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How do I do a Reliable Backup?
You need an automatic, daily, offsite backup to cover you against hardware problems; physical problems like theft, fire, flood and other random acts; and possible rogue viruses or the creative hack.
The Three Requirements for a Reliable Backup
There are three primary requirements for a reliable backup. These apply to every type of backup whether there are done to floppies, Zip Disks, CDs, Tape or to an Internet Backup server.
Floppies, Zip Disks, CDs and Tape have additional requirements in addition to the following. The primary additional requirement being that you need to have at least THREE floppies, Zip Disks, CDs or Tapes used in rotation so that a failed media doesn’t lose ALL YOUR DATA. If you are backing up to any type of local media get help from a professional about structuring the backup for the best possible results. Pay extra attention to Rule #1 and Rule #3.
Rule #1 - Automatic
First ,it’s automatic. Once Internet Backup is setup there is no need for anyone to start the backup every night or change tapes in the morning. The requirement for human interaction is the number one reason most backups are ineffective.
At a recent gathering of small business owners not one of them had a current backup. Some hadn’t done a backup for months. Yet every one of the business owners said the data was critical and irreplaceable. Maybe your data isn’t that important?
Rule #2 - Daily
Second, the backup should be daily. You work every day. Which days worth of work do you want to have to redo? What about if you have ten employees? How many ten people days of work can you afford to make up?
There are valid cases where there was no need for a daily backup. They’re also very rare. Assuming that even in the weekly backup case the data is critical, if the data could be backed up every day at no additional cost, you’d probably choose to back it up every day.
Rule #3 - Offsite
This is the second reason backups are not effective. You actually do a backup. You take it out and put it in a case that you then put right next to the computer. Where you can find it. Your computer is stolen that night. Being thorough, the crooks take the backup, too. Or there’s a tornado, hurricane, flood, fire, the sprinklers go off, and your backup is ruined. Along with your computer.
Of course, you can make the backup and take it with you. And as long as you make a regular backup and take it with you your safe. See Rule #1.
A Reliable Backup is an essential element in the Protection Triangle.
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