We've Got Your Back(Up)

Here’s how to protect your data from unpredictable hard drive crash or device theft.

- Nidhi Singal

It takes just a second for your entire virtual world to come crashing down. Years of work, documents, pictures and music are lost as you sit staring at the computer screen wishing it was just a nightmare. Having all your data in only one place is unwise and unsafe. Instead of learning this the hard way, opt for backups.

Backing up simply means creating a copy of all your data so that you can access it in case of an emergency (if internal hard drive crashes or laptop gets stolen). A practice best followed daily or, better still, every 15 minutes. Thankfully, it is not as cumbersome at it seems.

There are software solutions for automatic data backup – on external drive, on cloud or rewritable disc – every time a new file is created or a change is made to an existing one. Some are free, while others offer the option of monthly subscription and security features such as password protection and encryption. Here are a few backup solutions you can bank on: