Backups aren’t sexy.
Nobody brags about them down the pub. You’ll never hear someone say:
“Mate, you should’ve seen the backup I ran last night — proper thrilling.”
But here’s the truth:
Backups are the quiet heroes of the digital world. You don’t notice them… until they save your bacon.
What Is a Backup, Really?
A backup is just a copy of your important stuff — photos, documents, emails — stored somewhere safe, so if your main device gets lost, stolen, hacked, or soaked in tea, you’re not crying over what’s gone.
Think of it as having a spare set of keys. You hope you’ll never need them, but when you do, you’re glad they’re there.
Why It Matters
• Ransomware attack? Your files are locked, but with backups, you can shrug and restore.
• Laptop dies? You’ve still got your family photos safe elsewhere.
• Accidental delete? No drama — just grab yesterday’s copy.
Without backups, one wrong click, one dodgy email, or one spilt pint can wipe years of memories or work.
Real Example
A mate of mine once lost all his uni coursework when his laptop hard drive crashed. No backup. Had to rewrite 10,000 words in a week. The stress nearly finished him off.
These days, he backs up everything — because once bitten, twice backed-up.
Do This Today
- The 3-2-1 Rule (made simple):
• 3 copies of your data
• 2 different types of storage (e.g. external drive + cloud)
• 1 stored offsite (like the cloud) - Use cloud storage
Google Drive, iCloud, OneDrive, Dropbox — they all automatically save your files in the background. - Get an external drive
Plug it in once a week, let it copy everything, unplug it again. Easy. - Automate it
Set it and forget it. Backups should just happen without you thinking.
Key Takeaway
Backups are boring, but so is car insurance — until the day you crash.
One small habit now can stop one massive meltdown later.
At The Cyber Workshop, our Cyber Hygiene Workshop covers backups alongside all the other “boring but brilliant” habits that make you basically unhackable to the average crook.
Till next time,
Don’t wait for disaster to make you a backup believer.
