5 reasons you need to back up your computer and how to do it

These days, so much of our lives are on our computers – term papers, tax documents, family photos, favorite songs. That can leave a lot of information at risk, unless you take the time to back it up on another device or service. Don’t think you need to bother? Below are 5 scenarios that could happen to your computer and very real reasons to back up the data on your computer:

Your computer could:

1. Get stolen
   
2. Be destroyed or damaged in a fire
3. Get damaged by water
4. Fail, due to a virus or other reason
5. Experience “human error” – you accidentally trash important information

Regardless of which issue you face, your data and information would be gone, unless you had backed it up. Two of the most common methods of backing up a computer are using a cloud backup service or an external hard drive. You may want to use one or both to make sure your information is available, no matter what.

Even though cloud storage services are still relatively new, many people like the access and security they provide. Cloud storage allows you to easily transfer files from your computer to a web-based service, which stores  them on  an off-site database. These services use encryption and authentication to keep your data safe and secure.

Examples of cloud data storage services: Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud and Microsoft OneDrive.

You can purchase a hard drive at most retailers. They are typically small, self-contained storage units. Some come with extra protection features such as a fireproof or waterproof casing and offer a variety of quality options. By connecting it to your computer, you can easily transfer data using either Mac OS X or Windows, on a daily, weekly, monthly or random basis.

Examples of brands: Seagate, Western Digital, LaCie, CalDigit, Toshiba