So at this point you’ve met with us and we’ve digitized your memories on DVD or USB thumb drive.  They’re now protected from the wear and tear of time. Better yet, you can now watch them on modern devices. Congratulations!

From here, the most common question I get is “how do I back these up?”

We’ll start with some simple methods then progress into more robust ways to back up your memories.

The simplest way to backup your digital memories is to create duplicate DVDs or thumb drives and store them in different locations. Most people accomplish this by having us make copies. They then take the copies and pass them out to their adult children or other family members. The idea is that you have your own copy, but if something happened to it, a relative would have a backup.

So you take your copy, and make more copies, and pass them out. It’s that easy.
‍

The 3-2-1 Rule:

Many in the photo organizing industry recommend following the “3-2-1 rule.”  It’s kind of technical, but ill provide a simple example.

The 3-2-1 rule states that you should have three backups, two of which are on different types of hardware (e.g. thumb drive, DVD, cloud, external hard drive), and one of which is off site (i.e. not in your house).

The idea is that three is a good number of backups. Moreover, you want at least one of these backups to be a on a different type of media in case something goes out of style. And, of course, one copy should be off site in case something happens to your home (god forbid).

A simple way to implement the 3-2-1 rule would be to:


1. Keep your movies & photos on the drive we give back to you
2. Copy them to your computer
3. Have us make a duplicate thumb drive that you give to a family member who doesn’t live with you

So you have three backups (thumb drive, computer, duplicate thumb drive), on two different types of media (thumb drive and computer), one of which is off site.

That’s a quick and easy way to do it.  There are other options, many of which are more sophisticated.

For example, many tech and photo experts would throw tomatoes at me for using a computer as a backup. Why? Computers often break and get viruses. I won’t argue with that. But in any case, copying your movies to your computer is a quick and easy to create a backup. Just know that computers don’t have a long shelf life.

A better backup would be an external drive. They’re basically thumb drives, but a bit more robust. They work the same way: plug them into the computer and copy files to them.

The best backup tool at the moment is the cloud, and it’s one that we’ll discuss momentarily.

But if you don’t want a lot of hassle, simply do the above and you’re all set. Just remember to have three copies total, on at least two different types of mediums, and have one copy off site.
‍

Enter the Cloud:

The cloud is a technical term that just means online storage.  Backing up your photos and movies onto the cloud simply means they’re being stored online.  

The primary benefit of storing things online is that they’re being stored off site (i.e. not in your home)..  They’re sitting on a computer server far, far away. These computer servers are typically dispersed across the country, operate in climate controlled buildings, and are constantly being backed up. So in other words, the data stored on them is nearly indestructible. So while your USB or DVD can be dropped, scratched, or lost in a flood or fire,  your cloud data is safe from nearly all physical harm. It’s a wonderful tool to keep your digital memories safe.  

We find that half of our clients are already using a cloud backup program to store photos, family documents, and other important items. This may be programs such as Apple’s iCloud, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, or Dropbox.  If you fall into this group, you can simply use your current cloud program to back up the movies and photos.

If you are not currently using a cloud backup, we recommend Google Drive for family photos and movies. This is because in addition to storing your data, Google lets you stream your movies right from your web browser (like your own private youtube or netflix).

But, in any case, the other programs I just mentioned are also great.

To get them into the cloud, simply upload the movies and photos just like you would any other file. If you need help with this, we can provide consultation.  

The one caveat with movies is that they are enormous files, often 2000 times the size of a single picture. So, it may take hours to finish uploading a single movie.  Have patience! Once they’re finally uploaded, you no longer have to worry about losing them.  
‍

Nothing is perfect:

Nothing in life is perfect, and the cloud has some drawbacks.

First, cloud services require a subscription fee.

Now in fairness, storing large amounts of data costs money, so they need to charge for it. But the fees are low, between $2.00 and $10.00 per month.  Most clients will only need the plans that are closer to $2.00 a month.

The other concerns are security and privacy.  

Clients who backup their photos and movies into the cloud sometimes worry about hackers and other cyber criminals getting into their accounts.

This problem can be addressed by simply going into your cloud account and turning on an important security feature called two factor authentication (sometimes called 2FA, multi-factor authentication (MFA), or two step authentication). For the sake of this blog post, we’ll simply call it “two factor.”

Two factor authentication means when you log in with your password, you also get texted a four or six digit code to your phone. Once you receive the code, you enter it in. The purpose is that if a hacker ever steals or guesses your password, they still cannot get into your account unless they have your cell phone - a very unlikely event.

Two factor has become increasingly popular. Banks have been implementing it on their websites - you’ve likely used it before when logging into your account.

The next concern with cloud backup is privacy.  

Many of my clients love the innovation and convenience provided by Apple and Google; others feel these companies have gotten too powerful, or they’ve had an incident where they’ve lost their trust in them.

If this is how you feel, I would recommend an underdog company such as Dropbox, that doesn’t have the reach or power of Google.

There are also much smaller home-made alternatives to consider.  Feel free to call us for a consultation.

Let’s get it started:

My philosophy is to just get started.  For example, it’s super easy to order duplicate thumb drives or have a tech-person in the family make copies. It doesn’t have to be perfect.

I then recommend implementing the 3-2-1 rule by ensuring there is one copy off site.

If you are doing cloud backup, there’s extra legwork involved, but it is worth it.

Have fun, back up your memories, and let me know if you have any questions.

‍

‍