If you use an external HDD for backup, be mindful of it’s lifespan, it won’t last forever. HDD failure rates rise abruptly in the fourth year and beyond, so if you’re wary of losing a key backup, make sure to have other drives in the mix and/or use a cloud-based backup solution.

One of the most dangerous cybersecurity threats is Ransomware, because its harm is so hard to fix. Your choices end up being; paying a ransom that won’t even guarantee safe return of your data, or possibly losing that information forever. Use local and cloud backup that can help by giving you full backup copies to […]

It’s best practice to backup your most important data before any updates. If there should be a technical malfunction during the upgrade, you will at least have a backup to fall back on. An additional advantage is that you are at less risk when you update your applications and operating systems.

Data can be lost in many ways including ransomware, malware, computer malfunctions, viruses, and accidental deletion. Use electronic and physical back-ups or copies of your most important files. Best practice is to also use an online backup tool as an added layer of security to keep your important documents safe.

The 3-2-1 rule is a great general framework for backing up your data: Back up at least 3 total copies of your data. Ensure 2 of them are local but are on different media (e.g., external hard drives or SD cards). Keep 1 offsite, likely in a cloud-based backup service.

You can rebuild your computer system if everything is backed up, but it’s possible some of the programs you reinstall will be outdated. This subjects your computer to possible malware or ransomware attacks. That’s why you need to remember to update the software on your computer after rebuilding a system from a backup.