Catastrophic incidents and ransomware can leave you without access to important data. Back up everything according to the 3-2-1 rule. That is, have at least three copies of the data, two of which should be stored on different types of media, and one located elsewhere. Use an external HDD for the local backup.

You should backup all of the data stored on your phone – such as your contacts, documents, and photos. These files can be stored on your computer, on a removal storage card, or in the cloud. This will allow you to conveniently restore the information to your phone should it be lost, stolen, or otherwise […]

Backing up an iPhone via iTunes was once one of the most secure ways to make a full copy of all of your data and apps and transfer it to a new device. Starting with macOS Catalina, though, iTunes is no longer available. Backup now goes through Finder, but still provides options for encryption.

Some online accounts allow you to use backup codes to log in if you get locked out or don’t have access to two-factor authentication. For example, this is an option for most Google accounts. Consider taking advantage of it and printing off the codes in case you have trouble logging in.

If you have an old hard drive or USB thumb drive, think twice about throwing it away once you no longer need it. The data that was on it might still be recoverable if it had been technically deleted. Keeping the device in storage is a safer option.

All storage drives deteriorate over time and become prone to failure. For traditional hard disk drives, this can happen in as few as four or five years. Free drive cloning utilities like Macrium and Clonezilla can create complete copies of an existing drive on a new disk. That means that you can usually insert the […]