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What a backup is#
A backup is a copy of school data stored in a separate location, like Google Drive or OneDrive. It can be used if something happens to the original files on a laptop or hard drive.
For example, if you lost your laptop, you would be able to access your files if you have a backup of them in another location.
Why backups are important#
Having a backup might be the difference between having to recreate all your lesson plans, or not. Backups can help you:
- Reduce the risk of data loss in case important data is lost or stolen, for example, if someone forgets to save a file or if an information technology (IT) system stops working.
- Recover data quickly if your IT systems or devices are damaged, for example, after a natural disaster or cyber attack.
Who is responsible for backing up data#
We recommend assigning the following responsibilities within your school.
Backup lead (technical role)#
The backup lead:
- defines backup frequency, with input from relevant IT system users and school leadership
- takes backups
- confirms backups with service providers
- tests the backups.
Testing and recovering backups
School leadership#
The school leadership:
- makes sure the backup process is suitable for continuing school operations with minimal interruptions in the event of an emergency
- makes sure the backup process supports the Schools Retention and Disposal Schedule.
Teachers and staff#
Teachers and staff make sure their documents are saved into Google Drive for desktop or Microsoft OneDrive rather than on their computer or desktop.
What you should back up#
Your school should back up all important data on a regular basis. This is data that you need for day-to-day operations of your school.
At a minimum you should be backing up:
- staff and student files
- student management data
- your website
- local servers and file stores.
Staff and student files#
These are most likely in Google or Microsoft. Staff should save files in the cloud or put them in a shared drive.
Student management data#
Find out from your student management system provider:
- how the data is stored
- if there are backups.
If you store it on a server onsite at your school, you will need to have a backup process to export the data and keep a copy elsewhere just in case.
Your website#
In the event your website is defaced by a cyber criminal, or there is a sudden loss of service from your website host, it will be important to have a backup so you can quickly get your website up and running again.
You should confirm with your web hosting provider what their backup policy is.
Local servers and file stores#
If you have a network attached storage (NAS) – a type of local server – or other local file store at your school, make sure you have a regular back up process for it. The backup should be held in a separate physical location or copied to the cloud.
See information on how to back up your data, and test and recover your backups.
How to back up your data#
We recommend you have 2 copies of your critical data:
- a cloud copy (online backup), which uses the internet to send copies of your data to service providers like Google or Microsoft
- a local copy (offline backup), which means the data is stored digitally somewhere nearby that’s not connected to the internet or your network.
If only 1 copy is feasible, we recommend prioritising online backups of your data.
Online or cloud backups#
We recommend using online backups wherever possible. Online backups are easy to use and reliable. They are useful for things like:
- student files and documents, such as school assignments
- staff files and documents, such as lesson plans.
To back up your data online, you can choose to:
- work on your documents directly in Google Drive for desktop or Microsoft OneDrive. This means you will be working on your documents ‘online’ and they will be automatically backed up (recommended).
- work on a document saved on your device, then manually uploading a copy to Google Drive for desktop or Microsoft OneDrive.
These services will back up your documents, but they do not provide a full backup service of everything that is saved on your device.
Offline or local backups#
Offline backups protect your data when things like a major cyber incident affect your network. Offline backups should be nearby, for example, at your school or within your town, so when an incident occurs it can be quickly accessed.
Here are some common ways to back up your data offline:
- external hard drives
- USB sticks
- network attached storage (NAS) devices or backup servers – this is only recommended if you have an IT lead to support.
Setting up and approaching data backups#
To learn more about how schools should set up and approach backups, follow our in-depth guidance below.
