You might guess that the majority of people backup their data at regular intervals. But the reality is this is not a common practice. In fact, only 11 percent of people are backing up their data on a daily basis or more frequently. 

Most people have poor data management and security practices, leaving them terribly vulnerable to a wide variety of different attacks. So why do so few people back up their data?

Why Data Backups Are So Important

Let’s start by talking about why data backups are so important. There are many things that can threaten your data. A cybercriminal interested in stealing your identity could acquire one of your passwords and instantly take over your life. A ransomware developer could hold your entire system hostage and demand payment from you. A natural disaster can strike and destroy all of your devices. In any of these scenarios, your data will be vulnerable to destruction and theft. Having a reliable backup means you don’t have to worry about these losses; instead of being catastrophic events, they are temporary inconveniences, and it’s only a matter of time before you get your systems back up and running.

Why People Neglect Data Backups

Why then, if data backups are so important, do so many people neglect them?

  •       They don’t understand the threats. The biggest explanation is that people simply don’t understand the threats. Sometimes, it’s because they don’t understand the magnitude of the threats in front of them; they don’t believe that ransomware attack intruder is accessing their computer, for example. Other times, they believe they could never be a victim of such events; they think hacking and identity theft are things that happen to other people exclusively. And it’s true that most people underestimate their likelihood of being targeted by an attack or being the victim of a natural disaster.
  •       They don’t know how to back up their data. Some people have a great excuse for why they never backup their data. They simply don’t know how and were never taught how to do so. They may not even know that data backups are important. If you don’t know what it means to back up your information, or even aware that of exists, it’s hard to blame you for never backing up your work.
  •       They aren’t aware that free options exist. Some people never back up their data because they don’t know that it’s possible to find cloud storage for free. They are concerned that backing up your data is an expensive and prohibitive routine. To be fair, if you’re backing up data for a massive organization or if you have many terabytes updated to upload and you need it to be secure as possible, data backup software can get expensive. But the simplest solutions, which are often just as helpful as their more expensive counterparts, tend to be free or inexpensive.
  •       They keep procrastinating. For some people, the data backup problem is the direct consequence of ongoing procrastination. All of us procrastinate at least some things at least some of the time, but this is an area where procrastination can be downright dangerous. Every time you think about backing up your data, you think about the amount of time and effort it’s going to take, and you talked yourself out of doing it. You’ve been proverbially kicking the can down the road for months or even years. If and when these types of people are hit with an attack or a natural disaster, it will be too late.
  •       They don’t trust providers. Some people refuse to get involved with data backups because they don’t trust providers. They feel that uploading their personal information can lead to privacy violations or additional security vulnerabilities. While these are fair concerns, most providers make it a point to give their clients the most secure and private solution possible. Do your research, and you’ll likely find a platform that accommodates all your needs and proactively addresses your concerns.
  •       They don’t have time to research the problem. There are hundreds of cloud storage platforms available today, each of them providing you with secure data backup solutions. If you want to make the best choice for you and your business, you need to spend some time researching the problem. If you never research the problem because you don’t have time to do it, you’ll never move forward with an actual solution.

Data backups aren’t something you can afford to ignore, even if you aren’t running a multimillion-dollar business. If you aren’t currently backing up your data on a regular basis, this is your chance to start anew; research the data backup options that are most relevant to you and get started with an entry-level plan.