Coding 101: CRACKING THE CODE, IS AI REWTITING THE RULES?

 

'Learn to code' has long been the golden rule for breaking into tech – but has generative AI rewritten the playbook? — This visual is human-created, AI-aided

N January, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s co-founder and CEO, said on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast that artificial intelligence (AI) would begin to take over the roles of mid-level software engineers this year.

Since ChatGPT’s rise in 2022, many new AI tools have appeared, aiming to simplify programming. However, this has also made programmers feel less secure about their jobs, especially those still in school or just starting their careers.

Daren Tan, CEO of Alphv Technologies, believes that learning to code remains important in the AI era, though the purpose has evolved.

Instead of just writing basic functions, coding skills are now crucial for effectively working with AI, customising solutions, and verifying or fixing AI-generated code.

Tan compares the rise of AI to that of calculators: while calculators didn’t eliminate the need to understand math, they changed how we apply it, making us more productive and better equipped to tackle complex problems.

He emphasises the need for a human touch, stressing that “AI-generated code isn’t quite ready for widespread, unsupervised use”.

“While it’s impressive at generating boilerplate code and solving standard problems, it can produce subtle bugs, logic errors or security vulnerabilities.

“It’s best used as a starting point but needs thorough human review and testing, especially for production systems,” he says.

Tan sees AI as playing a supportive role, despite its sophistication, and stresses the need for oversight to ensure everything functions correctly.

“Think of it like having a very knowledgeable junior developer on your team – great at handling routine tasks and offering suggestions, but still needing human oversight for architecture decisions, security considerations, cost optimisations and business logic implementation,” he says.

Based on his experience, Tan says generative AI tools tend to falter when dealing with new or unique situations, especially those that haven’t been encountered before.

Tan sees AI as playing a supportive role, despite its sophistication, and stresses the need for oversight to ensure everything functions correctly. — DAREN TAN

He explained that his team had used generative AI to automate genetic test reports. While the AI was effective at generating basic code for many functions, it struggled with some of the innovative approaches they employed.

“The key is learning to work with AI, not expecting it to do everything. It’s like ‘pair programming’ – the AI can suggest and help, but you as a human need to drive the important decisions,” he says.

Senior lecturer and academic leader at the Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation (APU) School of Computing, Au Yit Wah, shares a similar perspective, viewing AI as a complementary tool that serves to make programming more accessible.

“AI is not likely to completely replace human programmers. Although AI significantly changes the way developers work, human programmers are likely to remain essential for the foreseeable future.

“One major reason is the complexity and creativity involved in programming. Developing software often requires solving complex, unique problems that demand deep understanding, critical thinking, and innovation.

“AI, while powerful, still struggles with tasks that involve high levels of abstraction and creative design, such as software architecture and the area of UI/UX,” he says.

UI or user interface refers to the visual elements users interact with on a device, while UX or user experience is about how smooth and efficient that interaction feels.

Au adds that while AI can generate code and even identify bugs in the code when properly prompted via natural language programming, the snippets of code still require human expertise to be integrated into a final software solution.

“Human coders must be able to understand the AI-generated code for refining and integrating it into a larger system.

“Without a strong foundation in coding, a strong logical sense, and knowledge of common programming languages, the human coder will not be able to handle the task of putting the AI-generated code to good use,” he says.

Au highlights that despite the progress made with AI-generated code, reliability and security remain an issue.

“The concepts of secure coding strategies and techniques have not been built into the AI-assisted code generation models. Thus, the code generated by the AI models might demonstrate some degree of security features but is not totally reliable.

“For instance, a study by Stanford University found that a significant portion of AI- generated code had security bugs, underscoring the need for thorough testing and validation.

“Additionally, human oversight is crucial – while AI can assist in generating code, developers must carefully review and test it to ensure it meets security and quality standards,” he says.

Lessons in AI

According to Tan, the area where technology is expected to have a significant impact is in education, as there has been a shift in how coding is taught.

He says syllabuses need to be updated quickly to keep pace with this shift, as there is an increasing gap between what is currently taught and what is needed in the field.

“While traditional CS (computer science) enrolment remains strong, there’s growing interest in hybrid learning paths that combine programming fundamentals with AI tools.

“People aren’t learning less coding – they’re learning differently, focusing more on system design, integration and working alongside AI,” he says.

Institutions like Malaysia’s Multimedia University (MMU) have announced plans to establish a Faculty of AI and Engineering by mid-2025. It is also set to introduce AI components into existing Bachelor’s programmes.

Tan says AI is transforming education by offering interactive debugging assistance, generating practice problems and offering instant feedback.

“However, it’s crucial that we teach students to understand underlying principles rather than just relying on AI suggestions,” Tan says.

Au says that while AI can generate code and identify bugs, human expertise is needed to integrate these snippets into a final solution. — APU

Au similarly believes that there will be a paradigm shift in teaching in the IT and coding space.

