Disaster Recovery for the Tampa Bay Community

Our recent experience with back-to-back hurricanes caused widespread damage across the Tampa Bay area, and many people lost important personal and business information that they'll never get back. As local IT consultants, we know how devastating that can be. That's why we wanted to take some time to talk about the importance of disaster recovery planning and the 3-2-1 backup rule.

The 3-2-1 Backup Rule

The 3-2-1 backup rule is a simple but highly effective strategy for protecting your most valuable digital assets. It works like this:

3 - Keep 3 total copies of your data

2 - Store the copies on 2 different media types

1 - Keep 1 copy offsite

Let's break this down a bit further:

3 Copies

You should always have at least 3 copies of your important data and files - your original, plus two backups. This protects you if one of your backups becomes corrupted or fails.

2 Media Types

Those 3 copies should be stored on at least 2 different types of storage media. This could be your local computer, an external hard drive, and a cloud storage service. That way, if one type of media fails (like a hard drive crash), you still have another copy on a different type of media.

1 Offsite

Finally, you should have at least 1 of those 3 copies stored in a different physical location, away from your main work site. This protects you if a disaster strikes your local area, like a hurricane. Your offsite backup could be in the cloud, at your home, or even at a relative's house.

Why the 3-2-1 Rule Works

The 3-2-1 rule provides robust protection against all kinds of data loss scenarios. A simple local backup may protect you from an accidental deletion or ransomware attack, but it won't help if your office floods. An online backup is great, but if your internet goes down during a storm, you can't access your files. The 3-2-1 rule covers all your bases.

Beyond the Storms

Of course, disaster recovery planning isn't just about hurricanes. Equipment failures, user errors, cyber attacks - all sorts of things can wipe out your important data. And let's be honest, how many of us have accidentally deleted a critical file or had a hard drive fail at the worst possible time?

That's why disaster recovery planning is so crucial for both homes and businesses. No matter what type of crisis strikes, following the 3-2-1 backup rule gives you the best chance of bouncing back quickly, with your important information intact.

Getting Started

Ready to put the 3-2-1 rule into practice? Here are a few tips to get you started:

• Identify your most valuable and irreplaceable data - documents, photos, financial records, etc. These are the files you'll want to back up first.

• Look into online backup services or cloud storage solutions to handle your offsite backup.

• Shop around for a good external hard drive to use as your second onsite backup.

• Set up a routine backup schedule so you're consistently protecting new and updated files.

We know this season has been tough, with a lot of disruption and loss for many in our community. But by taking these simple steps to protect your digital assets, you can have peace of mind knowing your most important information is safe, no matter what the future holds.

If you need any help implementing a solid disaster recovery plan, our team is always here. Just give us a call, and we'll make sure you're 3-2-1 ready.

Tech Tip: There are several free and inexpensive software packages that can help automate and secure your backups.

Jim Hundley

ASCENDalyst.com - 727-346-6020