World Backup Day, March 31, is an annual initiative to raise awareness about the importance of storing data copies in a safe location.
This year, World Backup Day holds a deeper significance as ransomware incidents continue to rise.
The best protection against data theft and comprise including ransomware is to back up data in a secure location. Data, pictures, configurations, and other valued information or files should be protected.
Backups can be automatic or manual, but should be completed on a regular basis. Quanterion Solutions recommends periodically testing data retrieval from the backup location.
According to CISA, data backups should follow the 3-2-1 rule:
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- 3 – “Keep 3 copies of any important file: 1 primary and 2 backups.”
- 2 – “Keep the files on 2 different media types to protect against different types of hazards.”
- 1 – “Store 1 copy offsite (e.g., outside your home or business facility).”
Common locations data backup include cloud storage; USB drives; internal and external hard drives; CDs, DVDs, and other types of optical storage; floppy disks and more.
View this PDF “Data Backup Options” by the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team to learn about the pros and cons of each of these backup options and more.
Access this “Backup and Secure” guide by the U.S. Department of the Interior Data Management.
