Busting the backup myth

Using a computer? No one who does really needs to be told how important it is to protect the data it contains. We all know that if it crashes - and it will - the loss of information is a major hassle.

It's also a hassle that is magnified the more the computer is used. And when the computer is part of a business, real trouble begins to loom, as the ability to work is impacted and regulations start becoming a part of the picture.

So, does that mean everyone makes sure their data is protected?

Unfortunately not. Backing up, as critical as it is widely accepted to be, even in the technology industry, just doesn't happen like it should. People tend to have misguided faith in the reliability of computer equipment. Users like to fool themselves by thinking: 'It won't happen to me', even as they dash out into a tumultuous world with a notebook tucked under their arms. They tend to think of backup as a major pain in the posterior; despite it being an absolute necessity, it is a laborious task for which they just can't find the time or discipline.

The excuses are many, but the bottom line is that all of them are unacceptable. Users know this because when they do lose data, they find themselves wishing they had made a copy, and a recent one at that. Losing personal data hurts. Losing information related to work really hurts, and can cost time and money aplenty.

Those people who work in the technology industry really should know better, but many nevertheless don't have a strict backup regimen.

Only a major failure serves to enlighten the hapless user of the criticality of the backup.

Petrus Human is technical director at Attix5.

It gets much, much worse out in the field, especially in small businesses. Even in those where the use of computing may be fairly advanced, the awareness of backups and backup methods tends to be limited. Some, for example, believe two copies of information on a single hard drive are sufficient. The hard drive may be on a notebook; if it is stolen, no matter how many copies there are, the data is gone. Or if that hard drive fails, all the data is at risk.

And until it happens, many small business owners just aren't fully aware of the impact of data loss. They may not realise that simple tasks, like looking up the details of suppliers or customers, become a major hassle. Historical billing information, records, documents - the list goes on. Computing provides such a diverse set of services, which tends to be taken for granted, and only a major failure serves to enlighten the hapless user of the criticality of the backup.

So, what is the backup myth? The major issue is that it is perceived to be complex, time-consuming and difficult. Backups are also perceived to take up too much space. Tape drives, external hard drives, cables, gadgets cluttering desks - these are some of the culprits. Then there is the question of security. With all of that often unused (for regular backup) equipment cluttering the office, is the copy a user may have made weeks or months ago really safe?

If a criminal gets in there, will he take a user's notebook and PC tower, but kindly leave the external HDD and any memory keys lying around? (He may leave the tape drive, given that these are practically obsolete...)

A better solution is related to the emerging concepts of software as a service and cloud computing. The cloud is really a couple of data centres, connected to computing devices 'on the ground' by the Internet. By automating the backup and allowing it to happen in the background with no user intervention, backup finally gets the attention it really does deserve; a daily, complete copy of valuable information.

And, if by pushing that information into the cloud, users can be sure it is secured by bank-level encryption while it is stored in duplicated, highly reliable data centres, well, the backup problems have been solved.

Which will be really, really appreciated when experiencing the inevitable pain of a crashed, lost or stolen computer.

* Petrus Human is technical director at Attix5.