Backup 3-2-1: the rule that saves the day

By Don Zurbrick · Sample issue

Ask a business owner whether they have backups and the answer is usually yes. Ask when they last restored a file from one and it gets quiet. A backup you've never tested is a hope, not a plan.

The 3-2-1 rule

3 copies of your important data: the original plus two backups.
2 different types of storage, for example a local device and a cloud service.
1 copy kept offsite, away from your office.

Keep one copy out of reach

Ransomware often goes looking for backups it can reach and encrypts or deletes them too. CISA recommends keeping offline, encrypted backups of critical data and testing them regularly.

The one thing to do today

Pick one important file and restore it from your backup. Time how long it takes. If nobody knows how, or it doesn't work, you just found out on a good day instead of a bad one.

A question to ask

If your email and files live in a cloud service like Microsoft 365, ask whoever handles your IT whether you have a separate backup of that data, and how far back it goes.

Sources: CISA: Data Backup Options (PDF) · CISA #StopRansomware Guide