Unfortunately, there are few things you can do to protect your electronic devices from a natural disaster. If a natural disaster is to occur, the first thing you need to ensure is that you and the people around you are safe. And, when it comes down to it, devices can be replaced, and what we really care about is usually what is on these devices. Whilst you may not be able to fully protect your device, here is what you can do.
Equipment for Natural Disasters
Firstly, consider the equipment available to protect your devices. Depending on the type and severity of the natural disaster, you may not be able to protect your devices at all. However, everyone should purchase a surge protector, as these can protect your device from voltage spikes. If you live in an area that is prone to thunder storms, lightning arresters are another must have. If you own a business, UPS (Uninterruptable Power Supplies) can make sure that a power shortage doesn’t interrupt your work.
Insure Your Devices
Another way you can protect your devices is by choosing the right insurance. This can be a difficult task and may mean searching around, as some insurance companies will cover some natural disasters and not others. You should have home or business insurance no matter what, but finding out whether they protect your devices after a natural disaster could be a deal breaker. Read the small print or speak to a customer service representative on the phone if you’re unsure what your insurance covers and what it doesn’t.
Backing Up Your Data
Once you have done what you can to protect your physical device, you need to protect your data. If you lose your device to a disaster, knowing your data is safe in a back-up and can be restored will soften the blow. There are several ways that you can protect your data and download it onto a new device. Many people choose to use cloud-based storage services such as Dropbox.
These services allow you to access your documents from any device including cell phones, laptops and tablets. All you need to do is log in from a new device, and all of your valuable data or irreplaceable photographs will be there. If you own a business, cloud back-up may not be enough. In this case, you should always have a copy of your valuable data off-site whether this be on a flash drive or any other form of external hard drive.
Recovering Your Data
If a natural disaster does occur, it may be that you weren’t prepared. Fortunately, Secure Data Recovery have helped many home and business owners who have lost their data after natural disasters. Water damage to a device doesn’t mean that your documents are lost for good – you should always send your device to experts who may be able to recover your data for you.
Do what you can to protect your devices, but no matter what, making back-ups and using cloud-based services is the best way to ensure the safety of your data in a natural disaster. If disaster strikes unexpectedly, try not to panic and contact the experts who can help you.