Don’t Be an April Fool – Protect Your Digital Assets

Be Part of World Back Up Data Day on 31st March

There are not many worse feelings that the realisation that a document you’ve worked tirelessly on has vanished! We’ve all been there and it’s not nice at all. Whether you break into a sweat, scream or even say a word you shouldn’t – losing precious data is downright awful.

With World Backup Day now a fixture on our calendars, there should be no excuses for not protecting your valuable document and digital files. So, please mark March 31 in your diary people because this is a great reminder to us all about ensuring we have all the right procedures in place to protect our digital assets.

What Does ‘Backing-Up’ Really Mean?

Backing-up means you have a second copy of your key files which includes documents, photos, videos and even your emails. And this second copy needs to be stored somewhere else that is away from your computer for example, on a hard drive or online using a cloud storage service.

Some people think that this process happens automatically, however, I’m here to inform you that it doesn’t. Unfortunately, there are no magic back-up fairies. We each need to take charge and set up processes to protect our precious documents.

Why Do We Need To Back-Up?

Take a minute to think about everything you have stored on your digital devices. Of course, there are important documents, emails and likely scans of essential documents but what about your music collection and the pics and videos of your family? Imagine losing these. I know I’d be heartbroken.

While there aren’t any recent studies into the value of our digital assets, in 2014 McAfee undertook research and found that Aussies valued their online assets at a whopping $30,000! So, 6 years later, I’d estimate that would figure would be closer to $50,000! Definitely a reason to take action!

But, Doesn’t Everyone Back-Up?

In short, no! According to the people at World Backup Day, 30% of us have never backed up! And when you consider that 113 phones are lost or stolen every minute, that 1 in 10 computers are infected with viruses every month and that 29% of lost data scenarios are caused by accidental human error – it really does make you wonder why!

Let’s Participate in World Back-Up Day!

Data is regarded as one of the most valuable assets in the modern world. It’s basically digital gold! While backing up your personal and sensitive data is something that should be done routinely, World Back-Up Day is a great reminder to us all that we need to get our back-up plan sorted! I know it all sounds tedious, but trust me, it’s less work than the trouble you’d find yourself in after losing important files!

Here are some easy tips to help you ensure you are taking the right steps to safeguard your data this World Backup Day!

  1. A Two-Pronged Approach Is Best

Take the extra step and go both routes for a thorough backup by using an external drive and a cloud service. Losing a document can be the most frustrating thing so it’s always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to your personal data.

  1. Don’t Forget About Your Mobile Device

Back up data from your mobile devices onto a central laptop or personal computer for an added layer of security and protection.

  1. Don’t Rely on Memory Alone!

While routinely backing up your data is one of the most important steps, it can be the first to slip our minds when life gets in the way. Make it super easy to regularly backup by using the existing automatic and scheduled backup features that already come with cloud services and many external drives.

  1. Test It Out!

On top of scheduling regular data backups, make it a habit to routinely check your ability to restore data from backups to ensure they have been performed correctly and haven’t been compromised.

Some of our ‘lowest’ family moments have been a result of family members forgetting to ‘back-up’.  Only months before last year’s HSC, no. 3 son left his laptop on a train. It took me days to recover from the news that he hadn’t been backing up despite my regular reminders!! Yes, we’re all human but if we can minimise the horrendous stress and upset that is caused by ‘lost’ documents and images then that can only be a good thing!

Happy World Back-Up Day everyone!

 

The post Don’t Be an April Fool – Protect Your Digital Assets appeared first on McAfee Blogs.

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