Backing Up Your Data

You can't work or study nowadays without being inundated with digital files and folders across multiple platforms. You might have a group presentation made in Keynote, an executive summary in Microsoft 365, beach selfies in Google Photos, and an inbox full of Dropbox and WeTransfer links for a major project. In hidden corners of this digital melting pot, bits of private personal or university information might be shared, then forgotten—live bait for an attacker. Here are some best practices for managing and securing the waves of data at your fingertips.

Cloud vs. Local Storage

Regular file backups are a part of good digital hygiene For decades, the safest and best way to preserve copies of data was on external drives or servers—USB sticks, DVDs, even floppy disks. With the advent of near-universal internet access, however, many people are switching to cloud storage services, like Box, Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive. Here's a breakdown of each type of storage:

Generally speaking, cloud storage is far better for collaboration and sharing, where the individual files and folders are smaller and more manageable. Cloud providers often allow for version storage, as well, meaning your folders won't get cluttered with files called "FinalFinalDraftRevised_V3_44". On projects that require significant processing power and lots of files—for example, video editing, heavy data analytics, or fieldwork in a place with bad internet—you may need to invest in a hefty hard drive or two.

Box: Our University's Solution

Our university officially uses and recommends Box, a cloud storage service. Box integrates with the Microsoft suite, giving you all the functionality of OneDrive. It also supports sharing, collaborative editing, and near-universal file previewing. All employees automatically have a Box account attached to their NetID - it's as simple as logging in. With Box, you'll have storage space to save files only related to university work until you leave the university.