SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/backup-rule-3-2-1

What is the 3-2-1 backup rule for your photos and files?

3 copies, 2 kinds of storage, 1 kept offsite.

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Too littleOne copy on your phone is enough
Too muchBack up daily to five drives at home
Just right3 copies, 2 kinds, 1 offsite

Huh, didn't know that: Different media can be paper and a scanned PDF.

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Why was the computer so smart? It listened to its motherboard.
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References

Answer: 3 copies, 2 kinds of storage, 1 offsite. Keep three copies, on at least two kinds of storage, with one somewhere else, like the cloud. Then a fire, theft or dead drive can't take everything.

  1. Texas State Library and Archives Commission: 3-2-1 Backup Rule www.tsl.texas.gov/slrm/blog/2018/11/3-2-1-backup-rule
    keep three complete copies of your information, two of the copies should be on varied media, and one copy should be stored off-site.
    Checked 2026-10-09.

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