We depend a lot on our trusty digital devices. We use them to do business. We use them to shop. We use them to study and do schoolwork. We use them for all kinds of pet projects and passions. It’s getting to the point where the data we keep on our devices is often considered more important and valuable to us than the devices themselves. So, how do you make sure nothing happens to that data, that it’s never taken irrevocably out of our reach?

Keep it safe

The first thing you have to learn about using the internet is that there are dangers out there. Malware like viruses might not be as common as you believe, but catch the wrong one and your data could start getting corrupted faster than you can save it. An even worse risk, however, is having it accessed by spyware or hackers, who could use it against you through nefarious practices like identity theft.  Besides equipping the device with anti-malware software, you have to be safer about how you use the internet. Don’t click on links to places you don’t know, ensure you’re using a secure connection and a secure site when you’re making transactions, and be varied in your password use. One of the more common concerns on the internet of late has been when certain password databases are leaked. When that happens, hackers will use the username and password combinations on a whole variety of sites, accessing other accounts of yours.

Keep it more than once

Your data doesn’t need any help getting lost, however. Hardware failures, software failures, there are a lot of ways you can lose it forever. That’s why you should keep tabs of the data you want to lose least and regularly back it up. From private cloud providers that can host data off-site to portable hard drives you can keep in the home, you should backup your data more than once. It’s not enough to have a failsafe, you need a failsafe for your failsafe. Sometimes a system restore can bring back some of that data, but more often than not, you won’t be able to get it back from the same device.

Keep the hardware protected

Looking after the device itself is crucial, too. Besides keeping it free of dust and clutter that can lead to harmful overheating, you should look at the risks that could fry your hard drive entirely. Most commonly, we’re talking about the risk of a power surge. This is when too much power moves from the outlet to the computer and can fry the motherboard, the hard drives and more. Protecting your device from a power surge is as simple as equipping your computer with a surge protector.

Smart, secure, and safe handling of your data isn’t all that difficult. Just get used to backing it up, to protecting your hardware, and keeping yourself as digitally safe as possible. Without those methods, that data can be lost forever or, even worse, used against you.