Back Up Your Computer Now: Don't Risk Losing Everything
The Inevitability of Data Loss and Why Backups Are Crucial
The reality of catastrophic data loss is something many find difficult to contemplate… until it actually occurs. It’s likely you’ve dismissed numerous articles addressing this very topic, assuming you’re adequately protected or intending to address it later. However, before moving on, allow me to explain why safeguarding your photos, documents, and creative projects with a backup is essential – and how to execute it effectively.
Computers Are Prone to Failure
Throughout our lives, we’ve been presented with narratives that anthropomorphize computers. Since the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984, it has been common practice to imbue computing devices with personality, making them appear more approachable and less like the purely functional calculators they fundamentally are.
However, computers are, at their core, simple number processors constructed from inexpensive components. Regular failures are inherent to their nature, and they should be viewed as temporary repositories for your data, as it transitions between various locations throughout your life.
Related: Don't Just Move Photos to an External Drive: That's NOT a Backup
You likely understand that hard drives can fail at any time, and perhaps you occasionally copy important files to an external drive. However, this isn’t a robust backup solution. External drives are also susceptible to failure, and a true backup strategy necessitates multiple copies, allowing you to restore to the most recent functional state should an issue arise. Furthermore, if you rely on manual backups, it’s easy to become complacent, and months can pass before you update your backups. This is a significant risk.
As an IT manager at a creative arts company, a portion of my responsibilities involves overseeing the storage and transfer of approximately 6TB of art files. Unfortunately, I personally experienced data loss due to my own negligence in backing up my work, relying solely on a single external USB hard drive. I have witnessed numerous drive failures without apparent cause, and only a diligent backup routine has prevented larger-scale catastrophes.
It’s crucial to recognize that, eventually, you will experience data loss. It’s an inevitability for everyone. And once data is lost, the computer offers no concern for its permanent disappearance. Without a proper backup, it may be irretrievable, as it barely existed in the first place.
While data recovery from a damaged hard drive is sometimes possible, it’s often expensive and doesn’t guarantee complete recovery. Investing in a reliable backup service is a far more cost-effective approach.
The Threat of Malicious Software
Related: How to Protect Yourself from Ransomware (Like CryptoLocker and Others)
If you are unfamiliar with the term ransomware, it is my responsibility to inform you that it represents, in my opinion, the most frightening threat on the internet. Ransomware is a type of virus that silently gains control of your computer and encrypts your important files, rendering them unreadable. Subsequently, cybercriminals demand a ransom payment for the decryption key – and even then, there’s no guarantee your files will be restored.
This may sound like a futuristic scenario, but I can assure you that it has affected people I know personally. Fortunately, it occurred shortly after a backup was performed, but many others have not been so fortunate. If the financial impact of ransomware doesn’t concern you, understand that it affects real individuals. The Radiolab episode linked below provides a compelling human perspective on this issue and is well worth listening to. It sends a chill down my spine, prompting me to re-evaluate my backup solutions.
Human Error: A Significant Risk
An even more concerning threat to your data comes from a source with direct access to your PC: yourself.
We’ve all been there, haven’t we? Perhaps you accidentally moved important documents to the Recycle Bin, or deleted what you believed was a duplicate photo and emptied the Trash, only to discover that file was, regrettably, irreplaceable. And no amount of antivirus software can protect you from your own mistakes. Once a file is deleted, it’s generally gone forever (unless you’re exceptionally lucky).
The key takeaway is that data loss can occur at any time. Hardware failure, malware, and even simple human error pose constant threats. And once lost, the computer will faithfully execute your instructions, regardless of the consequences.
Are you now fully aware of how precarious the security of your life’s work is? Excellent. Let’s reinforce those safeguards and learn how to implement a proper backup strategy.
The 3-2-1 Backup Rule
I’ve observed creative professionals create copies of their artwork on external drives, only to then delete the original files from their desktop computers. To reiterate: simply copying files to an external drive is not a backup. RAID is not a backup. Copying files to SD cards is not a backup. A true backup involves data redundancy across different media, with at least one copy stored in the cloud.
The 3-2-1 rule is easy to remember, and anyone who relies on their data should commit it to memory immediately:
- Keep 3 copies of anything you value.
- Utilize at least 2 different types of media.
- Maintain 1 copy in a separate location from the other two.
Related: What's the Best Way to Back Up My Computer?
Fortunately, you can achieve the latter two requirements simultaneously with a service like CrashPlan. It allows you to back up to both an external drive and the cloud, at a reasonable cost. This provides two backups, one in a geographically distinct location (protecting against data loss due to a fire or other local disaster), and once configured, it operates automatically. It requires only a small investment of your time and is our preferred solution for simple, reliable backup.
If you have a limited number of files to back up – and are certain that’s all you need – you can also utilize a free or low-cost cloud syncing service such as Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive. Alternatively, if you prefer a more hands-on approach, you can build your own cloud storage solution, although the cost of remote virtual machine storage is comparable to the aforementioned services.
If you have a substantial amount of data to back up to the cloud (exceeding one terabyte, as is my case), you might consider Amazon Glacier, which stores files on archival drives for infrequent access. While it doesn’t function like syncing, it provides a long-term backup solution at a very affordable price per gigabyte compared to Google Drive, Carbonite, or similar cloud sync services.
Act Now to Prevent Future Loss
It takes only moments to lose everything you value on your computer, but backing it up doesn’t require a significant time commitment and can be very inexpensive. Your data is vulnerable to malware, hardware failure, and human error – and once it’s gone, it’s gone forever.
Implement the 3-2-1 rule with your own files, and, seriously, back up your data right now.
Image Credit: Melondinosaur on Flickr, David Freeman on Flickr, Halt and Catch Fire by AMC, Lex McKee on Flickr, Santi on Flickr