“The conventional methods of learning coding, problem-solving skills and creative thinking through programming modules not only need to be maintained but also have to be enhanced.

“This is for the purpose of preparing students to use AI tools at the later stages of their formal education.

Tan highlights the need to practice lifelong learning as a principle when in the tech space.

“I have seen lots of fresh grads struggling when they join tech companies because they’re still stuck with outdated frameworks and concepts that nobody uses anymore.

“The reality is tech moves fast. Like, really fast. What worked two years ago might be completely irrelevant now. Think about it – how many of us were talking about prompt engineering or fine-tuning LLMs (large language models) in 2022?

“The challenge isn’t just updating content according to industry needs. It’s about teaching students how to learn and adapt quickly,” he says.

LLMs are designed to process and generate human language. As a subset of AI focused on natural language processing, they enable machines to understand, interpret, and produce human-like text.

According to Au, while it is hard to say if AI has had an impact on the people choosing a career in coding, AI has made the field of coding more accessible as a whole.

He recommends looking at the situation from two perspectives: first, there are students progressing from secondary to tertiary education. Second, there are working adults seeking career changes and self- improvement.

Both groups are increasingly interested in IT and coding due to the AI boom. However, students typically pursue formal education to learn coding.

This trend has led to a surge in enrolment in IT programmes at higher education institutions, especially in AI-related fields. Conversely, adults looking to change careers often prefer AI-powered learning tools, as these are customisable, more affordable, and have lower barriers to entry.

Au also says these learning tools often come with professional certificates upon completing assessments, which have gained popularity as micro-credential programmes offered through online learning platforms.

Au highlights that despite the progress made with AI- generated code, reliability and security remain an issue. — 123rf

The shifting scenes

Tan has observed a rise in “rightsizing” within the US software development market in recent years, with reports indicating smaller intakes at coding schools and bootcamps. However, this trend has not been mirrored in Malaysia.

Tan reiterates that human programmers will continue to be indispensable despite advancements in AI.

“While AI can handle increasingly complex tasks, programming isn’t just about writing code – it’s about understanding business needs, designing scalable systems, ensuring security, and making cost-effective architectural decisions that require human judgement and accountability,” he says.

He says these skills aren’t going anywhere – they’re becoming more valuable. Often, when dealing with stakeholders or clients, they either don’t know what they want or are unaware of what they don’t know.

“We as technical professionals will need to understand their industry, business rules, daily operations and processes in order to propose the right technological solutions to help them improve or solve their problems or pain points,” he says.

For Au, the key is future-proofing oneself by developing a crucial understanding of how software works, with mastery in traditional programming languages such as Python, Java, JavaScript, and C++.

“Strong problem-solving and analytical skills are also crucial, as coding involves breaking down problems into algorithmic steps and converting them into executable solutions.

“The strong fundamentals in theoretical concepts in computer science and good skills in a few of the commonly used coding languages will ensure your relevancy in the coding profession, regardless of AI.

“This foundational knowledge is essential even when working with AI tools. In addition, learning to code from scratch develops strong problem-solving and logical thinking skills.

“These skills are transferable and highly valuable, regardless of whether you’re writing code yourself or using AI to generate it.

“Having a good foundation in those commonly used programming languages and a good understanding of programming logic and constructs will pave the way for coders to provide more accurate instructions to AI tools to generate what the human coder needs,” he says.

Tan feels the future will be one where AI and programmers are in a symbiotic relationship, where humans can be free to “focus on higher-level problems like system architecture, security and complex business logic”.

“Ultimately, what we want to achieve is AI amplifying human capabilities rather than replacing them,” Tan concludes.

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Backups are lifeline to your digital lifestyle

Celebrate World Backup Day this Sunday by creating backup copies of your essential data to safeguard your digital lifestyle against potential loss. — Image by freepik 

It is said that memories you make are priceless, but in this digital age, our data, whether text, audio, or video, has become equally invaluable.

And its value is not lost to cybercriminals, as data breaches have become so common that protecting personal information has become an ongoing challenge for individuals and organisations alike.

Last year, cybersecurity firm Sophos reported that over 90% of cyberattacks reported by its customers involved data or credential theft.

But hackers are not the only threat to your data – the device holding your information may suffer a hardware failure, be stolen, or even be destroyed in an incident such as a fire or flood.

Despite happening over two decades ago, the near loss of Pixar’s Toy Story 2 assets due to accidental deletion during the 1990s remains a memorable story.

The studio was “saved” by Galyn Susman, a supervising technical director who had been working from home after childbirth and had a remote backup.

Even though much of the film was eventually remade due to quality concerns, the character models and environments from her backup were integral to the final film.

