An SOS call came in. It was a text message. This message had a bunch of blue screens in it and the person was in a panic. Oh no! I thought to myself. Long story short, the computer was corrupted, and Windows needed to be reinstalled.

This got me thinking. Computers dying are not the only disasters that can happen. Natural disasters happen all the time. We see things all the time on the news. Anything can happen, from the wildfires in California to the Tsunamis in the east. So, how do we continue if there is a disaster?

First thing, anything we do on our devices, especially our computers, should be located in more than one place. The stuff we type up and the photos we take should be on our computers/phones and in one or two other locations. These locations should be different from the computer itself. It should be some place that you can access from anywhere you are in the world. Most of us these days use either Google Docs/Slides/Sheets or Microsoft Word/Excel/PowerPoint. Google saves its documents to Google Drive, and Microsoft saves them to OneDrive. These are both storage areas that you can access from anywhere in the world. There are other digital storage areas that can be used as well. These include DropBox and iCloud.

In addition to storing our files in another location, our passwords must also be stored in another place. Have you ever noticed that when you type your password on a website, it asks if you want to save it? When you click “Yes,” the password is stored in a Password Manager. All the passwords that you gave them permission to save are then accessible from anywhere in the world. If you do not want to save your passwords, you can write them down, but keep this piece of paper in a safe space. You can even give it to someone you trust, but make sure you truly trust that person and it's not someone who will steal your information. Trust me. It happens.

Another possibility is having another machine you can use until you get a new one. This does not work for everyone because keeping an additional machine, making sure that it always works when you need it, and remembering to have all of the files you need can be a pain. Even with the trouble, this is still a valid option.

While a blue screen of death can feel like a personal disaster, it's a reminder that more widespread disruptions can occur at any time. Protecting your digital life isn't just about fixing a computer; it's about ensuring your data and access remain safe and accessible no matter what life throws your way. By embracing cloud storage, utilizing password managers (or a secure alternative), and considering backup machines, you can create a digital safety net, ready to catch you when – and if – disaster strikes. Don't wait for the next "SOS" – take proactive steps today to safeguard your digital world.