Independent provider
NCSC: backing up your data
Free UK guidance with practical backup advice and links to instructions for common devices and services.
Caribbean CoLabs practical guide / 03
Keep your digital life and business running
When your work depends on a phone, an inbox or a few important files, a small disruption can feel big. Start with the essentials and make a practical plan for getting back to work.
What you’ll work towards
A short list of essentials, a checked backup, and a plan you can reach when you need it.
Start with one useful change.
Know what you depend on
List the accounts, devices and information you need most: email, bookings, customer contacts, records, your website and domain. Record the account owner, renewal date and official support route. Keep the list somewhere protected and accessible.
Do not put passwords, recovery codes or customer details in a general checklist or shared contact sheet.
Protect your most important accounts
Start with email. Use passkeys where supported, or unique strong passwords with two-step verification. Check account recovery details and follow the provider’s instructions for protecting recovery codes. Keep a secure recovery route that does not depend only on the phone you might lose.
Use individual accounts and appropriate permissions for team access, rather than passing a shared password around.
Back up what you cannot afford to lose
Check which files, messages and records are actually included in your backup. Know the backup date, location and who can access it. Keep a protected copy separate from the device; check whether deletion or damage could affect that copy too.
A file-sync service may repeat a deletion across devices. Check its recovery, version-history and retention settings instead of assuming everything can be restored.
Practise restoring a harmless file
Choose a non-sensitive sample file and restore it to a separate location without overwriting the original. Open it and check that it is usable. Record what worked, the date and any gaps you need to fix.
A backup is more useful when you know how to recover from it.
Plan for an interruption
Decide which tasks can wait and which need a fallback if a device or connection fails. Keep essential support contacts accessible offline. Agree how you will tell customers about a delay using a channel you can still access. Keep any temporary paper records secure.
For account loss, use the provider’s official recovery process. Do not share sign-in or recovery codes with someone offering to “fix” access.
Keep the plan current
Give each action an owner, even if that is you. Review after a device change, a staff change or a new tool, and set a review date. If someone helps run the business, make sure their authorised access and responsibilities are clear.
Include website and domain renewals: know who controls them and where renewal notices go.
What this could look like
If the booking phone is unavailable
A small business knows which account holds its bookings, where the current backup lives and how to access its official recovery instructions. It has an agreed way to tell customers about delays and a secure temporary record of new requests. This is an illustrative planning example, not an incident-response service.
Put it into practice
Your starting checklist.
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The PDF includes space to note your next step. Keep completed copies private if they contain personal or business information.
Trusted places to go next
Keep learning.
Independent provider
NCSC: securing important accounts
Free UK guidance on passkeys, passwords and two-step verification. Follow your own service provider’s recovery instructions.
Independent provider
LearnFree
Free, self-paced lessons on everyday digital skills, office tools and working online. Choose the topic that matches your next task.
Links and access descriptions reviewed 14 November 2026. These providers publish their own materials and set their own terms; listing them does not imply a partnership. Our guide is an original Caribbean CoLabs resource.
A little support can go a long way
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