Backing up documents digitally – encrypted

A good backup follows simple rules: several copies, on different media, at least one of them in another place. Among professionals this is often known as the “3-2-1” rule of thumb – three copies, two different types of storage, one off-site. For a family that means in practice: a paper folder at home, an encrypted digital copy in the go bag and another encrypted copy with relatives or in online storage.

Encryption uses a key – here your passphrase – to turn files into what looks like random data. Only someone who knows the passphrase can turn it back. Good, recognised methods are considered practically unbreakable when the passphrase is strong. That has a flip side: if you forget the passphrase, you cannot get to the data yourself either.

First choose what to back up: ID documents, birth and marriage certificates, insurance policies, tenancy or ownership papers, bank and pension documents, vaccination records, medication plans, photos of household contents and a list of important contacts. Scan or photograph legibly and name the files consistently, for example “person_document_year”. Anyone who has to search in an emergency will be glad of clear folders.

Then encrypt the collection with a recognised method, such as an encrypted archive or an encrypted storage device. A strong passphrase is long and unique – for example several random words in a row that you use nowhere else. It is easier to remember than a short password full of special characters and still very hard to guess.

Keep the passphrase so that at least one other trusted person has access in an emergency, but separate from the storage device – for example sealed in an envelope with a trusted person. A one-page paper index in the document folder also helps: which documents are backed up where, and who has access? The passphrase itself is not written there.

Unencrypted copies of ID, bank details and health data are a real risk of identity misuse if lost or stolen. A USB stick on your key ring or scans in your email inbox without encryption are therefore not a good idea. In online storage, too, keep the files only in encrypted form.

Fraud attempts increase after disasters. Fraudsters pose as a bank, insurer or aid organisation by phone or message. Never give out login details or passphrases via unsolicited calls, messages or links. If in doubt, call back yourself on a number you know for certain.

A backup that has never been tested is only a hope. Storage devices can fail, file formats go out of date, and passphrases are forgotten more easily than you think. So once a year, open the backup on a different device, enter the passphrase and check that all files can be read.

At the same time, add new documents, such as a new ID or contract, and securely delete outdated copies. If you are unsure about the technology, get help from a trusted person. What matters is that in the end at least two people know how to get to the data.

The digital copy supplements the paper folder; it does not replace it. Paper works without power or a device, while the digital copy, kept elsewhere, survives fire and water. Whether digital copies are accepted by authorities or insurers is up to each country; originals are often still required. But the copy speeds up the path to new documents considerably.

Specific programs or providers are deliberately not recommended here. Three things matter, whatever you use: recognised encryption, several storage locations and regular tests.