A laptop can be lost, stolen or broken in a second. A virus can lock your files overnight. If your files exist in only one place, one bad day can end a business. The 3-2-1 rule is a simple way to avoid that.
What 3-2-1 means
Keep 3 copies of your files. Store them on 2 different types of storage. Keep 1 copy somewhere else, away from your office.
A simple setup
Your working files on your computer are copy one. An external hard drive that backs up automatically is copy two. A cloud backup service is copy three, and it is also your copy that is somewhere else.
File sync is not a backup
Services that sync a folder across devices copy your mistakes too. If you delete a file or a virus scrambles it, the change spreads everywhere. A real backup keeps older versions you can go back to.
Protect against ransomware
Ransomware locks your files and demands money. Keep one backup that is not always plugged in or connected, so the virus cannot reach it.
Test it
A backup you have never restored is a guess. Once a month, pick a file and try to get it back. If it works, you are covered.
If you would like help setting this up, we can do it onsite or remotely.
About the author
Aub Thompson runs AST Digital in Coffs Harbour. He taught adults in TAFE NSW for two decades and has worked in IT for three.
