Backup Strategies That Actually Protect Your Business

The True Purpose of Backups

Backups are not just about copying files. They are about ensuring business continuity. When disaster strikes—whether hardware failure, ransomware, or human error—your ability to restore operations quickly determines how much the incident costs your business.

The 3-2-1 Backup Rule

The gold standard for backup strategy is the 3-2-1 rule:

**3 copies** of your data (the original plus two backups)

**2 different storage types** (local drive plus cloud, for example)

**1 copy offsite** (cloud backup or rotated physical media)

This approach protects against various failure scenarios: local hardware failure, ransomware that spreads through your network, and physical disasters like fire or flood.

Types of Backups

Full Backups

A complete copy of all data. Takes longer and uses more storage, but provides the simplest restore process.

Incremental Backups

Only backs up data that changed since the last backup. Faster and uses less storage, but requires the full backup plus all incremental backups to restore.

Differential Backups

Backs up all changes since the last full backup. A middle ground between full and incremental approaches.

Testing Your Backups

A backup that cannot be restored is worthless. Schedule regular restore tests to verify:

Backups are completing successfully

Data integrity is maintained

You can actually restore within your required timeframe

Your team knows the restore process

Recovery Time Objectives

How quickly do you need to be back up and running? This Recovery Time Objective (RTO) should drive your backup strategy. Mission-critical systems may need near-instant failover, while less critical data might tolerate longer recovery times.

Getting Help

Backup strategy is too important to leave to chance. We can help you design and implement a backup system that truly protects your business.