For small businesses, protecting data should be a top priority. The 3-2-1 data backup method is ideal for keeping your data safe. But what is the 3-2-1 backup strategy, and how can you use it in your business?
Protecting your data is essential. No matter what the file is—image, video, document, spreadsheet, database, or something else—there’s always a risk it could be wiped from your computer forever or fall into the wrong hands…
This may all sound a little scary but, if you think about it for a moment, it just makes sense. It’s vital to be prepared for any data loss incident—and not just the malicious kind. Around a quarter of data breaches are the result of human error.
Many of us will have accidentally deleted an important file, or know the frustration of a hard drive that has failed. Whatever the cause, losing files you can’t get back isn’t just a pain—it can also seriously harm your business.
That’s why you need a long-term backup plan like the 3-2-1 strategy. Before we explain what the 3-2-1 backup method involves, let’s have a quick refresher on why backing up your data is so important for your business.
First up: Why is a data backup plan important?
Everyone should have a plan to keep their data safe—whether it’s personal files like family photos or business documents such as spreadsheets and databases.
Businesses need to choose a backup strategy. There’s nothing worse than being blindsided if you lose critical data because your servers are down, your laptop was stolen, or a similar data loss incident occurs.
If you think you’re not at risk, think again. According to Verizon’s 2024 Data Breach Investigation Report, human error was a component of 68% of attacks. Larger companies will likely have the budget and resources to invest in large-scale cybersecurity solutions. But, as a small business or solopreneur, spotting and preventing attacks may fall on just a few key stakeholders—or even one person.
Irreversible data loss may not always be a total disaster, but it is something you can avoid with a robust backup strategy—like the 3-2-1 method. Backups protect you against cyberattacks and ransomware, human error such as accidental file deletion, natural disasters like floods, and even hardware failure.
By creating multiple copies of your files, you ensure your business can get back up and running quickly if something goes wrong.
What is the “3-2-1 strategy”?
The 3-2-1 rule is a way to back up data. It helps you get your data back quickly if you lose it.
In a nutshell, this common backup strategy involves having:
- Three copies of your data
- Two of these copies are stored locally on different storage devices, such as your computer’s internal hard drive and removable storage media—like an external hard drive
- One copy of the data stored remotely, in an offsite solution such as cloud backup software
The point of implementing the 3-2-1 backup strategy is to reduce the potential impact of a “single point of failure”. This means if one of your devices crashes and erases one copy of your data, it’s not the end of the world—you have two alternatives on hand to save the day!
Why is important to have both onsite and offsite backups?
Onsite backup methods like flash drives are convenient. If your computer's hard drive fails or you have internet connection problems, you just have to connect your backup device—and you’ll get your data back.
However, onsite backups require manual input—you have to remember to schedule the backups or perform them yourself. It’s also completely down to you to keep your onsite backups up to date.
Offsite backups in cloud solutions like Dropbox Backup avoid this issue, as most of the process can be automated. An online backup also protects your data from the physical risks associated with local backups, such as device theft and failure—or even something completely unpredictable like a natural disaster.
Cloud backup solutions also allow you to do more with your files, such as continuous “always-on” backups that automatically save every update you make to the files you have stored in the system. You can also access your backed-up files anytime, anywhere you need them—all you need is an internet connection.
That’s why a viable backup strategy requires both onsite and offsite backups. If you only use one method, you may not be able to recover your files as quickly or easily as you need to—say, if your Wi-Fi cuts out unexpectedly or your laptop is stolen.
When you follow the 3-2-1 method, you can feel confident your data is safe and recoverable if something goes wrong with one of your backups.
What is the “3-2-1-1-0 strategy”?
The 3-2-1-1-0 method builds on the 3-2-1 backup rule but takes it further. As well as the three copies suggested in the 3-2-1 method, this strategy recommends creating one additional offline or “air-gapped” copy of your data.
The important thing about this copy is that it needs to be physically separate from the data being backed up. This could be tape stored off-site in a storage service, or in cloud backup with immutability (meaning the data can’t be modified).
Within your strategy, you should monitor your backups (ideally daily) to ensure all your onsite/offline and offsite/online solutions have zero errors.
What is the “4-3-2 strategy”?
This strategy is commonly used for data that’s managed by disaster recovery services. It recommends creating four copies of your data, stored in three different locations.
The difference between this and the 3-2-1 method is that two of the locations in a 4-3-2 strategy should be offsite. Your copies will be stored geographically apart from each other and on different networks.
These offsite copies of your data are stored with immutability (meaning they can’t be modified) and are intended to totally protect it from natural disasters and potential corruption.
How to implement a 3-2-1 data backup strategy
If you’re a small business or solopreneur, the 3-2-1 backup system is the ideal way to ensure you can get back on your feet quickly if something goes wrong with your data.
It’s important to think about your options before implementing your backup plan. Any solutions you choose—both onsite and offsite—should be affordable, secure, and simple. It shouldn't be complicated to retrieve your data!
You should also create a recovery plan, so you and your team know what to do with your backups if and when a data loss event occurs. What is your ideal recovery time, and how will the event impact business continuity?
It’s better to act early than be reactive when something happens.
After you have your different media types and an offsite location, it’s time to make your backups. Start by choosing the copies to keep at your offsite location and the ones to send to the cloud.
You may want to back up different files to different locations. In this case, you might want to keep files you need to access regularly in the cloud. With Dropbox Backup, every change you make to your files will be saved automatically—so you won’t need to schedule any manual backups.
Set a backup schedule for onsite backups and ensure any physical backup media is stored in a highly secure location. Finally, test your backups before launching your strategy company- or team-wide! Just in case.
Keep your digital life safe with Dropbox Backup
Making sure your files are secure and easy to recover shouldn’t be a complicated process. With Dropbox, you get powerful file recovery and version history features—so you can restore any of your files with ease.
Dropbox Backup makes it simple to back up your files to the cloud automatically, so you can quickly and smoothly recover from whatever life throws your way.
