Loss of data is every business’ nightmare. Did you know, for example, that in 2016, security breaches affected 60% of companies?

That’s quite a significant number. With that comes the worry that data may be at risk. But you need to have storage of some sort.

We save a lot of information on our computers and devices. In fact, the files from an average 1TB disk drive would be enough to fill an airplaneThese days, companies have more choices. While a lot of people are still happy to have local hard drives, more businesses are turning to cloud storage as a convenient alternative. Today I’m going to be looking at cloud storage vs. local storage. With this information, you’ll be able to decide for yourself which is the best for you and your business.

Advantages of Cloud Storage

One of the main benefits of using cloud storage is convenience. Because we’re all connected to the internet (many of us 24/7), people are finding that they need access to data from anywhere in the world at any time. This is where cloud storage wins out over local storage. If you have a cloud account, you don’t need to worry about how you’re going to gain access to your files. Wherever you log in (and from whichever device), your data will be there waiting for you.

Some websites will even give you up to 15GB for free, which means you can potentially cut down on storage costs.  Don’t think that sounds like a lot? When you consider that just 1GB of storage is equal to around 75,000 pages of documents, it forms an idea of just how generous 15GB is (you do the math). One of the other advantages of cloud storage is the ability to recover data. I’ve already mentioned the benefit of being able to access your files from anywhere with an internet connection. But it goes beyond mere convenience. How many times has a laptop or tablet become corrupted and unusable? What happens to all that data that’s stored on there?  Chances are it’s lost forever. But with cloud storage, your files will still be there ready for you to access from another computer.

Pro tip: Now is probably a good time to say that even if you use cloud storage, it’s still highly recommended that you implement some sort of backup plan in case of any mishaps. It’s always best to be safe than sorry.