With the widespread adoption of cloud computing in today’s digital world, it isn’t all that easy to keep sensitive information secure from theft and vulnerability. There are still many ways that information can be accessed by another individual or a company’s data management system and made vulnerable to data theft or leakage, even if you take every necessary precaution with your online accounts and ID information.

Now is the time to back up your PC data or data from other devices. While no method is perfect, the ultimate safety precaution would be to choose at least two methods to be used concurrently. If one might fail, you will still have a backup. Here, at least, are the five most valuable ways to answer the question of what is the most secure place to store data.

Cloud Storage

There are many good reasons why cloud storage services provide the most popular way to store and backup your data. The best services offer end-to-end data encryption to keep it safe in a remote location, as well as free storage space and secure transmission of data. Some have additional storage space at reasonable fees with affordable upgrades. They can be accessed both by computers and mobile devices, allowing you to tap in wherever you are, provided you have an Internet connection.

External Hard Drive

The benefit of external or portable hard drives is that you can connect them to computers at any time, allowing you to keep the data with you at all times. They are typically wired devices, but some do have wireless capabilities. Many also come with USB 3.0 capabilities, provided that your computer has this access feature as well. They are easy to use and many come with software that you can schedule backups with. Keep the drive offsite and ensure good working condition.

Optical Discs

Though much less popular these days, burning data to CDs, DVDs, and even Blu-ray discs is still a reliable backup method. Drive failure won’t be an issue with discs, and you can store them safely in a secondary location. However, they can be time-consuming to manage the backups. Also, you may run the risk of optical disc technology becoming irrelevant in the future. Sometimes this can become a costly option as well if there is a large amount of data to backup.

USB Flash Drive

USB flash drives are kind of like a portable drive, but even smaller and easier to transport. However, their storage space is often not as big. This is likely one of the more affordable options for storage and backup. But they can be easily lost and not always as durable either.

NAS Device

A network attached storage (NAS) device is a server dedicated to saving data, able to be operated wired or wirelessly. Once it is configured, it can display simply as just another drive on your computer. You can backup multiple computers at once, as well as set automatic backups, but they can be expensive and will ultimately fail, like external hard drives.

Remeber, no matter which option will fit your needs best, your information is never safe enough in the hands of cyber thieves. If you would like to securely dispose of any of your backup tapes, CD’s, DVD’s and USB drives, or require additional services of on-site hard drive/media destruction, contact us at Corporate Destruction Solutions today by submitting our convenient online contact form or dialing 877-868-0041.