Back up your Mac with Time Machine and iCloud
A backup is the safety net behind everything else. If your Mac is lost, broken, or hit by ransomware, a recent backup means you lose almost nothing. It's the most reassuring hour you'll spend.
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Time Machine to an external drive
Time Machine is built into macOS and does the work for you. Plug in an external drive, then go to System Settings, then General, then Time Machine, add the drive, and macOS backs up automatically from then on. Keep the drive connected, or connect it regularly, so the backups stay current.
iCloud for your key folders
Turning on iCloud Drive and its Desktop & Documents Folders option keeps a copy of your most important files in the cloud, so they survive even if the Mac and the backup drive are both lost. It's a good partner to Time Machine, not a full replacement.
Follow the 3-2-1 idea
The goal to aim for: three copies of anything important, on two different types of storage, with one kept away from your Mac. Time Machine plus iCloud gets most people most of the way there. Keep at least one backup that isn't always plugged in, so ransomware can't reach it.
Test it occasionally
A backup only counts if it works. Every so often, restore a single file to confirm you can. Far better to find a problem on a quiet afternoon than on the day you actually need it.
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