This can be a literal copy of your entire computer system or selected important files, which are stored on a separate HDD. This should then be kept off the main premises in a safe place. It is generally a good idea to have at least 2 copies should 1 of them become damaged or the data corrupted in some way.

Often popular for business firms as a properly set-up server allows all authorised staff members access to the company’s data wirelessly (even remotely if a VPN service is in use). This may be in the form of a single desktop computer, a NAS (Network Attached Storage), or a more complicated set-up. Depending on the complexity of your server setup, this could be the pricier option in terms of initial configuration, hardware costs, and maintenance.

Increasingly popular, this is a way of backing up and “synchronising” your data between multiple devices. You will often have the option to store your data both on your computer/server as well as online, or you can free up space on your physical hard drive and store your data entirely online. Cloud services also allow one to share files and folders with others, and to customise those sharing options to your liking. Some well-known Cloud storage services include Microsoft’s OneDrive, Google’s GoogleDrive, and DropBox. While some services offer you a limited amount of storage space for free, others require you to pay a monthly subscription.

This is basically a way of creating a replica of your file system on the internet, and there are several companies out there that offer this service. It is slightly different from Cloud back-ups in that most online storage services don’t allow you to “share” folders or files with others.