on a spindle.
  • Solid State Drives – USB and flash drives, again, are highly quick and simple methods for storing critical data which can be kept locally. The beauty of this small, but important method of backup is that implementing the backup data is easily achieved by simply plugging the medium into the PC.

What Can Local Backup Do for You?

Local backup solutions come with a number of benefits which mean they’re perfect for organizations and these can include:

  • Enhanced Security – External hard drives, optical drives and solid state drives are all protected by online threats such as hacking as they’re standalone pieces of kit. Once they’re disconnected from a PC or network there’s no way of them being hacked, so they represent a highly secure storage medium for your data.
  • You Have Full Control – One of the main drawbacks of cloud backups is that they tend to be operated by a third party contractor, so you never truly have full control and responsibility for your data. With local backup methods, however, your data is always safely under your own watch and does not leave your premises.
  • Quicker Transfer – Local backups have a much simpler structure than complex cloud backup systems, so your data can be transferred at a much quicker rate when necessary. This reduces downtime for your PC and network whilst also significantly reduces the time taken to monitor the backup process.

As a result, local backups represent a secure method of storing data with a number of benefits that cloud backups are unable to offer. However, many organizations are now embracing hybrid systems which utilize local and cloud backups to enhance the ability to retrieve data when it’s needed most.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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