3-2-1 backup rule

The 3-2-1 backup rule is a simple recipe for keeping data safe. Keep 3 copies of your important data: the original and two backups. Store them on 2 different kinds of storage, for example your laptop's drive and an external drive. Keep 1 copy offsite, in a different place, such as a cloud service or a drive at a relative's home. This protects you against different disasters at once: a failed drive, theft, fire, flood or ransomware. Many experts now add that at least one copy should be offline or unchangeable, so that ransomware on your computer cannot scramble your backups as well.