Data backup is often something we take for granted and in most cases don’t think about it until the uneventful happens. Whether it is a Cyber Attack such as Ransomeware or even the more common hardware failure, one should always be prepared and have a backup of that valuable data. Let’s not have to worry about years of photos and memories going down the drain because we didn’t backup!
Backup is no good if we don’t follow the 3-2-1 backup rule. It essentially says to have 3 copies of the data, stored on 2 different types of media and 1 should be offsite or in the cloud. Having 3 copies of the data does sound a bit paranoid but trust me, it’s going to be worth it in the end. The probability of loosing all 3 copies at the same time is very low and if you do, you probably have something else to worry about like say maybe the end of the world!
You’ll need to decide how much backup space you need. Try to estimate based on future needs so you might want to purchase storage that’s about double or triple times the size of your current data size.
Once you have and estimate of the size of data you need to backup, you can now choose the storage medium.
The first recommended solution is the ultra compact and fast SanDisk Ultra Fit USB 3.0 Flash Drive.
This is an ultra compact USB Flash that can fit in your wallet or purse and you can take along with you anywhere.
If however, you’re accustomed to getting things lost, then maybe the traditional USB Key is the option for you and we would recommend the SanDisk Cruiser line of flash drives.
We can take things up a notch and look at a different media type; external hard drives. These are also portable and often fit in your laptop bag. Storage capacity is greater in these media types sometimes starting at 1 Terabyte. Our recommendation for an External Hard Drive comes from the Western Digital Passport series and given that the price difference isn’t that much, we’d recommend going for the 2 Terabyte storage option.
So we have two types of medium in that of USB Flash Drives and External Hard Drives. Let’s now look at cloud storage.
Options are wide and open for Online Cloud Storage with many free services such as Drop Box, Google Drive, Box and Sky Drive. You should be aware though that storing of sensitive information on these sites isn’t recommended.
We recommend the paid for / subscription based services that provide data encryption for sensitive information.
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