7 On Your Side: Backing up your digital data could save you trouble later
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The recent ransomware attacks set off alarm bells around the world. 7 On Your Side's Michael Finney looks at how we can protect ourselves.
Ransomware involves hackers encrypting your files and demanding money to unlock it. But, that's not the only way you can lose your information. Here's what you can do now to possibly save you lots of trouble later.
Whether it's our phones or our PC's, we have valuable information stored in our multiple devices, from photos to financial information - losing any of that would leave some of us in tears.
"You can lose the device. You can accidentally delete it. Someone can delete it for you. You can corrupt the data," Gaidar Magdaunrov with Acronis said.
Hackers can also take control of your computer and demand ransom before they'll give that control back.
But, paying ransom might not be necessary if you back up your data.
"Backing up regularly is something I think a lot of people don't necessarily do," Jeffrey Lee with Tech Bargains said.
Lee says there are many preventative measures. On our phones, iCloud and Google drives make the task simple. But, what about your PC's, laptops and tablets?
"What you're looking for is unlimited devices and near unlimited storage. At least enough storage that you can back up everything that you want," Lee said.
One such software is Acronis. It's a relatively new entry to the market.
"It's complete protection. We protect different devices, different types of operating system as one solution," Magdanurov said.
It allows you to back up remotely and to store your data in the cloud or on a local device or network.
Other options for backup solutions include Mozy, SOS Online, SugarSync, Backblaze and IDrive.
Lee suggests you find one that backs up your files automatically.
"One that will continuously backup so that you don't have to worry about did I back up last week, or did I back up yesterday," Lee said.
Depending on the storage you purchase, you can back up your data for under $100 per year.
Here are some helpful links Michael mentioned in his story:
https://www.sosonlinebackup.com/
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