A good backup system should be able to prevent data loss – obviously. But data loss can occur because of several reasons. Taking many possible threats into account it gets difficult.
Here are a few things that can destroy your precious data:
My personal backup approach (it’s not perfect but works for me):
1. Automatic backup of the home directory to an external drive every six hours. Stores multiple versions – will omit the details here.
Protects against:
Protects against:
3. Additional manual backup of selected files that can’t be replaced by any means on M-Disc DVD/BD or on BD type HTL. This is my last line of defense and does not cover all data (optical media have not enough storage). This is also the only case where I actually include md5sum verification. Multiple copies are stored at different locations.
Protects against:
This is not part of my backup concept (and I won’t include it because I don’t like relying on someone else’ computers, even if using client side encryption):
☁
Here are a few things that can destroy your precious data:
- Hardware failure like:
- Failing storage medium for no apparent reason.
- Failing storage medium because of age → Do you still have some old floppies? Do they work?
- Overvoltage (lightning stroke) destroying the computer and the HDD/SSD electronics.
- Failing HDD because of a rage attack (Yes, I had to deal with such a case. No, it wasn’t me. I don’t bang my fists onto the desk until the laptop HDD gives up)
- User error like:
- Deleting the wrong file/folder/partition/drive.
- Pasting in text into a huge document while not noticing two pages were selected. The next day you do notice something in your dissertation is missing…
- Clicking the wrong button: “I wanted to say >NOOO!!< you %”*’#´ computer!”
- Software failure like:
- An application crashes without saving your work.
- An application corrupts a file because of ??? → Audacity did this once with one of my recordings.
- This one was NOT funny.
- Malware can do things like:
- Delete data.
- Silently corrupting a small number of files each day → That’s really mean. This would be a targeted attack. Not easy to deal with.
- Encrypt all connected drives and accessible network shares (ransomware).
- Raging (ex-)boy|girlfriend deletes/destroys all storage media in the house.
- Burglars steal the computer(s) and the external HDD(s). [Computer in a wider sense. Phones, consoles, tablets…]
- A disaster destroys your house with everything in it.
- Fire
- Flood
- Earthquake…
- Did you try to restore?
- Did you simulate disaster recovery on an empty computer?
- Did you check (hashes) if the backed up files are okay?
- Have you stored hashes on long time archive media to check if the data is intact if you need it a decade later?
- Can you restore your personal files without a special software that might not work anymore on a new computer?
- Would you feel good when somebody demands: “Delete everything on your main computer.” ?
My personal backup approach (it’s not perfect but works for me):
1. Automatic backup of the home directory to an external drive every six hours. Stores multiple versions – will omit the details here.
Protects against:
- Failing main RAID 5
- User error
- Software error (mostly).
- Ransomware
- Burglars/Disasters
- Targeted (software) attack
Protects against:
- Burglars/Disasters
- Failing main RAID 5
- Ransomware (mostly)
- Software error
- Loss of the most recent files/changes for any reason → not frequent enough
- Targeted (software) attack
3. Additional manual backup of selected files that can’t be replaced by any means on M-Disc DVD/BD or on BD type HTL. This is my last line of defense and does not cover all data (optical media have not enough storage). This is also the only case where I actually include md5sum verification. Multiple copies are stored at different locations.
Protects against:
- Burglars/Disasters
- Failing main RAID 5
- Ransomware
- Software error
- Targeted software attack → read only medium
- Loss of recent files/changes; even worse than in "2." because I don't do that very often.
This is not part of my backup concept (and I won’t include it because I don’t like relying on someone else’ computers, even if using client side encryption):
☁
