Imagine waking up to find your precious photo memories, lifelong contacts, and vital documents vanished into thin air. With the rise in cyber threats like malware, ransomware, and phishing over the past four years, this nightmare could become a reality. It's clear that protecting your data is an issue that you cannot ignore. It’s so important in fact, there is even a full calendar day dedicated to it. March 31st is World Backup Day—a day dedicated to backing up your most important digital files to prevent data loss.
In this article we’ll show you why it’s so important to back up your digital files, along with some advice on how to get started.
What is a backup?
In a world where we all increasingly rely on digital technology, the security of our data has never been more critical. A backup, in simple terms, is like creating a duplicate of your favorite belongings—so even if you lose or damage the original, you still have a spare. Specifically, when we talk about data backup, it's all about making a second copy of your crucial data such as photos, videos, digital files, contacts, and emails. Instead of storing all this data in one spot like your computer or phone, you make a copy and store it in a secure place. This process of creating a copy of your data is known as a digital backup.
Why is it important to back up my data?
The goal of this digital backup is to make sure that if anything happens to your original data, you still have an accessible copy ready to use. Data loss can be malicious—resulting from hacking, ransomware, malware, or phishing. But, it can also be accidental. According to worldbackupday.com, 29% of data loss cases are caused by accident.
By creating a digital backup of your most important files stored on your devices like your computer, smartphone, or tablet, you’re ensuring that if the original data is lost, damaged, or compromised in any way, you still have an accessible copy to use.
Why is World Backup Day celebrated?
When there is an entire day dedicated to something, chances are it’s an important topic. For over a decade now, World Backup Day has been celebrated to increase awareness about the importance of data protection. Similar to how Cybersecurity Awareness Month promotes safety online, World Backup Day on March 31st helps us all avoid becoming victims of data loss due to hackers, equipment failure, or any other issues that might cause loss of data. It's an annual event embraced by technology and privacy industries worldwide, as well as tech enthusiasts. The day encourages everyone to take time to secure their most valuable information, serving as a reminder of the importance of regularly backing up our data to prevent loss.
How do I protect my data?
To protect your data, you can back up your files from your smartphone, computer, or tablet by storing it in the digital cloud or using popular storage methods like external hard drives.
- Smartphone backup: Move your phone contacts, photos, videos, text messages, and downloads to the cloud. If your device ever gets lost or damaged, having these backed up to the cloud means they can automatically sync to a new device when you sign in. Follow the steps for your phone’s operating system to back up your files. Android and Apple/iOS devices make it easy to save your most important devices to the cloud. If you need additional help, a simple online search for “How to backup Android phone contacts” or “How to back up my Apple photos” will reveal some common tips and tricks for how to easily backup your digital information.
- Online backup services: Transfer the most important files from your computer, such as photos, videos, and documents, to the cloud. It's very important to ensure that your cloud storage is secure so that no one other than you can access it.
- External storage backup: If your files are large in size, consider purchasing an external hard drive or USB to store this content. Research online to find out which external hard drive would best meet your needs. The prices of these devices have significantly dropped over the years, making it affordable to get large storage capacities.
Remember: While it's critical to protect your digital data, don't overlook your physical data. For important paper documents stored at home, consider investing in a small safe for protection against fire or flooding. You can also digitize these documents and password protect them for added security and to help declutter your home.
Protect your data year-round
Given the rise in cyber threats, it's crucial to regularly back up your data to prevent loss. World Backup Day on March 31st emphasizes the importance of data protection, but we must prioritize this practice year-round. The safety of your data is in your hands and by taking the time to create backups, you’ll ensure access to your data, even if the original is ever compromised.