With recent technological advances, many people and companies feel comfortable storing valuable information on a computer. However, a computer’s storage system is not as secure as many believe it to be. Computers can be extremely vulnerable and susceptible to any kind of attack or mishap. If your information disappears without a recent data backup then it could be permanently lost.

Having your data stolen or lost can be quite concerning for many. Even so, protecting data is not a priority for most people. According to the organization World Backup Day, 83% of U.S. citizens have computers, but only 25% of users implement regular backups. This statistic is especially concerning considering that a laptop is stolen every 53 seconds in the United States. That is why it is so important to employ regular backups on all your digital devices.

Auburn I.T. has a team of trained professionals that can provide you with around-the-clock data protection. We want to help prevent your information from being lost or stolen which is why we want to help you understand the importance of regularly backing up your devices and how to properly use backups.

Backups

Backups are essentially a copy of all the information stored on your devices. Backups store your data so that it can be retrieved if it is stolen or lost. They protect a user from any cyber attacks, user errors, or hardware decline. Many cyberattacks are out of your control and can result in a loss of all your information if backups were not previously implemented. World Backup Day, which is on March 31st, was even created to remind people to regularly back up their devices.

Back-ups are typically cost-efficient and easy to use. They can also help to avoid computer viruses. If used correctly, backups are an effective tool to use to protect your information.

Types of Backups

Backups have taken many forms since computers were invented. Now, there are several modern options to choose from. Removable media is a storage option that removes information from a computer and can be transferred onto a secondary computer. This option includes CDs, DVDs, and USB drives. External hard drives are similar to the hard drives that are already in computers, but these drives are portable. They can be used as the main hard drive to increase the speed of a computer.

There are three different backup types: full, differential, and incremental. Full backups make a copy of your entire device’s data. This type is typically used as an initial way to fully back up your information. Differential backups are smaller backups that happen periodically after a full backup. A copy of all the changes that have been made since the full backup happens every time a differential backup is initiated. Incremental backups copy the smallest amount of data. This type of backup updates all the new data that has been created since the last incremental backup.

Backup services can also be used to store and retrieve digital information. Cloud storage is one option for users to store information on a server that provides the user with a specified amount of data that cannot be erased. As long as you make regular backups, all your information will be stored in the cloud. TimeMachine is a backup service exclusively for Mac users. This service is the easiest to use as it constantly backs up your data for you.

How to backup

Backups can have issues, so it is best to use multiple types of backups to ensure that your data is properly protected. The best form of protection for your data is using one local and one remote backup.

A local backup is located close to the source of data. Examples of local backups include tape disks, hard disks, flash drives, and external hard drives. Remote backups are backups that store your information in a server far away from the data source. The Cloud and BaaS (backup-as-a-service) are examples of remote backups.

A backup works best when you use the backup that properly fits your needs. When selecting a backup option consider how much storage space you need, RPOs, and RTOs.

RPO stands for recovery point objectives which refer to the amount of data that a company can lose without making a big impact. Recovery point objectives are measured in how many hours of data you can afford to lose. Recovery time objectives or RTOs refer to the time it takes to restore the information after an incident before it is ruined.

At Auburn I.T., we know the importance of backups and can help you regularly implement them as needed. We will work with you to figure out the perfect digital storage solution for your personal or company data.