When it comes to having a backup plan, Navy SEALs go by the rule that “Two is one and one is none.” They’re not often one-upped, but in the world of computer backup, even two is none. The gold standard until recently has been the 3-2-1 rule—three copies of your data on two different media with one copy stored off-site. //

Cloud backups are sometimes tied to a company’s active directory, and they’re often not virtually isolated from a company’s production network. //

As emerging technology has changed the way backup strategies are implemented, the core principles of a 3-2-1 backup strategy still hold up:

You should have multiple copies of your data.
Copies should be geographically distanced.
One or more copies should be readily accessible for quick recoveries in the event of a physical disaster or accidental deletion.
But, they need to account for an additional layer of protection: One or more copies should be physically or virtually isolated in the event of a digital disaster like ransomware that targets all of their data, including backups. //

What Is 3-2-1-1-0?
A 3-2-1-1-0 strategy stipulates that you:

• Maintain at least three copies of business data.
• Store data on at least two different types of storage media.
• Keep one copy of the backups in an off-site location.
• Keep one copy of the media offline or air gapped.
• Ensure all recoverability solutions have zero errors. //

What Is 4-3-2?
If your data is being managed by a disaster recovery expert like Continuity Centers, for example, your backups may be subscribing to the 4-3-2 rule:

• Four copies of your data.
• Data in three locations (on-prem with you, on-prem with an MSP like Continuity Centers, and stored with a cloud provider).
• Two locations for your data are off-site.