Back up your Linux system
A backup is the safety net behind everything else. If a drive fails, a laptop is stolen, or you delete the wrong thing, a recent backup turns a disaster into an inconvenience. It's also your best protection against ransomware, because you can restore rather than pay.
Reading is great. Tracking makes it stick. Sign up for a free Dashboard to tick off tasks and see your Security Score.
Get my free Dashboard →
Cyber Nova AI helps you prepare for Cyber Essentials. It doesn't award or certify it. Follow the steps here to get ready, then apply for certification through an accredited Cyber Essentials body when you're set.
The simple rule: keep more than one copy
Aim for your files in at least two places, with one of them away from your machine. That could be an external drive kept in a drawer, or a cloud backup, or both. A copy that lives only on the same laptop won't help if the laptop is lost.
Backing up your files
For your personal files, the graphical tool Déjà Dup (listed as "Backups" on many systems) is a friendly choice. It can back up to an external drive or a cloud account and run on a schedule. Set it to include your home folder and let it run automatically.
Backing up the whole system
Timeshift takes snapshots of your system so you can roll back if an update or change goes wrong. It's excellent for the system itself, but set it to protect your personal files with Déjà Dup or similar, since Timeshift is aimed at system files rather than your documents and photos.
Test it once
A backup you've never restored is a hope, not a plan. Once you've set one up, try restoring a single file to be sure it works. Then you know your safety net is really there.
Track your Linux security progress. Free.
Create a free account to tick off tasks, see your Security Score improve, and know exactly what you've done and what's still to do.
Start your free security check