We are often asked for tips on data backup. So we put together the following tips to help you develop your backup plan.

1. Develop a backup plan-At a minimum, plan to back up daily using removable media. Rotate backup sets offsite weekly.
    
2. Automate your backups-Get a backup device that holds about twice as much as your hard disk so you can schedule backups for times when you're not there.
    
3. Back up every hard disk-Every hard disk contains critical data, so don't just back up servers. And make sure you include portable computers.
    
4. Back up more than just documents-Don't limit backups to just certain files-you'll inevitably need one that wasn't backed up. Good backup software backs up only those files that are new or modified.
   
5. Make several copies-Make at least three different sets of your data. Even an old copy is better than no copy at all.
    
6. Keep a backup set offsite-You never know when a fire, flood, theft, or earthquake makes your offsite copy your only copy. One idea: Create a backup set weekly and send the previous week's backup to a secure offsite location.
    
7. Verify your backup-You need confidence in your backups. Make sure your backup software has full read-back verification. And try restoring a few files yourself, just in case.
    
8. Implement a network backup strategy-If you're on a network, network backup software lets you share a storage device and ensures that every Macintosh is backed up.
    
9. Don't procrastinate-Far too many new customers of backup software are people who recently lost data. Develop your backup plan before a crash!