Data security

Where should I store my data?

The simplest option is to save the data a second time on the hard drive of the same device or on a separate partition of that hard drive. Whilst this is better than not backing up at all, it only provides protection in the event of the data being accidentally deleted. However, if the hard drive fails, the data will still be lost.

That's why you should back up your data to at least one external storage device. This could be a USB stick, an external hard drive or a personal NAS (Network Attached Storage). As long as the storage device has enough capacity for the data on your computer, you can back up your entire system to it. It's best to keep the storage device in a different location to your computer. That way, if you leave your laptop bag on the train or out in the rain, the backup device won't be damaged as well.

If storage space eventually runs out, you can simply buy a new hard drive and continue backing up your data. This is probably the most commonly used option. But what happens if the storage space fills up anyway and you don't want to buy a new hard drive or server storage? In that case, outdated backups have to be deleted. This is where the well-known ‘first-in, first-out’ principle comes into play. The oldest backup is deleted to make way for the new one.

For THWS staff, it is also a good idea to use a network drive belonging to their respective department or faculty to back up their data. Please feel free to contact your IT administrator or the ITSC for assistance with this.

How should I back up my data?

As it would be very tedious and time-consuming to copy the data manually every time you back it up, there is software available to do this for you. Common operating systems already come with their own programmes for backing up files. For example, Windows (with the exception of Windows 8) offers the 'Backup' function, and macOS offers the 'Time Machine' software to back up your system.

A distinction is made between different types of backup:

• Full backup: The data is copied 1:1 to the backup storage during every backup. Whilst this is straightforward, it also takes up a great deal of storage space.
• Incremental backup: The data is backed up once via a full backup. Subsequent backups are based on this initial full backup. Whilst this reduces storage requirements, if the full backup should ever become corrupted, all subsequent backups will also be corrupted.
• Differential backup: A full backup of the data is performed at specific intervals, and with each subsequent backup, only the changes made since the last full backup are saved. This reduces storage requirements and also minimises the potential consequences of a faulty full backup.

The best type of backup depends on the specific use case.

 

What data should be backed up?

Although today's storage devices are very large, even with a 2 TB hard drive you can quickly reach the storage limit. You should therefore ensure that you include 'as much as necessary, but as little as possible' in your data backup. As programmes can easily be downloaded again from the internet, there is no need to back them up. Photos, important documents, and other private data should be included in the backup.

As a general rule, one could say that all files that are not already available elsewhere – for example, those that can be downloaded from a website – should be backed up.

Sources:
t3n.de/news/datensicherung-backup-strategie-585834/
t3n.de/news/datensicherung-backup-strategie-teil-2-587021/
t3n.de/news/datensicherung-backup-strategie-teil-3-587705/ backup.com/why-backup.html