The majority of our population uses computers, hard disks and mobile devices to store our data. However, do we also know the importance of creating a backup of our data? If you have ever lost some really important data, I’m pretty sure that you know everything about it.
Whether it’s important reports from work, a semester’s worth of homework or picture’s of a recent birthday party, you probably have something stored on your device that is too valuable to lose. That’s where creating a backup of your data comes in. It’s so important, that there is even a dedicated day to it: World Backup Day.
What is creating a backup?
Creating a backup describes the process of storing a copy of important files that are stored on your devices to protect your business or yourself against data loss. An important detail here is that the backup should be stored somewhere safe (not the main device). In the event of data loss, you can use the backup as a restoration method for your device.
Top 5 reasons for creating a data backup:
There are a lot of different reasons why creating a backup is so important.
1. Preventing data loss
Firstly, creating a backup will help you to prevent or revert data loss. By creating a backup, you will always be able to restore your device quickly. It’s important to back up any data that cannot be replaced or data that you’re required to keep for an extended period. A great example for businesses are taxes, client information, audits and archives.
2. Be one step ahead of cyber threats
As everything is becoming more and more connected, the number of potential cyber threats increases. Through ransomware, cybercriminals are able to block you from accessing your files on your devices. Oftentimes, they demand a ransom to restore your access. However, even after paying the ransom, you often don’t regain control over your data. By storing a backup, you’ll be one step ahead of cybercriminals.
3. It doesn’t have any impact on performance
The benefits of creating a backup are great and creating a backup does not have any impact on performance. Solutions for creating backups run in the background. You won’t even notice that it’s running.
4. Prevent downtime
Data loss can have severe consequences. If you don’t have a backup, this can mean that you have to close their doors for good. Creating a backup plan can help mitigate these threats as you will be able to recover much quicker and have bigger chances of surviving a data disaster.
5. Redoing work
If you lose your data, and you don’t have any backups, you will be able to recover some of it. However, you will never know what that will be. There might be some very important things missing, which will probably result in you having to redo them all over again. This can cost a tremendous amount of time and money. If you suffer severe data loss, you might even have to re-do everything that you have ever done.
What kind of data should I back up?
The kind of data that you should back up depends. In general, it’s good to create a backup of anything that you cannot replace if you lose it. As an example, in your personal life, this can be pictures, videos, important emails, and/or any type of document. If you’re running a business, you can think of customer details, configuration files, operating systems, and any other type of registration.
How to create a backup
Creating a backup simply means creating a copy of your files and storing it safely. There are several ways in which you can create a backup. Oftentimes devices have built-in utilities for backups and restorations. You can create a backup on an external hard drive, copy files to the cloud or use backup services. Alongside, you can store a physical copy of important documents.
A great way to look at back-ups is the 3-2-1 rule. Put simply, the rule says that you should:
3. Store 3 copies of your data
2. Store your data in at least 2 formats
1. Store 1 copy offsite to protect yourself against physical damage
Summary
Accidents happen all the time and it’s important that we prepare ourselves for them. Without preparation, data loss can lead to lost revenue, angry customers and even bankruptcy. By creating a backup you will be able to recover quickly from data loss.