Arina hopes that as awareness increases and user-friendly backup options become more widely available, more people will incorporate backups into their digital routines. — Image by rawpixel.com on Freepik

Last year’s layoff of Susman, along with 74 other employees, struck a chord with fans who remember her as the person who saved Toy Story 2.

As we approach World Backup Day this Sunday, March 31, it’s crucial to remember that although incidents of data loss might seem distant, nobody is immune to such occurrences.

Data dilemmas and disasters

Head of operations at Lucid Analytica, an analytics consultancy, Firdaus Jefri experienced data loss for the first time during his childhood when the hard drive of the family computer failed, resulting in the loss of numerous personal files.

“When my first PC, which I had as a kid, crashed due to a hard drive failure, it was devastating. I had important family photos, videos, and memories stored on it. I also made some great friends while playing games like Runescape and Halo Combat Evolved.

“Unfortunately, as a kid, I didn’t keep track of my passwords and didn’t know how to recover my accounts, losing contact with most of them,” he says.

He adds that his mother’s work documents were lost as well, though they weren’t devastating since she had hard copies on hand, requiring extra effort to recreate everything on a computer.

Cloud storage services can be set up to back up files from a mobile device or a PC, but it’s important to maintain enough free space. — Image by rawpixel.com on Freepik

Fast forward to today, and Firdaus has become a staunch believer in backups, having invested a significant amount into a self-built networked-attached storage (NAS) solution.

He estimates that he has spent approximately RM10,000 on storage for multiple drives totalling 20TB, with each drive serving as a backup for another. This setup enables him to recover data in the event that one drive fails.

Firdaus describes his solution as overkill for most users, though it’s a necessity for him, as his work involved handling large files.

When studying for his PhD, computer system engineer Lee Yang Yang was shocked to witness a fellow student fail his course due to losing his files just before the thesis submission deadline.

In Lee’s experience, users typically only begin to prioritise the security of their files after a personal encounter with data loss.

“If you think a file is important, back it up. It is worth your money to have the extra storage. This would include private and confidential files that could cost you a fortune or even your job if the data is lost,” he says.

Better safe than sorry

While data recovery programs and services (read “Get Your Data Back”, StarLifestyle, May 29, 2023; online at bit.ly/datalostandfound) are available that could help restore lost files, the costs involved are steep.

Sin says that having a comprehensive backup strategy is crucial for recovering from such incidents, likening it to 'insurance' for digital assets. — Synology Malaysia

According to Jason Sin, Malaysia country manager for Synology, a company that specialises in NAS storage, the substantial price tag doesn’t guarantee complete data retrieval.

To save oneself from the headache and hefty fees involved in recovering lost files, it’s best to have a backup system in place.

Nur Arina Ramlee, chief technology officer at Cybersolution Technologies, stresses the value of having proper backups.

“Unfortunately, typically, users do not regularly backup their data as often as they should. Usually, this comes down to a few key elements.

“Many users underestimate how upsetting data loss may be when it occurs to them or believe it only happens to other people.

“People are sometimes discouraged from starting because they believe that creating backups is complicated and time-consuming,” she says.

Arina hopes that as awareness increases and user-friendly backup options become more widely available, more people will incorporate backups into their digital routines.

She recalls an incident involving a restaurant, which was exploring franchising opportunities at the time. The restaurant owner had stored all the key components of the company, including financial records, designs for its franchising plan, and even his beloved recipes – which he spent years perfecting and digitising – on a laptop.

That laptop was stolen at an airport during a business trip, resulting in the loss of years’ worth of data.

The rise of ransomware is another threat to data. In a ransomware attack, the files on a computer system are encrypted, in most cases rendering them unusable, with the threat actor demanding a ransom payment to decrypt the data.

Sin says that having a comprehensive backup strategy is crucial for recovering from such incidents, likening it to ‘insurance’ for digital assets.

Arina recommends a straightforward approach to backup by starting with identifying the data crucial to your daily digital activities. — Cybersolution Technologies

“Ensuring data security and continuity is paramount for users and businesses alike.

“Creating a backup strategy is like providing a safety net, allowing users to restore their data to a previous state and resume normal operations swiftly.

“As digital lifestyles become more prevalent, the potential impact of data loss on both personal and professional fronts has heightened, underscoring the importance of robust backup practices,” he says.

As for companies, Sin highlights cost concerns and limited resources as major reasons why small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) often neglect backing up their data.

This is due in part to hardware, software and maintenance costs, along with the lack of a dedicated IT team to manage backup infrastructure. Time constraints, data fragmentation, and the need to evaluate security risks are other factors that can also hinder efforts.

In the long run, such neglect can make it significantly more difficult for a company to recover from cybersecurity incidents such as data breaches and ransomware attacks.

Sin highlighted that the Personal Data Protection Department (PDPD) reported a staggering increase in data breach cases. It received 130 reports by June 2023, a four-fold increase compared to the entire year 2022.

