Few people will have failed to notice that scams, data security breaches and (less publicly) ransomware attacks have increased dramatically in recent years. Even major organisations have suffered major breaches which saw extremely sensitive customer data like medical records compromised. While there’s been considerable discussion about the need to boost cybersecurity protection and awareness in light of these attacks, by far the most important way to protect your data is to back it up properly. With World Backup Day on March 31, now is the perfect time to reassess your backup practices. Fortunately, regardless of how well prepared you think you are, Western Digital can help.
The first thing to remember is that, if you’ve never experienced data loss, you simply haven’t experienced data loss yet! Anybody can accidentally lose, drop or damage a mobile device or have a computer stolen or lost in one of life’s unpredictable calamities. The chances are that it’ll be full of photos, passwords and sensitive personal (or financial) information that’s significantly more valuable than the hardware that contained it.
So, for pity’s sake, back it up! Now!
Fire and forget backups
Backing up is one of those things that too often gets placed in the mental basket of, ‘Yes it’s important, but I’ll do it later.’ But you don’t need to be told the importance of protecting yourself from the potentially disastrous consequences of overlooking regular and thorough backups, so set yourself up with a Western Digital product that suits your particular requirements and let it automatically take care of your most important data.
Backing up can be simple to do with the right solutions. And remember – just moving your files from one device to another isn't the same as backing up – it's critical that you copy your files, so they exist in more than one location – that's what makes the process so effective – by minimising the chance of loss if a device fails or is damaged, or is lost or stolen.
If you don’t know where to start, check out the following products. There are devices that can back up multiple large computers and mobile devices in a home or individually when on the move.
WD My Passport HDD range
WD’s My Passports are small, external hard drives that are available from 1TB up to a whopping 5TB capacity, and which are compatible with both PCs and Macs. They are great for those who need massive storage capacities and have speedy USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 connectors (and USB-C adapters) to provide maximum compatibility. They’re simple to transport thanks to their diminutive dimensions of less than 8cm x 2cm and, depending on capacity, weigh between just 140g and 240g.
If one gets lost, there’s 256-bit AES encryption to ensure data security. Plus, there’s a three-year warranty for additional peace of mind.
WD My Passport SSD range
If you’re constantly taking your files with you on the go, or if speed is a priority, then check out WD’s My Passport SSD range. These are available in sizes from 500GB to 4TB and utilise NVMe technology to provide accelerated read speeds of up to 1,050MB/s (and write speeds of up to 1,000MB/s)! They come with a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 cable, plus a USB-A adapter for compatibility, and can be formatted to work with Apple Time Machine.
This range also comes with 256-bit AES encryption for data security, plus a hardened metal case that provides drop protection of up to 2 metres and additional protection from shocks and vibrations.
WD My Cloud Home
WD’s My Cloud Home plugs into your router and can back up every device on your network, including external drives, USBs, mobile devices, computers and even cloud accounts automatically! They’re available in capacities from 2TB to 16TB, so there’s little they can’t protect! They work seamlessly with Windows Backup and Apple’s Time Machine, and can sort your photos according to date, time or keyword and display them in well-organised folders or digital photo albums.
Everything can be accessed remotely and securely across the internet, and you can invite friends and family to collaborate on photos, videos, documents and more – perfect for vacations, work and school! All users can be given restricted access or use protected spaces that only they have access to.
As if that’s not all, My Cloud Home can stream music and movies using services such as Sonos and Chromecast and can operate as a Plex Media Server to manage all your multimedia.
They connect via Gigabit Ethernet and USB devices can be directly attached. However, the best mode of operation is to set automatic, scheduled backups (or whenever a device connects to the network) so you needn’t worry about data loss again.
SanDisk mobile storage solutions
Western Digital also offers backup options across its SanDisk range of mobile storage solutions. These hardy, keyring-attachable, diminutive devices are incredibly robust and useful.
Firstly, the iXpand Flash Drive Luxe is a double-ended drive with USB-C at one end and Apple’s Lightning connector at the other end. It offers a high-speed, USB 3.1 Gen 1 transfer rate and is available in capacities from 64GB to 256GB. It’s the simplest way to transfer large files across different mobile platforms!
It offers automatic backup when plugged in, password protection and a robust, swivelling keyring that protects the connectors.
If you don’t need a Lightning connector then check out the Ultra Dual Drive Luxe USB Type-C Flash Drive and the Ultra Dual Drive Go USB Type-C. Both have a swivelling USB key with a USB-C connector at one end and a USB-A connector at the other.
Both allow you to seamlessly move photos between mobile devices and larger computers, have high capacities to make it easier to free up space on them when needed, offer automatic backup using SanDisk’s Memory Zone app, and have a robust design along with USB 3.1 Gen 1 transfer speeds.
The Go is available in a range of attractive colours with capacities from 32GB to 512GB, while the metal-cased Luxe is available in capacities up to a massive 1TB. Both come with five-year warranties!
Peace of mind with Western Digital
Whatever your requirements, Western Digital has you covered with products to suit both your in-situ computers and mobile devices. What’s more, you can enjoy additional peace of mind thanks to Western Digital’s reputation for quality, its warranty-backed protection, robust build quality, high capacities and compatibility with all major platforms.
Don’t take any chances; protect yourself from a potentially catastrophic loss of data with backup products from WD and SanDisk.
