The internet has enabled a whole host of silly holidays—from “What if Cats and Dogs had Opposable Thumbs Day” to “Bathtub Party Day.” And the list goes on.
But World Backup Day isn’t one of them.
It began when a few concerned internet users decided to establish March 31—April Fool’s Eve—as "a day for people to learn about the increasing role of data in our lives and the importance of regular backups."
Given that increasing importance, the founders argue, it’s more important than ever that businesses and individuals alike take a moment to imagine what would be lost if all our stored digital data were to up and vanish—or be held for an exorbitant ransom by cybercriminals. It could mean irreplaceable photos of childhoods, vacations, and other life milestones that are lost forever. It could mean an insurmountable challenge to a startup business if mission-critical data is deleted.
Because whereas once lost data was the result of failed hard drives or crashed computers, today’s cybercriminals recognize the inherent value of data. They’re out to steal it. They know they can make money by temporarily locking us out it.
World Backup Day is how we can fight back. That’s why we’re happy that so many Webroot users and advocates have committed to taking the pledge:
“I solemnly swear to back up my important documents and precious memories on March 31st.”
Here’s a sample of what some, many of the IT industry professionals, had to say about participating in World Backup Day:
"To me, every day is Backup day!" -David
"I'll be celebrating World Backup Day by staying up late and in real-time watch our backups complete successfully." -Marco
"World Backup Day is bigger than Christmas in our office." -Ashley
"I'm taking the pledge. Customers rely on us to be there when things go wrong." -Daniel
"...I'll ensure the company's data is safe. It's more than a pledge, it's my career." -Bill
So are you ready to take the pledge? Let us know in the comments below!