“Such breaches lead to significant financial losses due to causes like configuration errors, hardware damage, data leaks, and malicious encryption,” he says.

Seeking simple solutions

According to a report from data recovery service provider Reno Research Lab, over half of data loss cases in 2023 resulted from user error, primarily accidental deletion (56.38%), with drive corruption coming a distant second, accounting for only 18.09%.

These incidents could have been avoided if users simply made one backup copy.

According to a report from data recovery service provider Reno Research Lab, over half of data loss cases in 2023 resulted from user error, primarily accidental deletion (56.38%), with drive corruption coming a distant second, accounting for only 18.09%. — Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Fortunately, thanks to the widespread availability of free cloud storage, hefty investments are often unnecessary.

Popular and easy-to-setup options that offer free storage space include Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive and Apple iCloud.

However, without a subscription, the free storage is limited, with Google Drive offering 15GB for free, while both OneDrive and iCloud provide only 5GB each at no cost.

The cloud storage services can be set up to back up files from a mobile device or a PC, but it’s important to maintain enough free space.

The services provide a range of subscription packages with different storage spaces, with family options typically offering better value for money.

To backup your PC with OneDrive’s desktop client, access the settings menu and navigate to the “Sync and Backup” tab.

From there, select “Manage Backup” to choose which folders, such as Documents, Pictures, Desktop, Music, and Videos to back up.

Unfortunately, OneDrive doesn’t support custom folders for backup, so users have to move their files to one of the listed folders.

Android smartphone users can check out Google Drive for backups. It can be turned on by going to the settings menu and selecting “Backup and reset” and then switching on the “Backup by Google One” option.

This feature automatically backs up various types of data, including apps, SMS and MMS, call history, and device settings when connected to WiFi.

However, remember to manually enable backup for photos and videos in this menu, as it is turned off by default.

For faster access and complete control over your backups, consider using a NAS (network-attached storage) device. It’s a dedicated storage server that connects to your home WiFi network.

It also provides a centralised location to store and access files and data from multiple devices, such as computers, smartphones, and tablets, over the network.

Essentially, it functions as a personal cloud storage solution, offering other features like file sharing, media streaming, and remote access.

However, NAS devices, which come in various configurations and storage capacities, are not cheap.

Those who are more technically inclined could opt to assemble their own unit, but this will require researching various topics and familiarity with terminologies like RAID (redundant array of independent disks) and learning NAS-specific operating systems like TrueNAS and Unraid.

However, if you’re seeking a robust backup plan, consider adopting the popular 3-2-1 backup principle.

It’s a straightforward rule – though very demanding – that is designed to ensure that your data stays safe no matter what happens.

Let’s break it down: “3” stands for having at least three copies of your data; “2” means storing them on two different types of media; and “1” emphasises keeping one copy offsite or on the cloud. This method ensures that your data is well-protected against accidents, hardware failures, and other unexpected events.

Arina recommends beginning with a simple approach: identify the data essential to your daily digital life, such as chat messages, pictures, and documents.

“The key to this is to back up regularly or set your backups to run automatically. Some applications that users use daily may already have this readily integrated into their cloud accounts.

“And remember to test your backups once in a while to ensure they work when needed,” she says.

Sin emphasises the importance of education and awareness in establishing a strong backup culture.

“We encourage everyone to share the significance of backups with friends, family, and colleagues,” says Sin, “in order to collectively cultivate a more secure digital environment.”

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Always have a backup plan , Don’t hoard data

Save it or lose it

Don’t wait until it’s too late – backing up your digital memories now will ensure that you have the chance to cherish them forever.

 

 

 It’s a mis­con­cep­tion that back­ing up data is a com­plex pro­cess, as there are plenty of user-friendly tools, accord­ing to david. — palo alto net­works

   

San­tam­aria recom­mends dis­con­nect­ing the backup stor­age medium from the inter­net for bet­ter secur­ity. — Folio photon­ics 

 

d’hal­luin says fig­ur­ing out what data needs to be backed up is a top pri­or­ity. — datadobi

 

With everyone logged in to the digital world and with the widespread use of smartphones, it’s surprising how little attention has gone towards preserving digital memories.

to remind everyone of its importance, it was World Backup Day on Friday, March 31, which has been celebrated since 2011.

World Backup Day originated from a Reddit post by a user lamenting the loss of content on a hard drive after having overlooked backing up its data.

if this sounds familiar, consider taking steps to keep your files safe since you never know when they could just disappear, as hardware failure is unpredictable.

Duplicating data

in short, a backup means copying data from a device to another location, be it a thumbdrive, an external hard drive or a cloud service.

But this isn’t limited to just data files, as operating systems can be backed up too so that you have a restore point in case the hard drive or solid-state drive (SSD) it is installed on fails or gets corrupted.

