Life insurance, medical insurance and retirement savings are all ways we protect the things that matter most to us. What about your data? Most of us keep family photos, tax records, important documents and years of work on our computers. How important is that data to you?
One way to find out is to imagine it’s gone. Take a moment and picture your computer suddenly dead, stolen or destroyed. What would you miss? If you can honestly say “nothing,” you can skip this article. If a list is already forming in your mind, read on.
Three questions: is your data really safe?
1. “Is my data safe if I copy it to another folder on my computer?”
No. The original and the copy are on the same drive. If that drive fails, the computer is stolen, or ransomware strikes, both copies are lost together. A backup has to be on a separate device.
2. “Is my data safe if I copy it to an external drive?”
Better — but not yet. Two things can still go wrong:
- The backup may not work. Backups can be incomplete or damaged, and backup software sometimes reports success when it didn’t succeed. The only way to know a backup works is to test it by restoring some files.
- The backup is in the same place as the computer. A fire, flood or burglary can take both. And if the drive is left plugged in, ransomware can encrypt the backup along with everything else.
3. “Is my data safe if it’s backed up to separate storage, tested, and a copy is kept somewhere else?”
Yes. Now you have a backup that can survive a failed drive, a mistake, a ransomware attack or a disaster at home or the office. That idea has a name: the 3-2-1 rule.
The 3-2-1 backup rule
- 3 copies of your important data — the original plus two backups.
- 2 different types of storage — for example, an external drive and a cloud backup service — so one kind of failure can’t take out every copy.
- 1 copy off-site — in the cloud, or on a drive kept at another location you can get to when you need it.
Because ransomware now deliberately hunts for backups, many professionals add two more steps — sometimes called the 3-2-1-1-0 rule:
- 1 copy offline or unchangeable — a drive that’s unplugged when it isn’t backing up, or a backup service that keeps older versions that can’t be altered or deleted.
- 0 errors — check that your backups actually ran, and test restoring files regularly.
Sync is not backup
Services like OneDrive, Google Drive, iCloud and Dropbox keep your files in sync across devices. That’s convenient, but it isn’t a backup: if a file is deleted, damaged or encrypted by ransomware on your computer, that change is copied to the cloud too. Many of these services keep deleted files and earlier versions for a limited time, which can save you — but it isn’t a substitute for a true, separate backup.
For the same reason, a storage device that mirrors its drives (RAID) isn’t a backup either. It protects you if one drive fails, not if a file is deleted, encrypted or destroyed along with the device.
Setting up a backup that works
- Decide what matters. Photos, documents, tax and financial records, business files, software license keys, and anything else you couldn’t replace.
- Set up an automatic local backup. Use an external drive and let software do the work on a schedule. On Windows, File History (in Control Panel) automatically copies your files to an external drive; on a Mac, use Time Machine. Backup software that saves a full image of the computer can restore everything — Windows, programs and files — much faster after a drive failure.
- Add an off-site copy. A cloud backup service designed for backups (with version history) is the easiest option. Alternatively, keep a second external drive at another location and swap it regularly.
- Keep one copy out of ransomware’s reach. Unplug your external drive when it isn’t backing up, or use a backup service that keeps older versions that can’t be changed.
- Protect your backups. Use a strong password and two-step verification on cloud backup accounts. If you encrypt your backups — a good idea — store the encryption password somewhere safe, because without it the backup can’t be restored.
- Check and test. Glance at your backup software regularly to confirm it’s running. Every few months, restore a few files to a different location and make sure they open.
- Write it down. Keep a short note of what’s backed up, where, and how to restore it — and keep a copy away from the computer.
- Replace aging drives. No drive lasts forever. Replace backup drives every few years, before they fail.
For businesses: two questions to answer first
A business backup plan starts with two questions:
- How much work can you afford to lose? If losing a day’s work would be painful, backups need to run at least daily; some businesses back up every hour or continuously.
- How long can you afford to be down? If you need to be working again within hours, a full-system backup and a tested recovery plan matter as much as the backup itself.
The answers determine how often to back up, what kind of backup to use, and how quickly you need to be able to restore. They also tell you whether critical systems need extra protection — such as a spare server or a second internet connection — to keep running when something fails.
The bottom line
Just as insurance protects you from unexpected loss, a good backup protects everything you keep on your computer. Follow the 3-2-1 rule, keep one copy out of ransomware’s reach, and test your backups regularly. With that in place, even a complete hardware disaster won’t erase what matters most.
Need a hand?
PSA provides backup solutions for homes and businesses. We can review your current backups, set up an automatic system that follows the 3-2-1 rule, and test it so you know it works when you need it. Call (707) 506-6802 or send us a message.
This article replaces PSA-0001 (2015), PSA-0005 (2017) and PSA-0022 (2023).