World Backup Day: An Important Reminder to Protect Digital Content

Have you experienced the loss of all your data because of sudden crash theft, or loss of a device? The first thing that comes to our mind in such a situation is why didn’t I BACK UP! In a world increasingly reliant on technology for everything from work to socializing, protecting digital content such as photos, videos, documents, and emails is so important. It is estimated that in 2023, there will be almost 10 trillion photos¹ stored. Given that an unimaginable amount of data is generated daily, data protection and backup is crucial. This is because the risk of data loss is very real and can occur due to hardware failure, software corruption, cyberattacks, accidental deletion, and natural disasters.

An interesting statistic in this context is that 1 in 10 computers, including household and business computers, are damaged by viruses or ransomware and approximately 113 phones are stolen every minute, each day.² In both cases, data loss is sudden and, without a backup, can be irretrievable. No matter what the cause, it can be truly devastating for individuals and businesses alike to permanently lose precious content that simply can't be replaced.

This is why ensuring that data is reliably backed up is so important. In fact, March 31^st is now recognized as World Backup Day - as a reminder to check that your data is backed up and protected.  While this might seem inconsequential to some, protecting data is important for several reasons. Firstly, it ensures that your data is protected in the event of a system failure or a ransomware attack as backed up data can be used to restore lost files. Data backup can help protect your data from cyber threats, as keeping a backup (or multiple) ensures you won’t be at a loss should you receive a threat. It is important to follow the 3-2-1 backup strategy- that is to have three copies of your data on two different media with one copy off-site for disaster recovery.

Backing up data is particularly important for content creators, influencers and others who are constantly creating content online. These individuals rely on their digital content for their income, and losing their digital files could have devastating consequences. According to a report³ released by an influencer marketing firm, India is expected to cross the 100 million mark this year to become the country with the largest number of social media content creators globally. While this is exciting news, it also throws focus on the critical need for efficient data backup.

There are different ways to backup data, and the best method depends on your individual needs and preferences. Here are a few common backup methods:

External hard disk drives (HDDs) are portable devices that can store large amounts of data, making them a simple, cost-effective, and popular backup solution. For example, Western Digital®’s My Passport™ HDD can provide up to 5TB* of storage, which lets you start backing up your digital content today, so users don’t need to worry about running out of space.

Backing up to a USB drive: Smartphones have become an essential tool in our lives. If phones aren’t recovered and the data hasn’t been backed up, then every memory on that device is gone. You can now count on 2-in-1 flash drives such as SanDisk Ultra™ Dual Drive Go USB Type-C™, and SanDisk® iXpand® Flash Drive Luxe (for iPhone and USB-C Android phones). These dual drives are easy and convenient to operate, and compatible with Macs, tablets, and smartphones. Just plug and play to automatically back up your latest photos, videos, music, documents, and contacts, which can then easily be moved via USB Type-C connections to smartphones, tablets, and Macs, and the Ultra Dual Drive Go also works with USB Type-A computers.

Cloud backup: Cloud backup devices are becoming increasingly popular as it allows users to store data on remote servers, that can be accessed using an internet connection from anywhere in the world. Then there are devices such as WD® My Cloud™ Home. It is an easy-to-use personal cloud storage device that plugs directly into a router at home so one can save digital content in one central place. It's a simple centralized solution to back up photos, videos, and files, and have it stored in one place. With the My Cloud Home app, one can access, upload, and share content from anywhere with an internet connection.

To ensure the protection of your data, experts suggest using a multi-layered approach to storage. This typically means using both HDDs and cloud storage, as well as implementing security measures such as encryption and regular backups. It is also important to keep multiple backups of data in separate locations, in case one backup is lost or compromised. Users can automate this process using available software or set reminders to manually backup their data.

As the world of digital content creation continues to grow, the need for reliable data storage will only become more important. By adopting smart backup practices and taking necessary precautions, users can help protect their valuable data and avoid the stress and financial loss that come with data loss.

Western Digital, SanDisk, WD, iXpand, My Cloud, My Passport, and SanDisk Ultra are registered trademarks or trademarks of Western Digital Corporation or its affiliates in the U.S. and/or other countries. Mac and iPhone are trademarks of Apple Inc. USB-C is a registered trademark of USB Implementers Forum. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

* 1GB = 1 billion bytes and 1TB = 1 trillion bytes. Actual user capacity may be less depending on operating environment.

¹ Rise above Research| June 23 2021| https://riseaboveresearch.com/how-many-photos-will-be-taken-in-2021/

² Days of the year| https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/world-backup-day/

³ Zefmo report| January 16 2023|https://martechseries.com/social/influencer-marketing/india-influence-report-2022-the-year-of-hyperlocal-influencers/#:~:text=Organized%20influencer%20marketing%20sector%20to,%25%20in%20FY%202023%2D2