Chapter 21
Safety First: Backups and Other Security Issues
IN THIS CHAPTER
Backing up: It’s easy
Understanding why you should back up your data (twice)
Keeping your Mac safe from viruses and malicious attacks
Protecting your data
Although Macs are generally reliable, someday your Mac’s drive will die, whether it’s a hard drive with spinning platters or a solid-state drive (SSD). The drive’s death isn’t an if; it’s a when. All disks will die someday. And if you don’t back up your drive (or at least back up any files that you can’t afford to lose) before that day comes, chances are good that those files will be gone forever.
In other words, you absolutely, positively, without question must back up your files if you don’t want to risk losing them. Just as you make a habit of using the 
⇒ Shut Down command before turning off your Mac, you must remember to back up important files stored on your Mac to another disk or device — and back them up often.
How often is often? That depends on ...
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