{"id":90787,"date":"2024-09-27T12:12:36","date_gmt":"2024-09-27T04:12:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/version-2.com\/?p=90787"},"modified":"2024-09-19T12:14:26","modified_gmt":"2024-09-19T04:14:26","slug":"3-2-1-backup-rule-update-air-gap-your-immutable-backups","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/version-2.com\/en\/2024\/09\/3-2-1-backup-rule-update-air-gap-your-immutable-backups\/","title":{"rendered":"3-2-1 backup rule update: Air gap your immutable backups"},"content":{"rendered":"
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For many years, the 3-2-1 backup rule has been the gold standard for ensuring the protection of business-critical data. The principle suggests organizations keep three copies of data on two different storage media, with one copy being stored offsite to ensure continuity. But in today\u2019s world, where businesses rely heavily on cloud software-as-a-service (SaaS) data, what does \u201coffsite\u201d really mean?<\/p>

What does offsite mean for cloud SaaS data protection?\u00a0<\/h2>

When the 3-2-1 backup rule was coined, \u201coffsite\u201d meant something very tangible: You stored your backup data somewhere other than your office (or its basement, for that matter). This created a physical \u201cair gap,\u201d ensuring that if your production data were compromised, your backup data remained safe and untouched outside of the domain of your primary dataset.<\/p>

But what does “offsite” mean when your data is already hosted by a third-party provider like Microsoft, AWS, or Google? This question is one of the key reasons experts and analysts suggest updating the rule. In a cloud environment, \u201coffsite\u201d means storing your backup data on a separate infrastructure\/domain. Put simply, you need to store backup data in a different cloud from your production data, creating a logical air gap, like storing backup tapes in another physical location.\u00a0<\/p>

As businesses move more of their operations to SaaS solutions, they generate more data in the cloud, potentially exposing a gap in SaaS data protection by not ensuring adherence to air-gapped data protection. A key vulnerability arises when backup and production data reside within the same cloud environment. This means a single data loss event or cyberattack could compromise both production and backup data.<\/p>

By definition, a backup must be taken and stored elsewhere. Amazon Web Services (AWS) defines data backup<\/a> as \u201ca copy of your system, configuration, or application data that\u2019s stored separately from the original.\u201d So, to have a true backup copy of production data of SaaS applications that are\u00a0on AWS, for example, this backup copy would need to be stored outside of the AWS cloud.<\/p>

Why analysts suggest the 3-2-1 backup rule needs an update\u00a0<\/h2>

With the migration to the cloud, organizations have shifted away from traditional storage methods like tape. To help face challenges like ransomware and stricter data loss protection requirements, industry analysts recommend updating the 3-2-1 rule to better frame how to protect the massive amounts of data generated in third-party, off-premises SaaS applications like Microsoft 365 and Entra ID.<\/p>

They believe, given these trends, the classic 3-2-1 backup strategy may no longer be enough. Some industry analysts and experts suggest businesses consider the 4-3-2-1 or 3-2-1-1-0 backup strategies instead. (If you\u2019d like to learn more about the 3 2 1 rule<\/a>, Keepit\u2019s CTO wrote an in-depth blog that covers how it applies to modern cloud data.)<\/p>

So, what are the new backup strategies analysts recommend?<\/h2>