Palo Alto Networks’ Asean system engineering head, David Rajoo, says, “Backing up your data is crucial in today’s digital age, but it’s often overlooked, especially by non-tech-savvy individuals.

“Common misconceptions include thinking that backups are time-consuming and complicated.

“however, incorporating backups into your daily routine or opting for user-friendly solutions can simplify the process.

“it’s vital to consider various storage options as hard drives can fail, resulting in data loss.

“Cloud storage is a popular option, with the added benefit of having remote access and coming with various storage plans,” he says.

Most would be familiar with cloud storage services like Google Drive, which can be used to automatically sync files on a computer or smartphone to the cloud.

there are other alternatives, like Onedrive and Dropbox, which offer free and paid plans, but Drive is one of the more generous ones, offering 15GB at no cost.

this might sound like a lot, but for those with extensive libraries of content like ripped CDS and Blu-rays, that’s definitely not going to be enough.

identifying what’s important before backing up is key, according to Carl D’halluin, chief technology officer of Datadobi.

“Failing to backup your data can have catastrophic consequences, as a single hardware failure, cyberattack, or natural disaster can wipe out all your valuable information, leaving you with no way to recover it.

“this means that years of hard work can all be lost in an instant, with no chance of retrieval.

“identifying the vital data that requires protection should be the first step in the process,” he says.

those primarily using Android smartphones can rely on Google Photos, which syncs images, and icloud for Apple devices, as it’s tightly integrated into the company’s ecosystem.

Modern Android devices also tend to have built-in support for cloud services like Google Drive and Samsung Cloud, though these are limited to files and apps and not the operating system.

those in the custom Android ROM community will be familiar with recovery firmware like TWRP that can be used to create a Nandroid backup to restore the operating system and apps to their previous states.

the same can be said for both MACOS and Windows, though Microsoft hasn’t updated its tool for a long time.

the built-in backup tool is hidden away in the control panel of Windows 10 and 11 and is specifically marked as for Windows 7, with even Microsoft recommending that users shift away from the backup tool.

Popular alternatives among enthusiasts include the free AOMEI Backupper and the paid-only Macrium, which allow users to select a drive (in this case, the one the operating system is installed on) and create a backup image periodically or on demand.

this backup can be used to restore the operating system when the need arises.

Apple’s time Machine can similarly be used to create system images of MACOS, and the process can be scheduled.

An external drive should first be plugged into the Mac and selected as the backup drive – once done, it will be exclusively used to store backups.

the backup, which can be configured in system settings, allows users to select the drives to be backed up, the backup frequency, and exclude files to save space.

Apple recommends that the backup drive have at least double the storage of the drive being backed up.

By the numbers

A popular strategy adopted by the industry is the 3-2-1 backup rule, which was brought up by David.

“When creating a backup strategy that works best for you, it’s important to prioritise which data to back up first.

“the most crucial data to prioritise are the types of data that are difficult or impossible to replace if lost, such as photos and videos of important memories, work documents, and financial data.

“Once you’ve determined which data needs to be backed up first, following the 3-2-1 backup rule is recommended.

“this rule involves having three copies of your data, with two on different media types and one stored offsite,” he says.

For instance, if you own a desktop or laptop, you should back up your data to an external drive and the cloud.

Most external drives are compact and can be had for cheap these days. if money is no object, you could invest in networkattached storage that will also give you remote access to your files, but this also requires more work.

this will ensure that you have a local copy if something goes wrong, allowing you to get your data back in the fastest possible time.

And having your data on the cloud will ensure that your data is safe should you lose both your local storage due to, say, fire or flood.

Leaving the secondary local storage (like an external drive or thumbdrive) disconnected from the internet also serves as an added security measure.

According to Steven Santamaria, CEO of Folio Photonics, a well-designed data protection strategy should look into both physical and digital security to safeguard critical data.

“the most effective data protection strategy should also incorporate a data storage platform that can be securely archived in an offsite location, with the added benefit of being taken offline for even greater security.

“this means that the storage platform is physically separated from the main network and disconnected from the internet, making it resistant to cyberattacks and other forms of data breaches,” he says.

David recommends taking the extra step of encrypting the backup data.

“Although this may seem daunting, many backup services include encryption as part of their package.

“By encrypting your backups, you can protect your data from unauthorised access in the event of theft or loss.

“Ensure your backup data is password-protected, and avoid using simple passwords or commonly guessed words.

“For cloud-based backups, consider using two-factor authentication to add an extra layer of security.

“this involves requiring a password and a secondary authentication method, such as a fingerprint or a code sent to your phone,” he says.

he concludes by saying that it’s also vital to ensure that the backups are virusfree by scanning the system with reputable antivirus and anti-malware software before backing up. 

