Google Drive is fine for casual data backup, but you’ll need more robust cloud backup to keep your critical business data safe, writes Robert O’Brien

The growing problem of cybercrime was highlighted recently by the ransomware attack on the HSE. In its wisdom, the government decided not to pay the requested ransom, despite facing a much larger cost for sorting out the problem. Most businesses don’t have that luxury. If their PCs are locked up, they have no choice but to pay up – unless they have backed up their data.

Cyber-criminals aren’t the only risk for digital data – hardware damage or a software crash can wipe out data permanently if it hasn’t been backed up. Data backup takes various forms. A tape drive attached to the office server can do the job, so long as individual PCs are storing their data on the server and not just on their personal machines. The issue then is what happens if the server packs up or is hacked.

For this reason, online backup to a remote server is more secure. Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive are examples of online storage used by consumers that are also suitable for small business. The drawback is that you have to remember to upload what you want to save, and do it frequently.

The safer option is a cloud backup service configured to back up data continuously or at set times. These services are also built to back up large amounts of data and can analyse what core files and folders should be included in each backup, without the user having to specify them.

There is no shortage of dependable cloud backup solutions available online, each with various price plans depending on data volume and the number of linked devices. Here are some of the options.

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IDrive

An entry-level 5GB backup option is offered for free, and IDrive also has packages for personal, team (between five and 50 linked computers/users), business (unlimited computers/users/servers) and enterprise.

The Business plan offers backup of 1.25 terabytes for $49.95 (€41) per month, and up to 50TB for $1,159.95 (€947) per month. One terabyte is equal to 1,000 gigabytes, and a small office server with under ten staff will likely have a 2TB server. A typical office PC will have c.200GB of programmes and data, depending on who’s using it and how old it is. So you can work out the cost from there.

With IDrive, files and folders can be synced in real time across all linked devices, and there is an option for the quick backup and retrieval of data in less than a week via physical storage shipment. Business plan customers can avail of this option three times per year for free.

Other IDrive features include the ability to retain up to 30 previous versions of all files backed up, a web-based console to manage data backups, restores and other settings on remote computers, and incremental and compressed backups to ease network bandwidth by transferring the modified portions of a file.

IDrive also allows users to perform sector-level backup or file-level backup to secure their entire computer and restore the same to its initial state in the event of a disaster.

Backblaze Business

Backblaze in California offers a range of services for servers, network-attached storage and individual computers. The Business backup plan offers unlimited data backup at $60 (€49) per year per computer. All user data is backed up by default, including external hard drives, and the plan also includes an option to restore data by mail, via an encrypted hard drive. Backed up data on the Backblaze servers is encrypted and there is a user option to enable two-factor authentication online for account access.

Data backup on connected computers is continuous and there’s a web-based admin console. The service includes a 30-day version history or ‘rollback’ of data to protect companies from ransomware attacks. Version history can be extended to one year or forever for an additional fee. Backblaze is geared towards ‘set it and forget it’ data backup, so it doesn’t sync files between computers.

pCloud

Based in Switzerland, pCloud majors on its security credentials and ease of use. The business plan provides 1TB of storage per user and client-side encryption for a monthly or annual fee that depends on the number of users. For the minimum of three users, the fee is €288 per year or €30 per month.

PCloud’s features include the ability to set different data access levels for staff, a virtual drive to preserve HDD space and the ability to access, sync and collaborate on files. Similar to Backblaze, pCloud has a 30-day version history as default but this can be extended to up to one year for an additional fee.

Acronis Cyber Protect

Founded in Singapore in 2003 and incorporated in Switzerland in 2008, Acronis has developed comprehensive security and backup solutions for individuals and businesses. Its Cyber Protect solution is aimed at businesses, integrating backup, disaster recovery, cybersecurity and endpoint management in one package. It comes with real-time, AI-based static and behavioural heuristic antivirus, anti-malware, anti-ransomware, and anti-cryptojacking technologies.

Acronis’s backup service allows users to backup individual files or the entire system as a single file, so there is no need to install software or even an operating system first – your backup file contains all of this. The setup allows businesses to restore all information to new hardware with no loss. The option to back up data continuously is also included, and users can choose what applications require the service.

Acronis also includes a remote drive wipe feature, to prevent data from being deleted by disgruntled employees or being accessed from lost or stolen devices. A variety of product options are available within the Cyber Protect package, with add-ons and other extras available if desired. The Cyber Protect Standard option combines Acronis’s backup and antivirus services, and costs €59 per computer per year.

CrashPlan For Small Business

The US company originally offered consumer security and backup services but announced in 2017 that it was shelving them to focus solely on its products for business. CrashPlan can run automatically in the background and there are no file size limitations, which translates into unlimited storage.

Users can also decide how long CrashPlan holds their data, while files can be restored via any desktop app or browser. The service provides high-grade encryption and includes external hard drive protection as part of the package, meaning that if a user moves their external drive, CrashPlan will pick up where it left off the next time they plug in their drive.

CrashPlan charges around €8 ($9.99) per device per month, so it’s not the cheapest option. Up to 200 computers can be added with this package – users with more computers will need to sign up for CrashPlan’s Enterprise product. The basic package for business is also bare-boned, with not much in the way of extras to choose from.