Medical researchers in Oklahoma are offering a no-questions-asked $1,000 reward for the return of a stolen laptop that contains years of research on prostate cancer.Years of research, gone in an instant. Don't be like her.
Sook Shin lost the 13-inch white MacBook last Sunday after thieves smashed the window of the car she shares with husband, Ralf Jankecht, and made off with the laptop. Data on the machine was not backed up.
Of course, Ms. Shin did save the cost of a $15 USB thumb drive.
I'm always amazed at what people don't bother to backup.
ReplyDeleteBetween USB sticks and cheap online storage there's no excuse.
It amazing that people would put all their data in one basket on a desktop system. That someone would do the same with a small, portable, easily lost, stolen or damaged laptop is insanity.
ReplyDeleteAs said, there are so many options for data back-up that there is no excuse for not backing up twice, let alone to a single source.
My data is backed up to the cloud and to a external hard drive. Then the pick of the most important data is regularly backed up to DVD and placed in my safe.
And I don't have fifteen years of research on my PC - none of my data is 'important' or work related. This is just my own personal stuff.
"Blessed is the pessimist, for he hath made backups"
ReplyDeleteNot only that, but if that data is not encrypted or anonymized, just having it on an unsecured laptop could be construed as a HIPAA violation.
ReplyDeleteIt's not just a laptop - it's identity theft, too!
ReplyDeleteHell, we have not one but two external hard drives here. I think the most we paid was $80. More than enough space to back up all important files, and also transport between machines.
ReplyDeleteRedundancy is your friend. What is a couple hundred bucks for really reliable storage next to a year's work?
ReplyDeleteJim