By CHRISTOPHER FAM lifestyletech@thestar.com.my  

Don’t hoard data

 

The digital Cleanup day initiative is intended to get users into the habit of sorting and discarding unwanted data while being mindful of the ‘digital waste’ they are generating. — Freepik.com

Due to cloud services, people can store seemingly infinite amounts of data without worrying about using up physical space on their personal devices.

However, Estonia’s Let’s Do It Foundation wants users to think about the environmental impact of hoarding data.

Last month, it launched the Digital Cleanup Day initiative to get users into the habit of sorting and discarding unwanted data while being mindful of the “digital waste” they are producing.

According to the foundation, “This digital waste creates digital pollution that continues to consume energy even when we have forgotten it.

“Digital trash sits in the backups on servers that provide us with cloud service and continue consuming electricity.”

The International Energy Agency estimates that data centres and data transmission networks are responsible for nearly 1% of energyrelated greenhouse gas emissions.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals listed reducing greenhouse gas emissions as part of a crucial measure to lessen the impact of climate change.

It raised concerns that droughts brought on by rising temperatures may displace 700 million people by 2030.

A 2020 report by the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) called for the large-scale adoption of environmentally responsible online behaviour, which it said was vital for “combating climate change and promoting sustainability”.

Habits it recommends include deleting non-essential content on cloud services or when the data is no longer needed.

Users should also optimise their cloud storage by identifying and deleting duplicate content – most cloud services either offer tools for this or do it automatically.

On devices like the iphone, the Photos app can be used to find duplicate images and videos.

Tapping on Albums and clicking on Duplicates under Utilities will show the similar files next to each other. This feature is available in IOS 16.

There is also an option to merge duplicates. According to Apple, “merging combines the highest quality version and all the relevant data across the duplicates, and this version will remain in the library”. The remaining duplicates will be put into the Recently Deleted album.

On Android, the Files By Google app has a Clean feature that will scan the phone and recommend content to delete, including large files, old screenshots and downloaded data.

Alternatively, users can archive information on external drives, which don’t run on electricity.

If deletion is not an option, the files can be compressed to save space. Popular tools on the market include Winzip and WINRAR, which allow files to be compressed, although they are better at shrinking the size of some files than others.

The files can also be password protected for additional security. Do note that the compression employed by these apps won’t result in a loss of quality for photos or videos.

Another aspect that users should consider is the carbon footprint of emails.

Statistics on The Carbon Literacy Project show that actions like sending a short email from the phone generate 0.2g of CO2, while taking 10 minutes to send out an email to 100 people is responsible for 26g of CO2.

According to the Let’s Do It Foundation, 281 billion emails are sent out each day, taking an average person three hours a day to refresh, read and reply to work messages.

The foundation felt that it was necessary to limit the ineffective practice of organising work through emails.

To avoid accumulating email messages, it’s best to unsubscribe from irrelevant mailing lists or mark unwanted emails as spam so they get deleted after a set period.

Let’s Do It also recommends that users clean up their Inbox by searching for common names or addresses to round up similar messages and delete them, while only keeping the latest.

Always have a backup plan , Don’t hoard data

Save it or lose it

Don’t wait until it’s too late – back­ing up your digital memor­ies now will ensure that you have the chance to cher­ish them forever.

 it’s a mis­con­cep­tion that back­ing up data is a com­plex pro­cess, as there are plenty of user-friendly tools, accord­ing to david. — palo alto net­works

  San­tam­aria recom­mends dis­con­nect­ing the backup stor­age medium from the inter­net for bet­ter secur­ity. — Folio photon­ics 

 

d’hal­luin says fig­ur­ing out what data needs to be backed up is a top pri­or­ity. — datadobi 

 With every­one logged in to the digital world and with the wide­spread use of smart­phones, it’s sur­pris­ing how little atten­tion has gone towards pre­serving digital memor­ies.

to remind every­one of its import­ance, it was World Backup Day on Fri­day, March 31, which has been cel­eb­rated since 2011.

World Backup Day ori­gin­ated from a Red­dit post by a user lament­ing the loss of con­tent on a hard drive after hav­ing over­looked back­ing up its data.

if this sounds famil­iar, con­sider tak­ing steps to keep your files safe since you never know when they could just dis­ap­pear, as hard­ware fail­ure is unpre­dict­able.

Duplic­at­ing data

in short, a backup means copy­ing data from a device to another loc­a­tion, be it a thumbdrive, an external hard drive or a cloud ser­vice.

But this isn’t lim­ited to just data files, as oper­at­ing sys­tems can be backed up too so that you have a restore point in case the hard drive or solid-state drive (SSD) it is installed on fails or gets cor­rup­ted.

Palo Alto Net­works’ Asean sys­tem engin­eer­ing head, David Rajoo, says, “Back­ing up your data is cru­cial in today’s digital age, but it’s often over­looked, espe­cially by non-tech-savvy indi­vidu­als.

“Com­mon mis­con­cep­tions include think­ing that backups are time-con­sum­ing and com­plic­ated.

