Backups

Shows how Windows Backup saves your key folders, app list and settings to a Microsoft account and OneDrive, and how to restore them on a new or reinstalled PC.

Shows how to back up an Android phone's apps, settings, contacts, call history and messages to a Google Account and restore them on the same or a new device.

Explains how Time Machine backs up apps, music, photos and documents to an external disk and keeps hourly local snapshots for recovering older file versions.

Explains why a separate copy of your files and photos protects you from loss, damage or malware, and compares cloud storage with removable drives. Links to official backup guides from Apple, Google and Microsoft.

Shows how to make a local backup of an iPhone or iPad using Finder on a Mac, with the older iTunes route for earlier macOS versions. Notes that an encrypted backup is needed to include Health and Activity data.

Covers why unencrypted data on a device is at risk from theft, hardware failure and accidents. Recommends encrypting computers, phones, drives and files and keeping backups on a secure external drive or vetted cloud service.

Apple explains what iCloud Backup includes (device settings, Home Screen layout, app data) and what it leaves out because it already syncs, such as iCloud Photos and Messages in iCloud. Also covers trimming and deleting old backups.

CISA's guidance for small organisations on planning backups: list what matters, follow the 3-2-1 rule, automate, and protect and test the copies. The same approach works well for a home or home office.

A two-page CISA toolkit chapter on backing up data and keeping the copies offline. Covers automated backups, protecting backups with encryption and offline copies, keeping at least seven days of rollback, and testing recovery.