The best precaution against data loss is to back up your data to an external backup drive. This can be done either manually or by using the native backup app provided in your operating system; for instance, use File History for Windows or Time Machine for mac OS. For data that you have saved on your external storage device without its copy on your computer, you must create its back up to yet another external medium manually or clone it using cloning software.
The best way to back up is to follow a 3-2-1 backup plan. This plan requires you to create at least 3 copies of your critical data, 2 copies on different storage media, and 1 copy on an offsite storage location.
For offsite storage, you can rely on cloud space (OneDrive, iCloud, etc.) Back up the specific folder containing all your critical files to a cloud drive. Cloud storage ensures you can retrieve important data from any computer by logging in to your cloud account using the Internet. Enterprises can go for virtual cloud space to store huge amounts of data and make it accessible throughout various servers so that it can be accessed from anywhere in the world.
By following the 3-2-1 backup plan, you increase data availability even if the primary source becomes inaccessible or fails permanently, or the backup drive itself has turned corrupt or damaged. Also, check the consistency of your backup source, as it boosts up the chances of immediate data restoration during data loss disaster.
In case you don’t have a backup and you lost your data, the best precaution that you need to take to avoid data loss is to stop using the computer or the external storage device immediately to prevent any overwriting—until you recover your data.