The importance of backups

World Backup Day

World Backup Day takes place every year on March 31 and aims to encourage people to learn more about the increasing role of data in our lives and the importance of regular backups.

What are backups?

The term backup stands for the additional storage of important data. This involves creating an external backup copy that can be accessed if the hard disk is damaged, the data is infected by viruses or the data is accidentally or deliberately deleted.

Backups are therefore an important data security measure. They can protect against data loss and should therefore be carried out regularly. World Backup Day offers a good opportunity to start doing this.

We asked Sebastian, our system administration trainee, internally about the importance of backups:

How important are backups in the private sector?

There is probably no one-size-fits-all answer to this question in the private sector, although it seems obvious to say: “Super important!”. Do I need backups for a private notebook that I occasionally use to surf Facebook and Amazon? Probably not.

However, if I have data on this notebook that is of particular value to me, then the first question can be answered very simply. Can I really afford to lose personal photos, memories, documents, etc.? Especially when you consider that a simple backup solution does not necessarily cost money and can be implemented with minimal effort.

How time-consuming are backups in the corporate sector?

In the corporate sector, the value of the data is compounded by the additional effort required to restore a system to the user’s previous state. Once the device has been reinstalled, further setup must be carried out with the user. This takes a lot of time and involves several people.

With an appropriate backup solution, however, it usually only takes a few clicks, a little runtime and the user receives their device and data in the same condition as they found it on the previous day.

Redundant backups are a must

At Softway, we rely on redundant backups. This means that most systems are backed up multiple times and at different locations.

Privately, I back up my data to a network storage device that is connected to my router. Every Sunday, the changes are mirrored from my system to this storage.

Principle from Sebastian

“You only find out how important backups really are when you have lost your data and are left without alternatives. It’s better to have backups and not need them than to be dependent on them and not have any.”