3-2-1 Backups Explained

This article provides a guide to 3-2-1 backups.

Keeping your data safe is extremely important—whether you’re running a website, an online store, or important applications. The 3-2-1 Backup Strategy is a simple, proven method used worldwide to protect data from loss, corruption, or accidental deletion.

This guide explains what “3-2-1 backups” mean and how they help keep your files secure.

✅ Overview

The 3-2-1 rule means:

• 3 copies of your data
• 2 different storage types
• 1 copy stored off-site

3-2-1 Backups Explained

By following this structure, your data remains safe even if hardware fails, files are deleted, or a disaster occurs.

1. 📘 Three Copies of Your Data

   You should always have three total copies:

   1. Your original data (your website or server files)
   2. A primary backup (stored locally or in your hosting account)
   3. A secondary backup (stored somewhere separate)

   This ensures that even if one copy fails, you still have multiple ways to recover.

2. 💾 Two Types of Storage

   Your backups should be stored on two different kinds of storage, such as:

   • Your hosting account + cloud storage
   • Local device + remote server
   • Server storage + external drive

   This protects you from failures that affect one specific type of hardware or location.

3. 🌎 One Copy Off-Site

   At least one backup should always be stored off-site, meaning:

   • At a remote datacenter
   • In cloud backup storage (e.g., S3, Backblaze, etc.)
   • On an external device kept in a different location

   Off-site backups protect you from:

   • Fire
   • Theft
   • Flood
   • Hardware failure
   • Ransomware
   • Accidental deletion

   Even if your server becomes unavailable, your off-site backup remains safe.

🔒 Why the 3-2-1 Method Is Important

The 3-2-1 strategy protects you from:

• Hardware failures
• Software issues
• Human error
• Malware or ransomware
• Data corruption
• Natural disasters

It dramatically increases your chances of recovering quickly with little or no data loss.

📅 How Often Should You Back Up?

For most websites and servers, we recommend:

• Daily backups (minimum)
• More frequent backups for e-commerce, billing systems, or active applications
• Off-site copies retained for at least 30 days

Rad Web Hosting customers may also enable optional automated backups for VPS and hosting plans.

🧰 Best Practices

To get the most protection:

• Verify your backups regularly
• Keep at least one backup offline or in a secure remote location
• Use strong passwords and 2-factor authentication
• Set up automatic schedules when possible
• Store backups in industry-standard formats

📨 Need Help With Backups?

Our support team can help you:

• Enable or configure automatic backups
• Restore data from a backup
• Upgrade your backup plan
• Set up off-site or self-managed backup workflows

Simply open a support ticket anytime.