I have previously written about backing up your computer, but it bears repeating since I recently determined that my own backup plan is inadequate. On Saturday January 28th, looking southwest from our patio, the sky was filled with orange tinted smoke. It looked so bad and so close that I drove around the neighborhood, hopeful that I would not find a fire nearby. I found out the next day that the event was a controlled burn in the Atlantic Ridge. It just looked like it was on top of us. Seeing so much smoke close up started the "what if' scenarios spinning in my head. I have a lot of data stored on my computer, and I would have quite a recovery effort if that data was lost; and the data would be lost given the scary thought of a house fire. We all think it happens to others, but the reality is that it can happen to anyone. If it happened to me, we would not have been prepared. I realized that my backup plan is inadequate because, even though I back up my data, downloaded software, and activation keys to three different devices on a regular basis, those devices are all stored in the house. One of the basics of a proper backup plan is to store one of your backups off site in the event of fire or theft. The object is to be prepared, with the hope that the preparation will never be needed. One of my backup devices is an external hard drive, the portable variety which is easy to transport and store. So I amended my backup plan by purchasing a second such device with a protective case. With two portable external hard drives containing all my information, I now keep one in the safe deposit box and rotate them monthly.
A cloud backup is another solution possible solution. Some people prefer this solution because, once set up, it happens in the background without any user involvement. A cloud backup solves the issues I discussed above, but brings up the issues of whether you feel secure storing your information on a server in the cloud; and whether your computer and bandwidth are strong enough for the constant activity. So whether you choose local backup or cloud backup, please ensure you have a proper backup plan in place that will give you peace of mind that your valuable data is protected.
