Is the 3-2-1 backup rule still valid?

Currently, if your business is on the Internet, you must be aware of the multiple threats your company faces. There’s no doubt that security is a high priority for your infrastructure and data. An efficient security plan involves different aspects, but still, a reliable backup strategy is its core. In the worst scenario, a proper backup is the only way to rise from the ashes!

Risks for suffering data loss is high. Human error, natural disasters, hardware and software failures, and of course, dangerous cyberattacks. Loss, corruption, or stealing of data related to your clients’ details, your financial information, passwords, upcoming projects, plans, deals, original developments, etc. can disrupt your business, and damage your reputation.

Backing up is essential, but it’s a task that requires attention, time, constant checks, and efficient backup solutions, etc. Backing up doesn’t mean copying a couple of files. When it’s about a business, you must protect all physical, virtual, and cloud infrastructure aspects of your business. Every single system, device, application, workstation, etc., and their corresponding data must be backed up, otherwise, you won’t be able to restore them in case of an emergency. 

In other words, backing up requires a well-planned strategy. Without it, the uninterrupted continuity of your business can be at risk!

What is the 3-2-1 backup rule?

It’s a rule designed to protect data and to recover it in case of an event. The rule points that you should produce three data copies (your production data, and two backups), saved  on two different media (CD, DVD, magnetic tape, HDD, SSD, flash memory, memory card, etc.), and keep one off-site (in another office, on the cloud, other location, etc.) copy for disaster recovery.

The reasoning behind that rule was that having an on-site minimum of two copies (renewed after a defined period) guarantees data recovery in case of an event. Consider that the most reliable backup solutions will produce a lot more than these two copies. Besides, having these copies on-site allows you to access them fast, and directly, not to compromise your business continuity.

The recommendation of using two different medias is key because many users will store different backups on the same media. For instance, hard drives give the chance to create different volumes in the same device. If one backup gets corrupted or fails, you can use another copy. It sounded practical. But what if the hard drive gets stolen, smashed during an earthquake, or a workmate accidentally spills his coffee on it?

And the one off-site copy. Well, in the past, people didn’t consider so many natural disasters, when thinking about their data backups. Whilst hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, and fires have always been always a possibility, they were neglected until some facilities were totally destroyed by natural disasters. To have at least a copy stored in a different place totally makes sense. Currently, companies don’t hesitate about picking remote locations or vaulting services to keep at least a copy of their data safe, and available at any time.

The 3-2-1 backup rule was created not by an IT guy or a network administrator, but by a professional photographer. Peter Krogh shared the concept with the world in 2009. Over a decade, it has successfully worked for many companies to prevent data loss. Before it, of course, people and businesses were required to back up their data, and they made it. But there was not such a complete strategy that considered the combination of different copies on different media and an off-site copy.

3-2-1 backup rule pros

The 3-2-1 backup is already a proven solution and there are plenty of success cases that support its use.

The rule is versatile and can be achieved through different techniques. For instance, you can have two different media for your backups, just like the rule states. You can use tapes, disks (NAS, SAN, DAS, etc.), removable storage (CDs, flash drives, memory cards, external drives, etc.), snapshots, a cloud-based storage service, etc. Of course, some are more reliable than others and suit different needs like cost, security, and capacity. The point is that media technology evolution doesn’t really affect the backup rule itself – it’s the opposite. The better and safer media you can access through time, the safer your data will be. And that choice is yours, not stated by the rule.

3-2-1 backup rule cons

It can make the data recovery process slow. Having two copies on-site at first sight looks enough to restore or implement an immediate data recovery process in the case of an event., but if your company suffers a kind of event that damages those two copies, you will have to access your off-site copy quickly. When the rule was created (2009) the cloud was not considered as an option to accomplish the one off-site copy. Therefore, the off-site copy was thought of as a bunch of tapes, disks, etc. stored on a remote place or a vaulting service. Time to reach an off-site copy like this could involve some logistics. It can take time that can mean a slow data-recovery implementation and money loss for you. 

