{"id":12309,"date":"2021-02-05T15:18:16","date_gmt":"2021-02-05T20:18:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thesslstore.com\/blog\/?p=12309"},"modified":"2021-02-05T15:21:30","modified_gmt":"2021-02-05T20:21:30","slug":"3-2-1-backup-rule-the-rule-of-thumb-solution-to-your-data-loss-problems","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thesslstore.com\/blog\/3-2-1-backup-rule-the-rule-of-thumb-solution-to-your-data-loss-problems\/","title":{"rendered":"3-2-1 Backup Rule: The Rule of Thumb to Solve Your Data Loss Problems"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Downtime from ransomware attacks results in an average of 16.2 days of downtime for businesses, according to Coveware\u2019s Q4 2019 Ransomware Marketplace report<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Information<\/p>

Note: This article, which was originally published in May 2020, has been updated to include related news resources.<\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n

While it may sound like a rule for kids, the \u201c3 2 1 backup rule\u201d is something that helps save organizations from the brink of disaster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether you\u2019re an individual who loves to take photos of your pet, or you\u2019re an enterprise dealing with tons of data on a daily basis, data loss is a threat that\u2019ll always be a risk to you. Unfortunately, there\u2019s no singular method by which we can stop all forms of data loss as there\u2019s no way to know when and where it hits you. And by the time you realize it, it\u2019s always too late. That\u2019s where having a digital backup \u2014 a not-so-exciting term \u2014 comes into play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The thing about backups is that nobody likes doing them \u2014 that is, until you lose your primary data and the blood and sweat you\u2019ve invested after backups finally pays off. But until that time, it\u2019s a thankless job that one must keep on doing time after time. Simply put, the choice is clear: you must take regular backups or suffer the consequences. Going with the former seems the obvious and wise choice, but making that decision isn\u2019t enough here as the data you\u2019ve backed up could be compromised or lost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what\u2019s the best way to protect your organization and customers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s hash it out.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Following the 3-2-1 Backup Is the Solution<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We don\u2019t blame you for thinking that the 3 2 1 backup rule (or \u201c3-2-1 backup rule,\u201d if you prefer) sounds like a psychological trick that tells you to stop procrastinating and take backups. The reason behind this is that this not-so-nerdy sounding name was suggested by a photographer (yes!) named Peter Krogh. He coined this term in his book \u201cThe DAM Book: Digital Asset Management for Photographers\u201d and, since then, it\u2019s become a mainstream method for making backups, even among the techie crowd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The popularity of this method lies in its effectiveness. So much so that even the US-CERT<\/a> recommends it for creating backups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In contrast to what it sounds like, the 3-2-1 backup is not a rule \u2014 rather, it\u2019s a thoughtful backup strategy that aims to minimize the risk of data loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At its core, the 3 2 1 backup strategy involves:<\/p>\n\n\n\n