“however, incor­por­at­ing backups into your daily routine or opt­ing for user-friendly solu­tions can sim­plify the pro­cess.

“it’s vital to con­sider vari­ous stor­age options as hard drives can fail, res­ult­ing in data loss.

“it’s vital to con­sider vari­ous stor­age options as hard drives can fail, res­ult­ing in data loss.

“Cloud stor­age is a pop­u­lar option, with the added bene­fit of hav­ing remote access and com­ing with vari­ous stor­age plans,” he says.

Most would be famil­iar with cloud stor­age ser­vices like Google Drive, which can be used to auto­mat­ic­ally sync files on a com­puter or smart­phone to the cloud.

There are other altern­at­ives, like Onedrive and Drop­box, which offer free and paid plans, but Drive is one of the more gen­er­ous ones, offer­ing 15GB at no cost.

Tthis might sound like a lot, but for those with extens­ive lib­rar­ies of con­tent like ripped CDS and Blu-rays, that’s def­in­itely not going to be enough.

Identi­fy­ing what’s import­ant before back­ing up is key, accord­ing to Carl D’hal­luin, chief tech­no­logy officer of Datadobi.

“Fail­ing to backup your data can have cata­strophic con­sequences, as a single hard­ware fail­ure, cyber­at­tack, or nat­ural dis­aster can wipe out all your valu­able inform­a­tion, leav­ing you with no way to recover it.

“Fail­ing to backup your data can have cata­strophic con­sequences, as a single hard­ware fail­ure, cyber­at­tack, or nat­ural dis­aster can wipe out all your valu­able inform­a­tion, leav­ing you with no way to recover it.

“this means that years of hard work can all be lost in an instant, with no chance of retrieval.

“identi­fy­ing the vital data that requires pro­tec­tion should be the first step in the pro­cess,” he says.

Those primar­ily using Android smart­phones can rely on Google Pho­tos, which syncs images, and icloud for Apple devices, as it’s tightly integ­rated into the com­pany’s eco­sys­tem.

Mod­ern Android devices also tend to have built-in sup­port for cloud ser­vices like Google Drive and Sam­sung Cloud, though these are lim­ited to files and apps and not the oper­at­ing sys­tem.

those in the cus­tom Android ROM com­munity will be famil­iar with recov­ery firm­ware like TWRP that can be used to cre­ate a Nandroid backup to restore the oper­at­ing sys­tem and apps to their pre­vi­ous states.

the same can be said for both MACOS and Win­dows, though Microsoft hasn’t updated its tool for a long time.

the built-in backup tool is hid­den away in the con­trol panel of Win­dows 10 and 11 and is spe­cific­ally marked as for Win­dows 7, with even Microsoft recom­mend­ing that users shift away from the backup tool.

Pop­u­lar altern­at­ives among enthu­si­asts include the free AOMEI Backup­per and the paid-only Mac­rium, which allow users to select a drive (in this case, the one the oper­at­ing sys­tem is installed on) and cre­ate a backup image peri­od­ic­ally or on demand.

this backup can be used to restore the oper­at­ing sys­tem when the need arises.

Apple’s time Machine can sim­il­arly be used to cre­ate sys­tem images of MACOS, and the pro­cess can be sched­uled.

An external drive should first be plugged into the Mac and selec­ted as the backup drive – once done, it will be exclus­ively used to store backups.

the backup, which can be con­figured in sys­tem set­tings, allows users to select the drives to be backed up, the backup fre­quency, and exclude files to save space.

Apple recom­mends that the backup drive have at least double the stor­age of the drive being backed up.

By the num­bers

A pop­u­lar strategy adop­ted by the industry is the 3-2-1 backup rule, which was brought up by David.

“When cre­at­ing a backup strategy that works best for you, it’s import­ant to pri­or­it­ise which data to back up first.

“the most cru­cial data to pri­or­it­ise are the types of data that are dif­fi­cult or impossible to replace if lost, such as pho­tos and videos of import­ant memor­ies, work doc­u­ments, and fin­an­cial data.

“Once you’ve determ­ined which data needs to be backed up first, fol­low­ing the 3-2-1 backup rule is recom­men­ded.

“this rule involves hav­ing three cop­ies of your data, with two on dif­fer­ent media types and one stored off­s­ite,” he says.

For instance, if you own a desktop or laptop, you should back up your data to an external drive and the cloud.

Most external drives are com­pact and can be had for cheap these days. if money is no object, you could invest in net­work­at­tached stor­age that will also give you remote access to your files, but this also requires more work.

This will ensure that you have a local copy if something goes wrong, allow­ing you to get your data back in the fast­est pos­sible time.

And hav­ing your data on the cloud will ensure that your data is safe should you lose both your local stor­age due to, say, fire or flood.

