Activate your offline backup

Activate your offline backup, do you think it’s unnecessary? Well, it is true that most users prefer to store their files in the cloud or on external hard drives. However, this is not synonymous with being exempt from being hacked and here we will tell you why it is important to have everything backed up offline.

Initially, you should know that a backup of this type is a support that is not connected to any of your devices that have internet. As mentioned above, when users choose to create these backups, they usually store everything on removable disks or USB flash drives. 

However, these days there are many ways in which malware (malicious programs) can infect not only your devices but also the external drives you use to store your documents. Such as ransomware, famous for its file encryption techniques in which it makes files inaccessible and then demands a ransom that can only be paid in cryptocurrencies.

Therefore, if your only existing security backup is on any device (including the ones you use to safeguard your data such as removable hard drives) it will be infected by the same malware. Nevertheless, with offline support, you can opt to format the external drive and restore the offline backup you made. This way you won’t have to pay the ransom and you won’t be as vulnerable to damage.

On the other hand, it is the perfect strategy to throw hackers off the scent. These characters are known worldwide for deleting, changing and revealing confidential information stored online, so if they decide to hack your network all your backups connected to the computer are susceptible to remote access.

Likewise, in the event of a natural disaster or if, unfortunately, you somehow lost your computer (theft or damage) the chances of easily recovering your folders are more likely, since you won’t have to worry about the fact that they were only recorded on your PC.

Now that you know why this method is recommended, we will explain how you can take advantage of this feature. Both Windows and Mac offer easy-to-use alternatives for backing up your data to an external drive. Although if you don’t feel confident experimenting with these tools, you can do it manually by dragging and dropping your documents to the destination site. 

Finally, if you decide to buy an external hard drive or a USB memory stick, take into account the size and type of files you are going to save, so you will know how much capacity they should have. Lastly, once you have made the copy on your drive, disconnect it from your computer and store it in a safe place.