November 2, 2025, 5:42 am | Read time: 4 minutes

Prepare a Document Folder for Emergencies

Losing important documents can have serious consequences, as some papers are difficult or impossible to replace. Therefore, the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) advises creating an emergency folder with all essential papers and keeping it readily accessible. Family members, partners, or roommates should be informed about where this folder is stored.

According to the BBK, the following documents should be included in the emergency folder:

In Original:

• Family certificates such as birth, marriage, and death certificates or a family register.

In Original or as Certified Copy:

• Savings books, account and deposit contracts, stocks, securities, insurance policies.
• Certificates of pensions, annuities, and income, income tax assessments.
• Certificates and proof of qualifications.
• All types of contracts such as rental or leasing agreements.
• Will, living will, and power of attorney.

As Simple Copy:

• ID card, passport.
• Driver’s license, vehicle documents.
• Vaccination card.
• Land registry excerpts.
• Change notices for received benefits.
• Payment receipts, especially for pension insurance.
• Registration certificates from employment offices, notices from the employment agency.
• Invoices with outstanding payment claims.
• Membership or contribution books from clubs or organizations.

Additionally, the BBK recommends storing copies of important documents externally–with relatives, a notary or lawyer, or in a safe deposit box. It is also advisable to create digital copies, such as scans or photos, and store them securely.

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Don’t Forget Digital Backup

In addition to documents, personal digital data should also be regularly backed up. This includes text documents, emails, contacts, photos, videos, and chat histories. Especially content that cannot be restored if lost should receive regular backups.

For data backup, USB sticks or external USB hard drives are primarily suitable, explains the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI). For security reasons, these should be kept separate from the computer and ideally also stored in the emergency folder.

Cloud Storage as a Second Security Level

To be extra safe, combine local backup with an online option: “Two is better than one”–this is also the BSI’s recommendation. Cloud services allow automatic synchronization across multiple devices and can be a crucial rescue in case of data loss.

Before using a cloud provider, familiarize yourself with the data protection policies and security features such as encryption, advises the BSI.

For a simple backup, it is often sufficient to copy and paste all relevant files onto an external storage device.

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Plan Regular Backups

It’s not just about “if” but also “when”: Those who regularly store new data should plan backups accordingly. The BSI recommends setting fixed intervals–such as monthly for moderate use or more frequently for heavily used devices. A recurring calendar entry helps ensure no backup is forgotten.

For all common operating systems like Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, and Linux, the BSI provides step-by-step guides. Once set up, many systems automatically and regularly handle the backup.

Backup Software: System Solutions or Third-Party Providers

In addition to the built-in tools of operating systems, there are numerous third-party programs that enable automatic backups. This includes the free open-source software Duplicati, available for Windows, MacOS, and Linux. Duplicati can not only automate backups but also encrypt them and store them directly in cloud storage.

Often, external hard drives already have pre-installed backup software that can also be used for securing data.

With material from dpa