Why Cloud Backup?

Backing up your important files enables you to protect them against future data loss. If the original data becomes corrupted or is accidentally deleted, or if your hard drive fails, you can still restore the lost data from the backup.

CTERA's cloud backup technology provides several key advantages and is far more secure than methods relying solely on local media:

Simplicity

Traditional backup methods require user intervention, complicating the backup process. Users may have to insert CDs into drives, change tapes, or manually initiate the backup. In contrast, online backup requires only a simple, one-time configuration. Online backup then runs automatically according to the desired schedule, without any need for user intervention.

Security

When backed up online, data is automatically encrypted and fingerprinted as soon as it leaves your local network. For even stronger security, users can use a personal passphrase known only to you for gaining access to data backups.

Storage Location

With traditional backup, backed up data is often stored in a single location (for example, in a stack of CDs in your office). If backup media are not taken off-site, a natural disaster at that location may destroy the backup along with the original data. Online backup ensures that data is stored in multiple locations, usually quite far from each other, and protects if from local disasters such fires or floods.

Versioning

When using traditional backup, users often choose to maintain only the most recent version of their files, due to storage space limitations. Online backup preserves multiple versions of your data, enabling you to restore the version of your choice.

Restore Options

When using traditional backup, users must have access to the backup medium in order to restore your data. Online backup, however, offers multiple restore options, including restoring your data from anywhere simply by using a Web browser to access backup versions of files.

Reliability

Traditional media used for backup are prone to failure. Tapes, hard drives, CD-Rs and DVD-Rs have a surprisingly high failure rate. Online backup uses enterprise-grade infrastructure that is significantly more reliable, with built-in redundancy across multiple locations.