3-2-1 Backup
A 3-2-1 backup strategy means having at least 3 total copies of your data, 2 of which are local but on different mediums (read: devices), and at least 1 copy offsite. We’ll use “kitten.jpg” as an example for this scenario. Kitten.jpg lives on your computer at home, it was a picture that you took of your cat in 2012. That’s one copy of the data. You also have an external hard drive that you use for backing up your Mac with Apple's Time Machine backup software. As part of its backup process, Time Machine will backup kitten.jpg to that external hard drive. That’s a second copy, on a different device or medium. In addition to that external hard drive, you also have an online backup solution. The online backup continuously scans your computer and uploads your data offsite to a datacenter (cloud server). Kitten.jpg is included in this upload, and that becomes the third copy of your data.
Why 2 Onsite And 1 Offsite?
An onsite backup is a simple way of having quick access to your data should anything happen to your Mac. If your MacBook or iMac's hard drive crashes, and you have an up to date backup available, you can quickly get the majority of your data back, or use the backup on another computer while yours gets fixed or replaced. Apple's Time Machine is included for free with every Mac. Time Machine backs up all of your files to an external hard drive so that you can restore them later or see how they looked in the past.
Having an onsite backup is a great start, but having an offsite backup is a key component in having a complete backup strategy. Onsite backups are great if you need to get to them quickly, but unfortunately, having a backup near the Mac that it’s backing up (for example, having an iMac and an external hard drive on the same desk), means that both of those copies are susceptible to data loss. I try not to be too “doom and gloom” but floods, fires, and theft can and do occur. Most often, if the two devices you have as your local copies are close together, they’ll both be affected if the unfortunate should happen. A continuously updated copy of your data that’s not in the same physical location as the other two is paramount in protecting your files.
Is 3-2-1 Perfect?
There is no such thing as a perfect backup system, but the 3-2-1 approach is a great start for the majority of people and businesses. Even the US Government recommends this approach. In a 2012 paper for US-CERT (United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team), Carnegie Mellon recommended the 3-2-1 method in their publication titled: Data Backup Options.
Backing Up Is Like Investing!
The 3-2-1 plan is a great start in getting your files backed up. If you view your files as your investment capital, you want to diversify them as much as possible to limit your exposure should the unthinkable happen. Liquidity also matters, having a local backup and an offsite backup gives you more options for backup recovery. That’s why starting with a 3-2-1 approach is the best plan. Call 845.481.0789 or email for the best backup method. Do it today before it's too late.