Backups: Your Plan B

According to IDC's Quarterly Personal Computing Devices Tracker, nearly 5 million computers were purchased in Australia in 2020. And with smart phones and tablets’ computing power, more and more of us are using them in the ways we once used computers. How each of us use our devices differs wildly: some use them for study, others for work, others for personal hobbies or recreation.

However you use your device, it is typically true that what you save on it is important to you. Whether its your thesis, holiday photos or customer details, our data is critical.

Unfortunately, even with precautions like anti-virus software, padded computer cases and vigilance, data can be lost in an instant. Devices can fail, be damaged, stolen, lost and hacked. In these worst-case scenarios, having a backup of your important files may be your only option for recovering them.

Backing up your data is critically important.

How to back up your data

There are two ways to back up your data, to an external storage device or to the cloud. There are advantages and disadvantages to each, depending on the nature of your data and your type of device. For instance, to backup to an external storage device requires your phone or computer to be connected, but once you’ve paid for the device, you won’t incur monthly fees. Cloud storage allows for scalability – meaning that if you need more space, it’s available.

Neither method is overly complicated, and to help, The Australian Cyber Security Centre has put together practical backup guides to help you.

How often to back up your data

Creating a backup should be done regularly. What ‘regularly’ means depends on what your data is, how often it changes, and the cost – emotionally or financially – of losing it. For instance, if you have just returned from holidays, you’ll only have to back up your photos once. However, if you have a business with hundreds of daily orders, losing even a day’s worth of data may be costly to your sales and reputation.

It’s important that you test restoring your files regularly. Try to restore your files on a regular basis, so you are familiar with the recovery process and can verify that your backups are accessible and working properly.

When should you start backing up your data?

If you have never backed up your data before, get onto it.  Even if you take all the right precautions to ensuring your device’s security, backing up your data is the Plan B that you must have in place.

Although backups will help you recover your files after a cyberattack, be sure to undertake additional cyber security measures to protect your data. Turn on automatic updates for your devices and protect your accounts with multi-factor authentication and a strong and secure passphrase.

To find out more about how to back up and protect your information, go to cyber.gov.au/backups