Did you know that 31 percent of PC users have lost all of their files due to events beyond their control, and further studies on data loss show that 93 percent of companies that lose their data center file for bankruptcy? Because people and companies rely on computers, phones, and tablets to complete work and other everyday tasks, it is increasingly important to safeguard your technology, and more importantly, your data. While there are many causes of data loss, here are the top three statistically-significant reasons you might lose your files if you fail to backup your computer.

Hard Drive failure
Your hard drive is undoubtedly one of the most important parts of your computer because it is your computer’s memory. If your hard drive fails, there is a good chance that your computer will not only stop functioning but also delete all of your personal files. In fact, recent studies of hard drive reliability show that most hard drives have an average lifetime of approximately two years and an average annual failure rate of ten percent.

So what does this information mean for you? For starters, it means that within two years of buying a new computer, there is a high chance that your hard drive – and consequently your computer – will fail. Sure, your computer is probably still under warrantee and getting a new computer should be relatively easy, but what about all of the files you stored in your computer? All photos, music, or documents you saved are gone, along with your hard drive.

Human Error
While many of us may think that we are too tech-savvy to mess up our computer settings, in actuality, human error is one of the leading causes of data loss. In fact, studies found that human error accounts for 40 percent of data loss. There are several reasons for human error. What if you’re in a rush and you accidentally close a Word document without saving it? Or what if you have your computer on your bed and you move the wrong way, causing your computer to fall on the floor?

While these incidents might seem far-fetched, the statistics prove otherwise. As much as we think that our technology is durable and that we know how to fix any problem, the cost for underestimating this cause is incredibly high and really just not worth the hassle.

Computer Viruses
If “computer virus” sounds menacing to you, you’re on the right track. . A common way to get a computer virus is through an e-mail attachment, but there are other ways hackers can send a virus to your computer.  Computer viruses have long-lasting, damaging effects to your computer and to your life, costing you both monetarily and personally. If your computer gets infected, you’ll have to pay to clean up your computer, your private information could be compromised, and your productivity is decreased.

Computer viruses are very common. Data loss statistics show that 16 million households have experienced a serious virus problem in the past two years and that the estimated cost of all households impacted by viruses is $4.55 billion. In order to decrease the chance of contracting a computer virus, you should definitely install an anti-virus protection plan on your computer. In addition, be careful of what you download from the Internet and make sure that your e-mail attachments come from reliable sources.

While these are the top three causes of data loss, there are many other dangers to your data, including natural disasters and power surges. So where do you go from here? Have a prevention plan and insure both your computer and your data so that you can save yourself the time, money, and hassle of data loss.