What is the 3-2-1 backup rule for personal data?

What is the 3-2-1 backup rule for personal data?

• A. Three copies on two different media with one offsite/cloud, test restores regularly
• B. One copy on external drive
• C. Backups every year
• D. Backups are unnecessary

Answer: (A)

Three copies of data on two different storage media, with one offsite or in the cloud, and regular tests of restoring data. This setup provides redundancy against hardware failures, protects at least one copy from local disasters by keeping it offsite, uses different media to reduce the chance both fail, and verifies that you can actually recover files when needed. That’s why the option describing three copies on two media with one offsite/cloud and regular restore tests is the best fit. The other choices miss important parts: having only one copy offers no backup; backing up only once per year risks losing recent data; and claiming backups are unnecessary ignores real data-loss risks.

Three copies of data on two different storage media, with one offsite or in the cloud, and regular tests of restoring data. This setup provides redundancy against hardware failures, protects at least one copy from local disasters by keeping it offsite, uses different media to reduce the chance both fail, and verifies that you can actually recover files when needed. That’s why the option describing three copies on two media with one offsite/cloud and regular restore tests is the best fit. The other choices miss important parts: having only one copy offers no backup; backing up only once per year risks losing recent data; and claiming backups are unnecessary ignores real data-loss risks.