Almost everyone knows someone who has recently experienced data loss. Maybe you became a victim of it yourself. Even as a business owner, the consequences are often incalculable after a server crash or laptop theft. A good practice for making backups is something we are often asked by companies, which is why in this post we present to you the 3-2-1 Backup Strategy.
Data loss is something that hangs over the average business owner’s head like a sword of Damocles. So we often get this question from companies, the first time often too late unfortunately….
What is the 3-2-1 Backup Strategy?
The 3-2-1 backup strategy means having at least 3 physical copies of your data. 2 are located locally, that is, mostly within the corporate offices, and 1 off-site. It is also important that the two local copies are not located on the same device. After all, if a hard drive crashes or a laptop is stolen, the two copies are lost.
Why 2 local and 1 off-site?
In most cases, the first copy resides on the end user’s computer and is the file being worked with. An initial copy of this is often made on an external hard drive. This can be done with Time Machine on Mac, File History on Windows or simply a manual copy on an external hard drive, for example. External hard drives also often come with their own backup software. The advantage of this first copy is that files can be quickly retrieved in case of loss. Or in case of computer breakdown, work can easily continue on another computer.
The local copy is a good start to secure file management, but a second backup off-site, i.e. off company premises, is a crucial element. We’re playing a little devil’s advocate, but in the event of fire, theft or flood, for example, there is a good chance that both copies will be lost. Also, for example, a virus infection can cause both the computer and the attached external hard drive or NAS become infected with it, destroying all hope of recovering the files. A 2nd backup away from home, at a staff member’s home for example, or in the cloud with a service like iDrive provides an additional layer of protection.
Is the 3-2-1 backup strategy the perfect course of action?
Unfortunately, the perfect backup strategy does not exist. It is always a trade-off between costs and benefits. In any case, the 3-2-1 strategy provides a good foundation for most businesses, although it is advisable to establish a comprehensive backup schedule. Not all data should be copied daily, but other data should be copied more frequently. For example, an archive with projects older than 1 year of an architect does not have to be backed up daily, since nothing changes until January 1 of the following year. But the projects currently being worked on deserve continuous backup.
Think of your backups as insurance.
In an ideal world, you should never use your backups. Yet it is your insurance for the smooth and continuous operation of your systems and business.
To-do’s and not-to-do’s for backups
- Don’t forget mobile devices as well, smartphones and tablets. Chances of loss or theft are much higher here.
- Make your own cost-benefit analysis and assume the worst case scenario. Ask yourself how much data you lose when a computer disappears. When is the last backup from? Can the lost work be redone and how much does it cost?
- Don’t forget the taxman, when losing (part of) the accounts, he assumes a situation based on previous returns and possible growth. There is a real chance that this is in the taxman’s favor. So a digital copy of invoices is not a luxury.
- A first step to securing your most important files can be done easily and for free with a service like Google Drive or Dropbox.
- Choose an automatic system; manual copying requires iron discipline. Murphy’s Law states that just that one time when no backup is made, disaster strikes….
