Director's Data Stolen

In the ongoing saga of coming to terms with the need to secure our digital photographs and other important data, let us consider the case of famous Director Francis Ford Coppola “who just lost 15 years of computer data, including writings and family photographs, when robbers raided his Argentine studio” according to this AP article.

“Coppola appealed to the bandits to return the small computer backup device, which was taken along with computers in the raid Wednesday night.”

"They stole our computers; they got all our data, many years of work," said Coppola. "If I could get the backup back, it would save me years — all the photographs of my family, all my writing."

The lesson to be learned here?
Not only do you need a backup, but you need a current copy in a separate location (mom’s house, safe deposit box, etc) at all times to protect against theft, fire, tornado, flood, earthquake...you name it, or you’ll be making the same laments Coppola is. If he had had an backup in a separate location, you'd never be reading this.