Lessons in Technology: Erase the Fear of Erasing Your Data

This week we are going to talk about a topic that most everyone knows they about, yet few people actually practice: backing up your data.

Generally, you don’t think about it too much until crisis strikes and you’re in a panic to retrieve all your files. Computers are imperfect and humans aren’t fail-safe: files get deleted, damaged, lost and corrupted, the power shuts off suddenly, glitches happen. But you can save yourself from frustration and heartache with a little foresight and small monetary investment.

First, let’s get our definitions straight: a backup means having multiple copies of your data to guard against loss, theft, and other problems mentioned above. It’s critical to have both an on-site as well as off-site backup in order to be fully protected. “On site backup” would be an external hard drive, which allows for you to have a copy of all your data on your computer and a separate copy on the external hard drive. Hard drives don’t vary too much, so don’t get caught up in brands or extra features when you go to purchase one for yourself. Generally, you use software that automatically schedules backups nightly from computer to the external device, so you don’t have to do it manually. However, with external drives, you aren’t really “backed up” because they can be lost, stolen, or destroyed, just like any device. Also, many people buy an external drive to store little-used files and free up space on their computer’s main drive. While okay, beware that if you do not have multiple copies of the data, it is NOT backed up and is at high risk.

“On-site backup” is simply through the internet. There are a variety of companies that provide web-based backup, where you select the files that get uploaded to a company’s servers, where they are stored and updated on a nightly basis. With online backup, one thing to keep in mind is that if you have a large collection of videos, pictures, music, etc., you will pay more than someone who only has a few hundred documents and spreadsheets to backup because you pay for storage capacity by the gigabyte. However, for most of us, it’s a fantastic option. The only potential problems with this system, albeit a stretch, are that companies can go out of business, or internet connections can go down, thus preventing you from getting to your data right when you need it.

For online backup, there are several options: some are Mozy, Carbonite, and my favorite, Sugarsync (www.sugarsync.com). I have been using Sugarsync for several years now and it has been very reliable and has a couple really cool features. What initially sold me on it is that they’ve got a great app for the iPhone and Blackberry that enables you to view and send your files from your phone. You can also view, download and edit your files on any computer with an internet connection, so Sugarsync could eliminate the need for you to travel with a laptop. Sugarsync also doesn’t require any work on your end; once you configure it, it automatically and constantly (to the second) keeps your data backed up. As with anything, find something that you like that fits your budget!

There are other options out there for backup (such as NAS, or Network Attached Storage), however I recommend simply a combination an external hard drive and an online system. You simply have to have multiple copies of your data both onsite and off, especially for critical business, financial and legal data. It won’t cost you very much to ensure that your important files, photos, music, and much more are protected from yourself and your own computer.