The importance of backing up your data

The information we handle is our most valuable asset and therefore making backup copies is especially important.

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Have we ever considered what would happen if our computer broke down tomorrow without us being able to do anything to recover the information we stored on it? The breakdown of computers is in itself a problem, but if we also lack backup copies of the information they stored, it becomes a situation that can affect us very negatively.

There are various situations to which we are exposed and that can lead to the loss of our information: theft, fire, hardware or software failure, etc. The information we handle is our most valuable asset and therefore making backup copies is especially important. In the event that some of these situations occur, it will be possible to recover the information and return to normality.
But, how can we establish a backup system in a correct way and according to our needs? To do this, we must follow these good practices that are described below:

IDENTIFY THE INFORMATION WE WANT TO SAFEGUARD
ESTABLISH THE MANNER IN WHICH WE WILL MAKE THE COPY
STORE THE INFORMATION IN A DIFFERENT LOCATION FROM THE PRIMARY
CHECK OUR BACKUPS PERIODICALLY

The first thing we must do is identify the information we want to safeguard. Let's analyze all our information and differentiate the type of information that we consider critical. Not all information is equally important, so it is important to classify it properly. In this way we will not waste time or space with data that is not relevant
Once the information to be protected has been identified, we must establish the way in which we will make the copy. There are three different types of copy: incremental, full, or differential. Let's analyze which of the three best suits us and establish its periodicity. To determine the type of copy and the periodicity with which we are going to make it, it is best to take into account how often our information is updated. If the information update period is high, for example every two weeks, it does not make much sense to make full daily backups, since we will be storing the same data over and over again.
Later we must choose a support to make the copies: cd's, dvd's, pencils, portable hard drives, cloud storage service... For this, it is convenient to keep in mind the system that we are going to use, the investment that we want to make and the reliability that we consider necessary. For the latter, we can base ourselves on the manufacturers' specifications in terms of storage and durability recommendations.
But the good practices to correctly establish a backup system are not limited to the generation of the backup, but we must establish guidelines and behaviors to guarantee the security of the information stored in these copies.
A good practice to adequately protect the information is to store it in a location other than the main one. In the event that a serious incident occurs at our home, such as a fire, a flood, a robbery, or an attack on the systems by viruses or hackers, we will not be able to recover the information, so make backup copies in the same site would be of no use to us.
In addition, it is possible that backup copies fail or that the media we use is damaged, making it impossible to recover information from a backup when necessary. That is why it is very important to establish a plan, to verify that the data stored in the copy is correct and that we can access it without any problem. We could be making backup copies for a long period of time and when they are necessary we realize that the stored data is not correct.
Now that you know what are the best practices in making backup copies, it's your turn. Protect your information. Follow these guidelines and establish a copy system appropriate to your reality.