We are used to hearing “redundant” used as a non-complimentary term, so it can be off-putting to hear how you want to make sure that your backups are redundant in case of a disaster. With March 31st being World Backup Day, we want to talk about why redundancy matters, and why it is one of the smartest investments your business can make.
It makes sense that any kind of redundancy would be frowned upon, given that business operations today have become so focused on efficiency. The difference is that the redundancy we are discussing here has an intended purpose: keeping your business running when the unexpected happens.
Let’s examine this intentional redundancy in action with the 3-2-1 Backup Rule.
The 3-2-1 Backup Rule
This “rule” is widely endorsed by CISA and IT professionals as a trusted guideline for protecting business data. It sums up to the following:
- Three copies of your data should exist
- Two of these copies are backups
- One of these backup copies should be located offsite
But why two backup copies? Wouldn’t one of them be mostly redundant?
It would, and that’s the point. Consider the possibility that your on-site backup could be lost in the same disaster that destroys your original copy. Your backup isn’t going to be of any help then. What if you found out that your offsite data center suffered a disaster, and so your backup is gone, just as a minor data issue takes place in-house?
Your second backup is just that, a backup to your backup. Plan C, when Plan B doesn’t work out.
Why Business Disruptions Make Redundancy Essential
It isn’t hard to see why this kind of reliability is valuable when you consider the range of threats businesses face every day. Ransomware attacks, natural disasters, hardware failures, and physical incidents like theft or vandalism can all destroy a single copy of your data without warning. A strong security and data protection strategy has to account for scenarios where more than one layer fails at once, because those scenarios do happen.
This is also one of the reasons we push the cloud as the best option for your offsite backup. Not only is your data protected in the cloud, it is also accessible to your team from anywhere, allowing employees to keep working even if your primary office location becomes temporarily unavailable. That flexibility is invaluable when business continuity is on the line.
Of course, nobody should hope to face a data loss event, but failing to prepare for one is a risk no business can afford to take. The 3-2-1 Backup Rule practically guarantees that you are never left without access to your data, regardless of what happens to any single storage location.
Ready to Build a Backup Strategy That Actually Works?
If you need help setting up your backup solution, WheelHouse IT can help. Our managed IT services include proactive data protection and disaster recovery planning, so your business stays operational no matter what. Start with a complimentary risk assessment to find out where your current backup strategy stands, then call us to talk through your options.
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New York: (516) 536-5006
