Online backup service, also known as cloud backup or backup as a service (BaaS), is a method of offsite data storage in which files, folders, or the entire contents of a hard drive are regularly backed up by a service vendor to a remote secure cloud-based data repository over a network connection. The purpose of online backup is simple and straightforward: to protect the information – whether it’s business data or personal – from the risk of loss associated with user error, hacking, or any other kind of technological disaster.