Losing accounting records, customer files or project documents can stop a business for weeks. The good news is that a solid backup plan is not complicated.
The 3-2-1 rule
- 3 copies of important data: the original plus two backups.
- 2 different types of storage, for example a network storage device and a cloud service.
- 1 copy off-site, so a fire, flood or theft at the office does not take everything.
Keep one copy out of reach
Ransomware encrypts every drive it can see, including a backup drive left permanently plugged in. Keep at least one copy offline or in a cloud service with version history, so you can roll back to before the attack.
Automate it
Backups that depend on someone remembering stop happening. Schedule them daily, and have the system email someone when a backup fails.
Consider your internet
Uploading large amounts of data can take a long time on a busy connection. Do the first full backup overnight or over a weekend; later backups only send what has changed.
Test a restore
Every few months, restore a real file or folder from each backup. It is the only way to know the backup works, and it means the procedure is familiar on the day you need it.