Calamities and natural disasters strike when you least expect it – as seen with the earthquakes that have struck the Philippines as of late. And while you can prepare yourself and your loved ones on what to do and the emergency kit you have to prepare for survival, another thing you have to keep in mind is safeguarding your most important documents.
Today’s technologically-driven generation presents opportunities for individuals to secure their documents in ways that wouldn’t have been possible a decade ago. 2017 TFT IT Professional of the Year Ronald Precilla who now works at one of the UAE’s top financial institutions shares the following tips that you can easily do today to back up your files in as many ways as possible.
Secure your files electronically. Create soft copies of your identity documents such as your passport, birth certificate, marriage certificate, Driver’s License, UMID, PRC, Office IDs, titles of properties, business certificates, as well as other documents you deem important. “Scan your personal documents and store them in a secure cloud (e.g., Dropbox, Google Drive, Apple Cloud, etc.). This activity is called creating a redundant back up,” said Precilla
Create a strong password. The IT expert advises that the next step is for the user to come up with a strong password to help secure the documents at hand: “Remember to set a very strong password on your cloud account, at least 20 combination of alphanumeric characters and symbols. Activate multi-level verification for added security against cyber attacks,” advised Precilla.
Encryption for protection. The files you have on your phone also need to be secured. You should back up your phone files regularly on the cloud and choose to set encrypt your back up file for added security.
Waterproof storage. Veering away from the electronic data and back to your physical documents, your important papers should be stored in waterproof bag/storage. “Organize and store physical documents not used on a regular basis in a plastic envelop or large Ziploc bag, to make it waterproof,” said Precilla.
Go-bag. After organizing your paperwork within the waterproof bag, the final step would be to place them in a ‘go-bag’ – a hand carry luggage that contains your emergency provisions and first aid kit that’s both easily accessible but secured in your home.
“The preservation of lives is what matters most when disaster strikes, but when the ‘dust’ settles, we also have to rebuild our lives – and having our most important documents that confirms our identity, along with our few precious mementos, will help us do just that.” advises Precilla.
