Many small businesses with a handful of employees and corresponding computers don’t have an in-house IT specialist, so implementing a safety net is important. A technology safety net is often overlooked as businesses morph over time, adding members until they have a more robust team and more tech to manage. The 3-2-1 Backup Strategy is a simple-to-execute plan that gives business owners a place to start when it comes to protecting their digital files and footprint.
Prevention is the ultimate goal when it comes to cybersecurity, but recovery is the safety net businesses need to have in place. The 3-2-1 Backup Strategy doesn’t replace an IT support partner; it cannot stop a virus if an employee opens a corrupt email, and it will not update and protect all computer systems post-cyberattack.
If a virus or hardware failure strikes, the 3-2-1 rule ensures data survives:
3 Copies
Keep original data plus two backups.
2 Media Types
Use different formats (e.g., an external SSD and a local HDD). This prevents total loss if one type of hardware has a manufacturing defect or failure.
1 Off-Site/Air-Gapped
One copy should live outside your local area (Cloud storage) or be “air-gapped” (an external drive kept unplugged in a drawer). This protects you from fire, flood, theft, or network-wide ransomware.
If a 3-2-1 Backup Strategy is working well, that’s great. If your current IT provider is leaving you with more questions than answers, or a cyberattack has left the team vulnerable, a reputable IT company can alleviate stress and allow the team to focus on what they do best.
Contact EvolveIT Corporate Solutions for asset management, deployment services, support partnership or service tool updates.
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