5 Reasons Why You Need to Backup Your Data

by Bill Brown, Guest Contributor

Loss of crucial data cannot be predicted. People simply don't realize that, even though we live in a world where security is at a top level regarding technology and user information protection, the mediums we use for storage can sometimes break down. And this isn't the only issue, unfortunately.
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Backing up data is something everyone should do.

Imagine going on a long trip and losing your phone. It was probably filled with some of your favorite photos, playlists, and other personal information. Or maybe your phone gets stolen? These are all situations that you can't predict, which is why backing up data is something everyone should do. This review of backup methods will give you some nice insight on what you can do to prevent unnecessary data loss.

Devices Get Lost in Disasters
Sometimes, the weather can get pretty crazy. Other times, natural disasters start happening. And it isn't just about these disasters; people often lose their phone on concerts, festivals, and other activities where they jump and move around a lot. Ask anyone who worked on cleaning the space and filth left behind by festival-goers, and they'll tell you that phones are some of the most common things found during clean up.

There are ways to prevent such data loss by uploading everything to a cloud. However, you need to be careful when it comes to cloud security and use a very powerful password. Cloud hacking attempts are nothing new and happen quite often.
Remember: You can lose your phone in almost any situation, even if you're careful not to.

Fatal Downtime
Did you ever work late into the night only to have your work cut short by power outages or loss of Internet connection? Forgot to press ctrl+s and now everything is lost? Well, you're not the only one. Many people have experienced this issue, including me. However, what I've learned is that, if you use Microsoft Office programs for work, you can use their online version that constantly autosave.
Losing your Internet connection can cause issues if you use this method, but that's where the offline versions come into play. See, it's all about minimizing the losses on all fronts!

Audits, Taxes, and Archives
Most companies are required to keep copies of various documents and information in the event of an audit for example. Taxes also need to be kept in existence. However, simply having a copy or two on the same computer won't do any good. What if the hard drive fails and the entire archive of information that was on it gets lost?

You need to backup the data in multiple places, simply because you'll need a backup plan. If one device fails or gets lost, you'll have access to the files on another one. Also, be mindful of the passwords you use if you use online archives or archives on your personal computer.

People Delete Files by Mistake
This is a pretty common mistake that people make, and it's not surprising that so many files get lost during this accidental process. Most modern devices (both handheld and in the form of computers) have ways to prevent this, most notably a second prompt asking you if you're sure you want to delete the file(s) you selected, but sometimes people don't even stop to look, and they accidentally delete something of value.

This isn't a usual problem on computers since you have access to the recycle bin, but phones are a different story. If you have anything important that wouldn't be good to lose, make sure to back it up and create a second, or even a third version. It's better to be safe than sorry.

Computers Get Infected With Malware
Malware is a major problem in today's technological world as the number of ads on websites has increased by a large amount. Although most people use software extensions such as AdBlock on Google Chrome, it's still possible to get infected. Antivirus software is also a common addition to most computers, but again, phones are the ones that are in danger here.
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Malware cannot be easily removed from mobile phones and can seriously hinder their performance. Some malware also removes important files, which is another reason why you should create multiple versions of the same files on different devices. Losing personal files and data is a major problem for people because it can set them back in many different terms. For example, someone who spent hours writing an article can lose their will to work in the event of file deletion. Save often and back up important files constantly!
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