Leav­ing the sec­ond­ary local stor­age (like an external drive or thumbdrive) dis­con­nec­ted from the inter­net also serves as an added secur­ity meas­ure.

Accord­ing to Steven San­tam­aria, CEO of Folio Photon­ics, a well-designed data pro­tec­tion strategy should look into both phys­ical and digital secur­ity to safe­guard crit­ical data.

“the most effect­ive data pro­tec­tion strategy should also incor­por­ate a data stor­age plat­form that can be securely archived in an off­s­ite loc­a­tion, with the added bene­fit of being taken off­line for even greater secur­ity.

“this means that the stor­age plat­form is phys­ic­ally sep­ar­ated from the main net­work and dis­con­nec­ted from the inter­net, mak­ing it res­ist­ant to cyber­at­tacks and other forms of data breaches,” he says.

David recom­mends tak­ing the extra step of encrypt­ing the backup data.

“Although this may seem daunt­ing, many backup ser­vices include encryp­tion as part of their pack­age.

“By encrypt­ing your backups, you can pro­tect your data from unau­thor­ised access in the event of theft or loss.

“By encrypt­ing your backups, you can pro­tect your data from unau­thor­ised access in the event of theft or loss.

“Ensure your backup data is pass­word-pro­tec­ted, and avoid using simple pass­words or com­monly guessed words.

“For cloud-based backups, con­sider using two-factor authen­tic­a­tion to add an extra layer of secur­ity.

“this involves requir­ing a pass­word and a sec­ond­ary authen­tic­a­tion method, such as a fin­ger­print or a code sent to your phone,” he says.

he con­cludes by say­ing that it’s also vital to ensure that the backups are vir­us­free by scan­ning the sys­tem with reput­able anti­virus and anti-mal­ware soft­ware before back­ing up. 

 By CHRISTOPHER FAM life­styletech@the­star.com.my 

 

Don’t hoard data

 

The digital Cleanup day initiative is intended to get users into the habit of sorting and discarding unwanted data while being mindful of the ‘digital waste’ they are generating. — Freepik.com

Due to cloud services, people can store seemingly infinite amounts of data without worrying about using up physical space on their personal devices.

However, Estonia’s Let’s Do It Foundation wants users to think about the environmental impact of hoarding data.

Last month, it launched the Digital Cleanup Day initiative to get users into the habit of sorting and discarding unwanted data while being mindful of the “digital waste” they are producing.

According to the foundation, “This digital waste creates digital pollution that continues to consume energy even when we have forgotten it.

“Digital trash sits in the backups on servers that provide us with cloud service and continue consuming electricity.”

The International Energy Agency estimates that data centres and data transmission networks are responsible for nearly 1% of energyrelated greenhouse gas emissions.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals listed reducing greenhouse gas emissions as part of a crucial measure to lessen the impact of climate change.

It raised concerns that droughts brought on by rising temperatures may displace 700 million people by 2030.

A 2020 report by the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) called for the large-scale adoption of environmentally responsible online behaviour, which it said was vital for “combating climate change and promoting sustainability”.

Habits it recommends include deleting non-essential content on cloud services or when the data is no longer needed.

Users should also optimise their cloud storage by identifying and deleting duplicate content – most cloud services either offer tools for this or do it automatically.

On devices like the iphone, the Photos app can be used to find duplicate images and videos.

Tapping on Albums and clicking on Duplicates under Utilities will show the similar files next to each other. This feature is available in IOS 16.

There is also an option to merge duplicates. According to Apple, “merging combines the highest quality version and all the relevant data across the duplicates, and this version will remain in the library”. The remaining duplicates will be put into the Recently Deleted album.

On Android, the Files By Google app has a Clean feature that will scan the phone and recommend content to delete, including large files, old screenshots and downloaded data.

Alternatively, users can archive information on external drives, which don’t run on electricity.

If deletion is not an option, the files can be compressed to save space. Popular tools on the market include Winzip and WINRAR, which allow files to be compressed, although they are better at shrinking the size of some files than others.

The files can also be password protected for additional security. Do note that the compression employed by these apps won’t result in a loss of quality for photos or videos.

Another aspect that users should consider is the carbon footprint of emails.

Statistics on The Carbon Literacy Project show that actions like sending a short email from the phone generate 0.2g of CO2, while taking 10 minutes to send out an email to 100 people is responsible for 26g of CO2.

According to the Let’s Do It Foundation, 281 billion emails are sent out each day, taking an average person three hours a day to refresh, read and reply to work messages.

The foundation felt that it was necessary to limit the ineffective practice of organising work through emails.

To avoid accumulating email messages, it’s best to unsubscribe from irrelevant mailing lists or mark unwanted emails as spam so they get deleted after a set period.

Let’s Do It also recommends that users clean up their Inbox by searching for common names or addresses to round up similar messages and delete them, while only keeping the latest.