Thursday 31st March is World Backup Day. This acts as a reminder for businesses of all shapes and sizes to backup all of their important files more than just once a year. Sometimes, for whatever reason, technology can fail, and if you haven’t had the time to backup your files, you could lose important and potentially hard to replace information. Everyone is at risk!
Whilst most businesses will automatically backup their files on an annual basis, a second copy of your files adds extra peace of mind. When you do get round to undertaking a second back up, keep it somewhere different to the first, so you know that it will be safe whatever happens.
What is the best way to backup important information?
Many users regularly back up their files to their computer hard drive, but in the event of a total computer breakdown this will not protect the information. Saving in a separate location is far safer. This is why most people chose to back up their files in one of two ways. They either store them on an external drive, or keep them somewhere on the Internet. Both offer secure solutions for keeping your information safe should the worst happen.
Backing up to an external device
To do this, you will need an external hard drive with a larger capacity than your existing PC. Depending on the operating system you are using, your back up method will vary. The good news is that you don’t need to be a computer whizz to do this. Most systems will walk you through the steps of the process, and will let you know when your backup is completed.
Backing up online
Save your files to the internet by using OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive, or even Amazon Cloud Drive to backup your most important files. Whilst most online drives don’t offer a large amount of space, there should be enough to keep your most important documents safe.
Why are my files at risk anyway?
Any number of disasters can befall the modern technology we so rely on today, and whilst some may not seem that relevant to you at the moment, even the slightest risk of losing important information should be protected against at all times.
If your computer crashes, suffers from a virus, has a hard drive failure or is the subject of fire damage or theft, it will be very difficult to retrieve lost information that has not been backed up.
If your company deals with potentially sensitive customer information, you could even be at risk of legal action if such information goes astray.
Investing in a thorough back up procedure will assure you and your clients that you will be able to restore data in the case of any disasters. So what are you waiting for? Get involved and get backing up today! #WorldBackupDay
