Don’t confuse storage with online backup

Unlike online storage, online backup is not meant to free up storage space on your computer. Its purpose is to make a copy of your computer’s content, which can then be restored to the location of your choice (a new computer, for example). It is not archiving!

Published on December 6, 20232 min read

Key takeaways

Online backup makes a copy of your data that you can restore wherever you choose.
It protects your data against loss, theft, viruses and human error.
It lets you go back to previous versions and encrypts both the data and its transfers.
Online storage, on the other hand, is used to synchronise and share data: it is a collaboration tool.

Protecting your data against the unexpected

The primary purpose of online backup is therefore to protect your data against unexpected events such as:

the loss of your computer or a hard drive crash;
the theft of your computer, a virus or a hack resulting in data loss;
a handling error leading to the deletion of key files.

With online backup

Data can be duplicated several times, at different points in time.

This process lets you go back to previous backup versions. Backup software applies one of two types of limits: time-based (all versions within a defined time window are kept) or count-based (a defined number of versions are kept).

In addition, online backup encrypts both the data and its transfers.

Restoring previous versions with WeDoBack

With WeDoBack, you can go back to previous versions within the retention period of your plan.

For example, if your plan includes N days of retention, you can restore older backups from up to N days back.

What about online storage?

Online storage, for its part, helps synchronise data across the devices and computers you use throughout the day. It is a collaboration tool, an archiving space that allows data to be shared simultaneously.

Online backup or online storage: two different uses

Online backup: a restorable copy of your data, previous versions, encrypted data and transfers

Online storage: synchronisation across devices and simultaneous data sharing, a collaboration tool

Protect your data with WeDoBack

Encrypted offsite backup, immutable storage, DRP and BCP: tell us about your servers and we will recommend the right combination.

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