Regardless of whether you use a computer or a smartphone, you undoubtedly have files on your device that are too valuable to lose. But how do you protect them? Permanent data loss can result from a variety of circumstances. such as natural disasters, theft, gadget damage, and cyberattacks, to name a few. To avoid negative outcomes, it’s crucial to make a backup of your data files before any of these unexpected events occur.
Data loss may be incredibly frustrating, especially if you lose important data from your business or priceless photos from special moments. Here are some suggestions for safely backing up your data to assist you avoid the harmful effects of data loss.
There are various methods for data backup. External hard drives, Network Attached Storage (NAS), USB flash drives, and the cloud are the options.
External hard drives are similar to USB flash drives, however they have a little more space on board. They have storage capacities ranging from 1TB to 18TB and are 5–10 times larger than pen drives. Additionally, they are lightweight, simple to use, and compatible with desktops and laptops. Compared to flash drives, external hard drives copy data more quickly and are more robust. There are two different kinds of external drives: HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and SSD (Solid State Drive). HDDs offer more storage capacity and are less expensive than SSDs, but SSDs are less likely to sustain damage. Despite being more durable than USB flash drives, external hard drives can nevertheless heavy damage and failure. especially if they are wet or dropped on a hard surface.
Network attached storage (NAS) devices are excellent for corporations since they enable automatic backup of many machines. They have a large amount of storage because they can fit four hard drives or even more. Multiple users may access NAS, and it can be accessed remotely over the internet.
When it comes to backing up files, NAS devices are more stable than flash drives and hard drives. Furthermore, they are significantly harder. To utilize them effectively, you must have some understanding of computer networks, though. Furthermore, data loss with NAS is still a possibility in the event of natural disasters or human mistake (unintentionally reformatting the system).
Similar to NAS, cloud storage enables automatic backup and provides online access. Even for mobile devices, this is fantastic, enabling users of smartphones to quickly upload and distribute backup files without the need for a computer or a browser assuming they have a device with a cloud storage app installed. Since the data is not kept on a physical device, storing crucial information in the cloud keeps them secure from natural disasters and device failure. Additionally, the majority of well-known cloud storage services, including iCloud, Dropbox, and Google Drive, provide a “restore file” feature that enables users to recover data that were unintentionally deleted.
You can choose a storage capacity for your needs using cloud storage, which makes them versatile. Additionally, if you require extra space, you can upgrade. Additionally, the majority of cloud storages provide 5GB of free storage, so you can backup your stuff without having to pay for additional space.
Cloud storage has disadvantages, just like other backup strategies. They ask you a monthly or yearly cost if your files take up more space than what they can store for free. Cybercriminals may also try to access cloud storage, deleting or overwriting files in the process. Although cloud storage companies have high security standards, it is still unclear how well our data is protected. Since hackers are still finding ways to access computer systems, even cloud servers.
The oldest way of backing up files among the four mentioned above is USB flash devices, commonly known as USB sticks or pen drives. They may be connected to any device with a USB connection and are simple to use and perfectly portable. These thumb-sized gadgets come in a wide range of storage capacities, from 1GB to 2TB. letting you select the option that best meets your needs.
As of right now, there isn’t a single method of backup data that is 100% secure. Hard drives, NAS, and USB drives can all suffer harm or disappear. Cybercriminals may try to access cloud storage. Human mistake will always be a possibility, leading to accidental file deletion or overwriting. Therefore, having several backup copies of your vital data is the best method to protect it. It’s preferable to increase the number to three or even more.
Keep backup copies of your data in different locations. An example would be to store one on your most reliable cloud storage, one on an external disk, and one in a flash drive. Additionally, one can be saved on a hard disk and the other two on separate clouds. By doing this, you’ll have multiple copies in case a disaster strikes where you are or a virus infects your computer.