Why You Should Back Up Your Data

Rebecca Ihenyen
2 min readOct 18, 2023

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Our data is at the heart of everything we do. From important work documents to precious memories, losing data can be a devastating experience. Therefore, it is absolutely critical to regularly back up your data to safeguard it from potential loss due to hardware failures, cyber-attacks, or accidental deletion.

The Importance of Data Backup

1. Protection Against Data Loss: Accidents and hardware failures can happen unexpectedly. Regular backups ensure your data is safe and can be recovered easily.

2. Resilience Against Cyber Threats: Ransomware and other cyber threats can encrypt or destroy your data. With backups, you can restore your system to a pre-attack state.

3. Peace of Mind: Knowing your data is securely backed up provides peace of mind, allowing you to focus on your work and activities without the constant worry of losing important files or memories.

Best Practices for Data Backup

1. Automate Regular Backups: Use backup software that can automatically back up your data at scheduled intervals.

2. Utilize Redundancy: Maintain multiple copies of your backups, both locally and in the cloud, to ensure data recovery in case of any failures. Examples of storage are Google drive, icloud, one drive, flash drives, hard drives etc.

3. Encrypt Your Backups: Encrypt your backups to ensure your sensitive data remains secure, especially if storing backups in the cloud.

4. Test Your Backups: Regularly test your backups to verify that they are functioning correctly and can be restored when needed.

5. Categorize Your Data: Classify your data based on importance and create a backup strategy accordingly. Critical data might require more frequent backups.

Backup Methods

1. External Hard Drives: Store backups on external hard drives and disconnect them when not in use to prevent malware attacks.

2. Cloud Storage: Use reputable cloud storage services to securely store your data offsite.

3. Network-Attached Storage (NAS): Employ a NAS device to create a centralized backup location accessible from multiple devices on your network.

Regularly backing up your data is a fundamental practice in ensuring the safety and security of your digital life. Implementing an effective backup strategy not only protects you from potential data loss but also allows for a smoother recovery process in the face of unforeseen circumstances. Take the time to set up automated backups, employ redundancy, and periodically test your backups to fortify your digital resilience.

Until next time, find me where the good guys are!

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Rebecca Ihenyen
Rebecca Ihenyen

Written by Rebecca Ihenyen

Figuring out cybersecurity & GRC one step at a time—so you don’t have to! Sharing my wins, fails and lessons from my tech pivot. Follow for vibes & insights!

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