Subject Guides: Research Data Management: Backing up data

Backing up your data

Creating a regular schedule for backing up research data and written documents is one of the most important things researchers can do to preserve their data (and peace of mind) from loss due to external hardware failures or ransomware attacks.

"If you don't back up your data, you don't own it, you're just leasing it from fate." Reddit

Following are links to guidance for backing up PC or Mac devices.

Types of backup

"You are only as good as your last backup" Laurence James

There are different types of backups which are explained in this TechTarget article 'Types of backup explained: Full, incremental, differential, etc'

Additionally researchers should backup data multiple times and using multiple media and locations.

The 3-2-1 Rule: This backup rule is an older recommendation where should be at least

3 copies of the data,
stored on 2 different types of storage media,
and 1 copy should be kept offsite, in a remote location.

Ransomware attacks over the past few years have made the 3-2-1 Rule vulnerable and there are now a few different recommendations. This blog article from a cloud storage company discusses the drawbacks of the 3-2-1 Rule and steps the reader through the 3-2-1-1-0 Strategy and the 4-3-2 Strategy which are basically variations on the 3-2-1 formula.

Next section Previous section