There are lots of good reasons to back up the files on your computer on a regular basis. Hard disks and USB flash drives break down more often than you might think, and computer viruses are becoming more and more virulent. So it’s important that you always make sure you’ve backed up your - and the university’s - valuable data.

2015.09.07 | Malene Hjulmand Bundgaard

Photo: Colourbox

Watch a short video about the importance of backup.

It is very important that you remember to back up your data. Hard disks, USB flash drives and other electronic equipment break down more often than you might think. In addition, you could lose all your valuable data if your computer gets infected by a virus. If you take a backup at regular intervals, you have a lifeboat if your  your computer, tablet or smartphone stops operating.

How do I take backup?

Automatic backups are taken of your files if you save them on your personal network drive at the university, and if something unfortunate happens, you will ‘only’ lose a number of hours of work rather than days, weeks, or months of work.

Remember, however, that network drives are reserved for university data, so even though it is nice to also have backup of your private data, such as photos, private data does not belong on the university's drive. You must find other solutions for your private data.

If you have very large amounts of data and/or have special needs, you can contact your local IT support team for help in finding a solution.

Can I use Dropbox?

You should also be aware that services like Dropbox and OneDrive should not be used for backing up the university’s data. In the first place, the university is unable to access data from these services if this becomes necessary, and in the second place, such services typically do not offer any guarantees regarding security.

Is your antivirus software installed correctly?

When you use AU's network, you must have an antivirus program installed on your computer. AU uses the antivirus program McAfee. Previously, AU used the antivirus program Sophos. If you still have Sophos installed on your computer (PC and Mac), please contact your local IT support immediately. 

Virus and backup

AU is currently experiencing some of the worst kinds of virus attacks, where the virus not only infects the computer and encrypts the files which are stored locally on the computer but also infects the files contained on shared drives and which belong to your colleagues. The viruses damage these files so seriously that they cannot be retrieved unless you have a backup. For this reason, you should take backups of the files on your computer at regular intervals and check to make sure that your antivirus software is functioning properly. Guide to McAfee antivirus software

Questions?

If you have any questions about backup and antivirus, you can contact your local IT support. Find contact information on au.dk/en/it.

Watch a short video about the importance of backup.