‘Prevention is better than cure’ is a phrase that has been around far longer than computers but is particularly pertinent when it comes to backing up your data.

World Backup Day is an annual reminder to be prepared against data loss and data theft. March 31st is the day to backup and better protect your data.

The majority of us store our most important, often irreplaceable files on our computers and phones. Backing those files up, duplicating and storing them securely, prevents us from losing this valuable data.

From you accidentally deleting files to a total system failure in which your files and documents are destroyed, backing up your data keeps it protected.

Having secure backups of all that you store on your computers and phones also provides protection against certain cyber-attacks – it won’t prevent those attacks, but it could be the difference between you still retaining access to your data or losing everything.

Take ransomware as an example – this type of cyber attack scrambles all of the information that you have on your computer or laptop to the extent that you are unable to access anything. The hackers are holding your data hostage, demanding that you pay them a ransom upon which they say they will unscramble your data and let you have it back again. But, they being criminals in the first instance, there is no guarantee that if you do pay up they will honour their side of the ‘bargain’ and allow you to access your data again.

Having a backup solution will not stop you suffering a ransomware attack – but the attack loses its power over you if you have all of your data stored securely. The hackers are demanding payment to unscramble your laptop or computer, and that is a right Royal pain in the proverbial, BUT! You still have all of your data and are able to access it and download it to a clean device.

Over the 18 years that we have been providing IT support the most heart breaking news we have to relay to someone is that they have lost all of the photos they had of their babies, or their grandchildren, or a deceased love one; or of having to tell a student that they have lost all of their work, sometimes years’ worth; or a small business that they have lost everything. Every. Single. Thing.

Having adequate backups could potentially make the difference to a company who gets hacked of survival or going out of business.

If you look at having a backup in the same way that you do of having necessary Insurance you can see that it is a worthwhile expenditure that you need to add into your annual budget – a safety net, a resource that you hope you will not need to call upon. Having good backups in place will ensure your data is still your data should your computer fail, get hacked, get lost, get stolen, or get destroyed.

A backup does not make you cyber secure – but it does go a long way towards helping to protect your data.