Managed IT Services

File Backup vs File Sync: How Does It Affect Your Business

  1. Home Home
  3. Managed IT Services
  5. File Backup vs File Sync: How Does It Affect Your Business
9 August 2022

As a business, you need to save data and share it securely with your employees at work. This means that you need to use a safe method to keep your data and restore it on a different device whenever necessary.
The most common way to do this is by syncing or backing up your files. Now, although they both sound similar, there are considerable differences between them that you need to take into account before choosing either of these approaches for your business. 
To help you out, the IT experts at Redpalm have put together this detailed blog explaining the differences between file backup vs file sync.
Read on to learn more about these solutions, how to apply these data restoration systems to your business and which one would work best for your company. 
Let’s get started!

File Backup Explained

File backup is a common practice that’s been followed ever since computers came into existence and it is a reliable way to protect the digital assets of your company while ensuring business continuity. 
In terms of how this works, the entire file backup operation on your computer is pretty straightforward.
During the process, the device essentially copies all of your data and transfers it from one location to another for future use. For instance, when you save a Word document, your laptop will duplicate the information and save it on your hard drive, cloud storage, flash drive, or another computer. This ensures that, even if you lose a file on your device, it can easily be restored from the location it was transferred to.

Pros and Cons of File Backup

Pros

Backup is the simplest and most traditional method of saving and protecting sensitive data on your computer and avoiding any possible leaks. Additionally, it’s the go-to approach to save large files from taking up space on your hard drive because it’s quicker when compared to syncing.
Some of the other benefits that you could reap include:

  • The process can take place automatically, so your information will remain safe, without any interventions 
  • Backup can occur several times in a day, which means you can access multiple versions of your files
  • By using cloud storage services, you don’t need an on-premise device, like computers or laptops, to check your backup status

Cons   

While file backup is useful, certain disadvantages can cause inconveniences while working on a project. The cons of using backup to store your files include: 

  • You can’t access your data on other computers without the Internet
  • You need great Internet speed to backup large files
  • Full data recovery will take up a lot of time

Given these disadvantages, it’s better to hire a professional IT team, like Redpalm, to provide you with seamless wireless networking services that can keep your business’s IT infrastructure flexible.

File Sync Explained

File sync is an incredible option to access and collaborate your work with your employees. Put simply, by using this method in your business, anyone can work on your file through their PC, laptop, or smartphone. However, this is only possible when you permit them to access the file or document.
What’s more, by using file sync, you and your employees can gain access to the most recent information that’s available on the document.
Some of the common examples of file syncing services include Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive.

Pros and Cons of File Sync

Pros

File sync is the modern solution for businesses to store their data, as it is convenient and useful. Moreover, it helps your employees to access files easily from different devices.
Here are some more pros of using file sync:

  • Keeps your files up-to-date
  • Provides safe backups of data
  • Makes it easier to collaborate with employees
  • Accessible from PCs, laptops, smartphones, and tablets

Cons

Despite being a convenient option for collaboration, there are some disadvantages and risks of using file sync.
Here are some cons that you need to be aware of:

  • Syncing files can get misplaced, as data between machines can get misplaced
  • The setup for file syncing can be complicated
  • These programs can be vulnerable to ransomware attacks

Due to the above-mentioned cons, it’s highly recommended that you hire a trusted service, like Redpalm, to manage your file syncing services. Not only can we provide you with solutions for keeping your data protected but we can also help you with business continuity and disaster recovery.

Choose Redpalm for IT Infrastructure Services

Today, businesses can be vulnerable to various ransomware attacks and hackers. This is one of the reasons why you need to hire a trusted IT support provider who can keep your data secure, regardless of whether your business is running on a small or large scale.
With Redpalm, you can rest assured that you will be provided with the best IT solutions, from cyber security and managed IT services to business continuity and disaster recovery, along with several other services, like a free cyber risk score. 
To learn more about how we can help you, get in touch with us today!

Search For Posts

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Subscribe to receive industry news and insights.

