What is backup?
Imagine this scenario: you're working on an important project, gathering data, analyzing information, and suddenly face an unexpected problem — your data disappears. Maybe your computer crashed, the server failed, or a virus infiltrated your system. Or perhaps someone accidentally deleted the files you needed. In an instant, all your hard work and effort can be rendered useless, and data recovery can become a costly and time-consuming process. Unfortunately, these situations happen more often than we'd like, and no one is immune to data loss.
To prevent such a situation, data backup (also known as "backup") is performed. Backup is the process that duplicates information for the purpose of further recovery, meaning it is a copy or archive of important information stored on your devices, used to restore this original information in case of data loss. Many factors can affect data disappearance: hard drive failure, software attacks, and even human errors or theft. However, it is worth noting that data loss is not always the result of external threats. It can also happen that your external hard drive or PC wears out, resulting in data loss. This can happen with any hardware, and a backup will restore it on a new device. Interestingly, despite the seriousness of the need for backup, one in three people has never done it in their life.
When choosing a backup solution, you need to consider recovery point objectives and recovery time objectives. Recovery point objectives are the time between data backups, for example, every 24 hours or once a month. It is important to understand that the less time that passes between backup periods, the less data you will lose, and vice versa.
Recovery time objectives are the time required to restore your data. Generally, the faster or more efficient the data storage, the quicker the recovery time will be.
Also, when choosing a backup method, you can consider the following criteria:
- ease of setting up backups;
- cost of backup;
- storage space for original materials;
- security of your information;
- how quickly data can be copied;
- ease of access to the data backup.
Where to store backup data
1. Removable media.
Removable media are small portable devices used to transfer files from one device to another.
Unlike other backup storage options, the memory size of removable media is not large, and there is no additional security feature in case of loss, theft, or damage to your disk. Their size indicates the storage capacity: some support only 128 MB, while others can store up to 256 GB.
2. External hard drives.
As the name suggests, an external hard drive connects to a device externally via cables or wirelessly.
Like removable media, external hard drives are portable and easy to use, and they can store larger files—from 128 GB to 10 TB.
3. Copying to cloud storage.
Cloud backup or "cloud" allows you to create a backup of information on a device located remotely. Users can access their information and manage their data on any equipment via the Internet. You can order FTP storage here.
The "cloud" provides a large amount of disk space and encrypts content to ensure data security. Many cloud storage options are available from mobile phones and tablets.
4. Cloud backup services.
The principle of operation: you assign a person or service responsible for the backup, as they have access to reliable backup software, hardware, or even hybrid solutions for this process.
Essentially, you pay for services to manage and protect your information—most backup services offer encryption. Like in the cloud, you can consider storage options for this without limitations.
Backup recommendations
Regularly perform backups. The longer the interval between backups, the more data can be lost. Therefore, make copies regularly and often.
Choose different locations for saving backups and original data for copying. For example, if your home is flooded, a physical backup of data, such as removable media, may be damaged. But data whose backups are stored on a cloud server can be retrieved without problems.
Physical copies of important documents, such as bank statements and tax reports or even property deeds, are also of great value. It is recommended to keep a physical file, such as documents, in addition to any digital data backups you have.
As we evolve in a world filled with digital technologies, data backup should not feel like a routine.
They should provide confidence that you have done everything possible to protect important information and valuable memories from the unknown circumstances of life.