Alternative backup rule, 3-2-2

With time, due to the increase of security risks, and the storage technology evolution, alternative backup rules have emerged. That is the case of the 3-2-2 backup rule. It looks for keeping businesses continuity by having at least three data copies on-site, to use two different types of media for storing them, and it adds not only one, but two off-site storage locations. In the last step, it aims for double protection, basically a different physical location from the one your facilities are in, and a cloud-based service.

The current times and threats really push you to not put all your eggs in one basket! 

The contribution of this rule is clearly the addition of the cloud for storing a data copy. This solves the problem of having an off-site copy that is pretty safe, but that can’t be reached immediately. Having an updated copy of your data on the cloud, means you can restore or start a data recovery process almost immediately.

This backup rule underlines cloud storage advantages such as flexibility, scalability, fast access to data stored, and affordability. Cloud services provide more than enough storage space for your data (check plans and conditions different providers offer). Your copy will remain independent from the rest of the backups you produce. It’s a modern alternative to keep safe data off-site., and if your business natively produces data on the cloud, it offers you choices like geo-replication to save a single or multiple copies in different cloud regions.

But still, this 3-2-2 rule keeps a physical backup in a different place from your facilities’ one. The cloud has a high-security level, but still, cyberattacks can hit it and the clear objective of any backup rule or strategy is to save your bacon at any cost!

Alternative backup rule, 3-2-1-1

Ransomware attacks have increased during the last few years and hit harder! Big concerns have arisen since those attacks can hit pretty much all your online backups. Yes! Cloud services are highly safe but not infallible. 

Therefore, another approach to the traditional backup rule suggests an extra “1”, meaning immutable and air-gapped storage for locking data down.

Air-gapped means this backup is to be disconnected from the Internet or any other computer connected to it for security. Immutable refers data are converted to a format that can’t be altered (written once but read many times format).

Data stored in this way, using the right technology, and having a quality restoring or recovering solution, allows you to access an unaltered data copy in just minutes. 

Alternative backup rule, 3-2-1-1-0

This rule expands the previous 3-2-1-1 by adding the last “0” that points to constantly checking data backup integrity to ensure zero errors/issues. This addition looks for even more security on the backup strategy by checking and deleting the chances of ransomware intrusions, human errors, or corruption in the copies. 

Damaged copies are pointless for restoring or recovering data.

Alternative backup rule, 4-3-2

More robust recommendations exist – like this one – looks for even more protection levels. It suggests having four data copies, saved on three different media, and two off-site copies. More reliable copies mean more choices for recovering data lost due to cyberattacks, system or hardware failures, natural disasters, etc. 

Is the 3-2-1 backup rule still valid?

Here comes the moment of truth! And yes, the 3-2-1 backup rule is still valid, and still a good solution for most businesses – but there are newer alternatives that may suit better specific needs of different businesses!

Considering that this rule was born in 2009, it’s not very old, but over a decade (12 years to be exact) is too much when it concerns computing or digital fields. With so many technological advances, new developments can appear. This has made it possible to complement or expand this rule for making it more robust. Additions, to be safer, are always welcome. Especially since the threats, all kinds of them, seem not to stop but to increase. 

In this sense, if you still don’t have a backup strategy, take the 3-2-1 as the minimum base to be safe. And if you have it, you can take it to the next level by making some additions. Remember that the best backup strategy is the one that better suits your business needs.

Conclusion

No matter its age, the 3-2-1 backup rule is still valid. It can be updated by replacing the original media or storage technology it originally suggested with new tech you can access today. Moreover, what it’s critical is to have an efficient backup strategy that allows a viable restoration or data recovery process in case you need it. Nowadays, to not backup is suicidal for your company and investment! If the 3-2-1 backup rule doesn’t suit your companies’ needs, you have alternatives to choose from. Define a backup strategy, prevent data loss, and don’t risk your business operation.

If you are wondering which service can be your one, we have an excellent choice for you – BaaS.

It will make your 3-2-1 backup complete!

Need more backup?

Four most common types of backup