Have you ever lost your data due to a
system breakdown? If you have, then you must be aware of the importance
of backing up your data regularly. People seem to overlook its
importance. Most people seem to learn this simple lesson the hard way
and I’ll admit that I’m one of them. So folks, start backing up your
data regularly before you become the next unlucky person. Getting that
out of the way, people generally use external media for backing up and
storing data. External media, though being a great means for the
purpose, still need to be dealt with care and require certain security
measures in order to be secure. In this article I’ll share a few Best
Practices For Data Backup that will enhance the security of your data
through the external media.
1. Selection of the Medium
The
first and foremost thing that needs to be done carefully is the
selection of the type of the external media that you will use for
storage. This needs to be decided after sorting out your data that you
need to back up. You should know the size and the nature of the data and
choose the suitable storage medium accordingly. For example, if you
choose to store your data on your CD, you should know whether the data
would require editing in the future. In that case, you should choose a
re-writable disk instead.
2. Backup ALL Your Data
While backing up the data, most
people begin searching for selective or relevant pieces of data that
they’d like to backup. However, that may be a good practice if you
consider the maximization of the disk space but it may come back to
haunt you later. What if later some day you encounter some problem and
need a certain file that you thought you wouldn’t need before and chose
not to backup? You might end up regretting not backing up that certain
piece of information. Therefore, if you have a storage medium with
sufficient disk space, you should backup your data in it entirety.
3. Keep Your Backup Off-Site
This is another important tip
for you. It is highly common for users to keep their backup drives and
disks on the same site where the original data lies. Yes, i get it, in
case of data loss, it’ll save your time to access the data if it is held
on the same location. But in case of a theft or a natural disaster, it
will backfire. If someone comes with the intention of costing you your
data, then that someone might be smart enough to search around and
destroy anything he finds. In case of a natural disaster, the location
can get badly affected as you may know. Therefore, regularly take backup
on your external disks and keep them off-site, i.e. at a close/trusted
relative’s place. Specially if you are running an organization, where
the amount of crucial data is huge and you might need professional
services, like
titanpower.com
to take care of your data backup and power solutions to keep your
devices running smoothly and to avoid any storage devices disaster.
4. Keep Multiple Copies of the Data
Storing and backing up data on
external drives is considered as one of the best practices for data
backup and it may be great, but it still involves risk of losing the
data. In one of my previous posts “4 Best Ways To Transfer Files Over
LAN or Wifi Network“, I mentioned the risks that external media such as
USBs or Hard Drives contain. In case of damage to the disk through an
accident or for some other reasons, the disk may get corrupted and you
may lose your data. While that might be inevitable, you can keep your
data secure by keeping multiple copies of the same data on different
mediums. That way, even if one of your drives gets corrupted, your data
will still be safe on another disk.
5. Automate Your Backups
If you are lazy, or are too busy
to take backups, then this one’s for you. You can automate your backups
using any software or using window’s automated backups. You can select
the external device or drive that you want the data to be backed up at.
Schedule backups daily. This way, you won’t have to manually do it
yourself. You can also use some freeonline data backup services that
offer to backup your files and folder synced automatically in real time
on online servers.
These were a few tips and
practices for you to ensure the safety of your data. I hope you find
them useful. Follow these simple tips so you never have to feel helpless
by losing all your data
