Smartphones and tablets are now essential tools for personal and professional use. These devices store a vast amount of data, including private photos, business documents, financial statements, video projects, and much more. Although mobile devices are computers and therefore subject to data loss, theft, and cyberattacks, regular backups are often overlooked.
Whether you’ve never backed up your mobile data or it’s been a while, here’s how to ensure your data remains safe.
Be aware of the potential for data loss
First things first. You need to be aware of all the possible ways your data might be lost, corrupted, stolen, or encrypted against your will. Once you’re aware of the potential threats, you can take steps toward protection.
Here’s what you need to know:
- Dropping your phone without a protective case can lead to data loss. If you’ve just purchased a new phone, like the Galaxy S5, get a case proven to withstand drops and shocks. It doesn’t take a major accident to break a hard drive. In fact, you can destroy your data just by spilling your morning coffee on your device, so make sure your case can protect against liquid.
- A stolen device will likely never be recovered. If you leave your mobile device somewhere or it gets stolen, there’s a good chance you’ll never get it back. If your device is unlocked or the hard drive can be removed, your data can be read. A password on a phone or tablet only protects the device. The hard drive can be removed and accessed through other means.
- Phones and tablets are susceptible to ransomware. If you get hit by a ransomware attack your data will be encrypted and you’ll lose access completely. Your device will display a message stating that you can get your data back if you pay a ransom to the hacker, which is typically requested in cryptocurrency (like Bitcoin). If you pay the ransom, there’s no guarantee the hacker will release your data.
- Someone might install a backdoor. Under certain circumstances, you could end up with a backdoor installed on your device, giving unauthorized parties access to your data at will. They might steal or delete your files for no apparent reason, or access your personal accounts.
- You could end up with a keystroke logger. There’s a chance that a threat actor may install a keystroke logger on your device, steal your login credentials for iCloud or another storage account, and then delete your data.
- A child might erase your files. If you give a child access to your phone or tablet, they might accidentally delete your photos, text files, videos, and other important content stored on your device. Some devices will store items in the trash for a period of time, but a child might tap the button to confirm permanent deletion and skip the trash without knowing what they’re doing.
In general, these are the most common ways people experience data loss on mobile devices. Regular backups are the only way to preserve your data in these situations.
Backup strategies for your mobile devices
Backups are best when done regularly. The ideal frequency depends on how much new data you create in a given period of time. At the very least, it’s smart to back up your devices at least once a month, especially if you’re taking plenty of photos and videos you don’t want to lose.
1. Use cloud storage
By far, cloud storage accounts are the easiest backup method for mobile devices. You can use iCloud, Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, or any other app you prefer. Each one has distinct strengths and weaknesses in terms of features, and not every option will run automatic backups, but they’re all easy to integrate with other applications to ensure you get a full download.
For example, on an Android device, you can go to your Google settings and turn on the Backup Google One option to run a full backup of your device. Apple iPhones and iPads are easy to back up with iCloud.
Similarly, Samsung has a native Cloud backup solution integrated into every Galaxy device. However, since there are file size limits, you might need to get a third-party cloud account to complete your full backup.
You should expect to pay a monthly or yearly storage fee for a decent cloud account. Free services tend to provide a limited storage capacity.
2. Make a physical backup of your cloud backup
Once you have a backup in the cloud, get on a desktop or laptop and download your files to an external hard drive. Keep this copy in a secure location and never leave it connected to a device that connects to the internet.
This will serve as a secondary backup just in case something happens to your cloud account. For instance, your account might get hacked or the company could experience a security breach that deletes user data. It’s important to keep this backup disconnected from the internet so that your physical storage device doesn’t become infected with malware.
3. Ask your provider to transfer your data
When you get a new device or transfer to a new service provider, ask your rep to transfer your data while you’re still in the store. Since they regularly transfer data for customers, it will be an easier, faster process, and they can quickly troubleshoot any issues. You’re less likely to make a mistake that deletes your data instead.
Transferring data from one device to another is typically initiated within your account on the device itself, but it’s not always a smooth process. If you try to transfer your own data, there’s a chance you might get stuck, and good troubleshooting videos are sometimes hard to find.
Backups are a necessity
Backing up your smartphone and tablet isn’t just a precaution – it’s a necessity. By implementing regular backups, your data will be protected from potential disasters that can cause devastating losses to your personal life or business.