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Backups done right: the 3-2-1 rule, calmly

A backup you never test is a wish. A simple, boring routine that means a lost laptop is an inconvenience, not a catastrophe.

Backups done right: the 3-2-1 rule, calmly

A backup you never test is a wish. A simple, boring routine that means a lost laptop is an inconvenience, not a catastrophe.

The 3-2-1 rule is old because it works: 3 copies of your data, on 2 kinds of media, with 1 off-site.

What that looks like in practice

  1. The live copy on your laptop
  2. A local external drive
  3. An encrypted copy in the cloud

Test the restore

A backup is only real once you have restored from it. Pick a file, delete it, bring it back. Do it twice a year.

Backups are insurance. You do not find out the policy lapsed at the worst possible moment — you check.

Keep reading

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