The general rule of thumb with data protection is that the more important a piece of data is to you, the more varied places you should store it - you should never have important information in any less than 2 different locations. Below are a few different backup options.

Each option is rated between 1 (least reliable / recommended) and 10 (most reliable / recommended).

	Network Drives	10	Simply put, a network drive is the best place to back up important information. Unfortunately, network storage space is very expensive and thus limited - we recommend saving your most vital files onto a network drive, and using one of the other options for less important information. Click Here for instructions on mapping a network drive on your computer.
	CD-Rs (writable CDs)	8	CD-Rs are a great medium for backups (just make sure you store them in a case to protect them from getting scratched, and in a climate-neutral location to protect them from extreme temperatures). CD-Rs are ideal to backup stored information that is not going to change (e-mail archives, for example) and are very cheap.
	Flash drives	6	Flash drives are often used for convenience in transferring files, but they also make great backup devices (since they have no moving parts, the probability of them failing mechanically is very low).
	External hard drives	5	External hard drives are another good option for backups. They are slightly less reliable than flash drives because there is more opportunity for mechanical failure, but they are also cheaper per Megabyte of storage.
	Zip disks	3	Zip disks are essentially more reliable floppy disks that can hold a lot more information. However, they are still extremely vulnerable to magnetic fields (being near a cell phone, for example, can ruin a zip disk) and other hazards. We do NOT recommend Zip disks as your only method of backup.
	Floppy disks	1	Floppy disks are the worst type of media for backups. They are extremely fragile and break all the time (even when protected in storage). Floppy disks should only be used to transfer data — not to store it. We do NOT recommend Floppy disks as your only method of backup.

The Help Desk recommends you have, according to the chart above,

• At least 5 "points" worth of backup
• Preferrably 10 or more "points" of backup

Examples:

• (DATA IS IN DANGER!) Backing up a file to a floppy disk (1 point)
• (DATA IS IN DANGER!) Backing up a file to a floppy disk and a zip disk (4 points)
• (DATA IS RELATIVELY SAFE) Backing up a file to an external hard drive and a zip disk (8 points)
• (DATA IS RELATIVELY SAFE) Backing up a file to a CD-R (8 points)
• (DATA IS PROTECTED) Backing up a file to a network drive (10 points)
• (DATA IS PROTECTED) Backing up a file to a CD-R and a flash drive (14 points)

Last Updated 02/14/05

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