The 3–2–1 Backup Rule — An Efficient Data Protection Strategy
Backups ensure that your critical data will survive any of the likely hazards. Too many individuals and companies have suffered from having their hardware lost or stolen, destroyed by fires or natural disasters, infected with malware or corrupted by targeted hacker attacks.
Common sense dictates that all hard drives will eventually fail; the question is whether or not you are prepared for the worst-case scenario.
For a one-computer user, the backup strategy can be as simple as copying all important files to another device — or, ideally, several devices — and keeping them in a safe place. However, for multiple computer systems, things can be (and usually are) much more complicated, especially when it comes to virtual environments containing thousands of virtual machines. In these cases, a comprehensive data protection plan should include the 3–2–1 backup rule.