    Trending Articles

    Software Licensing – Why Is It Important?
    cyber criminal tactics, two individuals hacking into a computer system

    7 Common Cyber Criminal Tactics to Watch Out For
    technology as a service, engineer in data center

    The Benefits of Technology as a Service (TaaS) 

    Latest From The Blogs

    prevent a data breach, computer devices with code and access denied displayed on screen
    Cyber Security

    5 Effective Strategies to Prevent a Data Breach

    Data breaches occur when any sensitive information is leaked or exposed to the public without authorisation. They can lead to the loss of your organisation’s intellectual property, customer data, or other confidential information.

    Read More
    cybersecurity metrics, woman next to data projection
    Cyber Security

    7 Cyber Security Metrics Every Business Should Track

    The ever-evolving nature of cyber threats means tracking cyber security metrics is essential for evaluating your company’s cyber security posture and maintaining cyber defences.

    Read More
    digital privacy, person typing in their login credentials
    General

    Understanding the Future of Digital Privacy

    Technological advancements have reshaped how personal information is collected, shared, and used, and privacy has emerged as one of the biggest challenges in this digital age.

    Read More
    cyber security certification UK, two males working on a computer in server room
    Cyber Security

    5 Tips to Secure Your Cyber Essentials Certification in the UK

    According to the 2024 Cyber Security Breaches Survey conducted by the UK government, 50% of UK businesses experienced a cyber attack or security breach in 2023.  With a growing frequency of cyber attacks, many businesses have begun to prioritise cyber security and cyber security certification in the UK.

    Read More
    cyber security strategy, woman and man working on computers
    Cyber Security

    How to Build a Strong Cyber Security Strategy

    According to cyber security stats, cyber attacks have become more prevalent in recent years, not only increasing in number of incidents but also in their level of sophistication. This increase in ransomware, phishing, and other types of cyber attacks has only emphasised the need and importance of a cyber security strategy for businesses across industries.  An effective cyber security strategy helps you protect your digital assets, such as your systems, networks, and data, from unauthorised access and damage. A well-constructed strategy involves procedures, policies and frameworks to help reduce risks, respond to incidents and safeguard sensitive data.  Your cyber security strategy isn’t meant to be perfect; it’s intended to act as a strongly educated guess as to what you need to do to keep your business safe. As your organisation and the world around you evolve, your strategy needs to evolve as well.

    Read More
    cyber criminal tactics, two individuals hacking into a computer system
    Cyber Security

    7 Common Cyber Criminal Tactics to Watch Out For

    Cyber crimes are attempts by cyber criminals, hackers or other malicious individuals to gain unauthorised access to a computer network or system. These attacks often target a range of victims, from individual users to organisations and even governments, which begs the question, can cyber crime be curbed?

    Read More
    improve online security, a person using a laptop with visual of security overlaid on top of image
    Cyber Security

    6 Simple Ways to Boost Your Company’s Online Security

    Online security, aka cyber security, involves protecting your business’s sensitive information and critical systems from unauthorised access and theft. With data networks being almost universal, fraudsters are becoming more and more innovative with their scams. Every day, countless cyber criminals scan unsecured or poorly secured networks, looking for an opportune moment to attack.

    Read More
    phishing email scam, paper email icon on a hook above a laptop
    Cyber Security

    A Deep Dive Into HR Phishing Email Scams

    Have you ever received an email from your HR team that appeared too good to be true? Or perhaps there was something about it that sounded a little off. Beware—you may have narrowly avoided falling into the clutches of an HR phishing email scam.

    Read More
    technology as a service, engineer in data center
    General

    The Benefits of Technology as a Service (TaaS) 

    Traditionally, IT infrastructure necessitated a server installed on your business premises to allow access to hardware and software applications. If you wanted to scale your data storage and services, you had to purchase additional hardware or invest in expensive upgrades.

    Read More
    global IT outage, woman looking stress while computers are showing coding errors
    General

    A Deep Dive Into Microsoft’s CrowdStrike Global IT Outage

    As one of the largest IT outages in history, thousands of businesses and institutions around the world were knocked offline. From airports to healthcare institutes to offices and railways, the Microsoft outage has led to widespread disruptions and delays across the world.

    Read More