The complete guide to backing up your data to the cloud

Your computer has exploded. Your external hard drive was stolen from your car. Then your house burned down. By all rights, you're having a total fail of an afternoon. But by backing up your computer's data to the cloud, none of these tragedies need cost you your precious memories. We're going to explain what cloud backups are, and which companies provide the best ones.

So then, what is cloud storage? Put simply, backing up data to the cloud means you're backing up data to a hard drive in a secure data centre via your Internet connection, instead of just to a hard drive in your house. In fact, that data centre might be located on the other side of the world.

Using cloud backups, you've removed from your shoulders the burden and stress of protecting whatever device your data is stored on. A decent provider will also backup your backups, making sure those embarrassing pictures of an ex-partner are never at risk of being wiped because, y'know, he came round and took back your laptop, microwaved your dog and blew up your house.