What Is a Backup?
A backup is a separate recoverable copy of important information.
Free video lesson · 1:12
What Is a Backup?
Cybersecurity Basics for Beginners
Music: “Thinking Music” by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.
A backup is a separate recoverable copy of important information.
Read the video transcript
A backup is a separate copy of information that you can recover if the original is lost. Imagine dropping your laptop and losing the only copy of a school project or family photo.
With a working backup, you can bring that file back on another device. The important word is working. A copy you cannot find or open will not help when you need it.
Keep backups separate from the device they protect. A spare copy on the same laptop can disappear with the laptop. Use a suitable backup service or a separate drive.
Syncing and backing up are not always the same. A sync service may copy a deletion everywhere. Check whether your service keeps older versions and lets you restore deleted files.
Try restoring one harmless file before an emergency. Check that automatic backups are actually running. The point is not just to make another copy. It is to know that you can get your information back.
To keep learning, watch Why Do Software Updates Matter? Then try How Do You Download Software Safely?
The short answer
A backup is a separate copy of information that you can recover if the original is lost. Imagine dropping your laptop and losing the only copy of a school project or family photo.
A simple example
With a working backup, you can bring that file back on another device. The important word is working. A copy you cannot find or open will not help when you need it.
Keep backups separate from the device they protect. A spare copy on the same laptop can disappear with the laptop. Use a suitable backup service or a separate drive.
Syncing and backing up are not always the same. A sync service may copy a deletion everywhere. Check whether your service keeps older versions and lets you restore deleted files.
Try restoring one harmless file before an emergency. Check that automatic backups are actually running. The point is not just to make another copy. It is to know that you can get your information back.
Put it into practice
- Choose a backup location separate from the device with the original file.
- Check how deleted files and older versions can be restored.
- Restore one harmless test file and confirm it opens.
Check your understanding
You copied a file into another folder on the same laptop. Would that protect it if the laptop were lost?
Answer
No. Both copies would be lost with the laptop. A useful backup needs separation and a working restore process.
Explore next
Follow the free video course one question at a time. Teams can practise these habits through security training. For the cryptography protecting your systems, explore a cryptography audit.
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