Purpose

Data can be lost through simple error, a system failure, or a malicious interference or attack. A good backup strategy will minimize such loss and allow you to recover faster to carry on your research. 

Audience

On this page

What can I do?

Determine what data to backup according to whether the data are volatile or disposable. 

• Some data does not need to be backed up because they are temporary in nature 

• Decide how often to take a backup based on how much data you are willing to lose.

• Establish a schedule and workflow for major backups (after major edits or alterations).

Keep several points in time or versions of your backups, known as the 3-2-1 strategy.

3 copies

• You should have at least 3 copies of your data.

2 storage mediums

• You should have backups stored on at least 2 different storage mediums (e.g., 1 in the cloud and 1 stored locally).

  • 1 of these backups should be unalterable from the Internet; either on an external drive disconnected from your system or via a backup solution that does not allow rewrites.

1 off-site

• You have one 1 backup that is off-site, meaning not in close proximity to your primary backup (either virtual or physical).

Protect your backups from unauthorized access by others.

• Encrypt your backups, otherwise a download will provide all of your data and/or intellectual property.

  • Encrypt data and devices

• Limit physical and electronic access to your backups to prevent unauthorized people from viewing, altering, deleting your backups.

Create and maintain an inventory of your backups.

• As you should have multiple backups, it is important to maintain an inventory of where your data is stored and what version of your data is stored there.

  • Asset management; data and devices

Test your backups periodically.

• Regularly testing (at least once per academic term) your backups helps ensure that they are actually restorable and reliable in the event of an actual incident or disaster.

  • You don’t want to find out that your backups have been corrupted or are incomplete when you need them.

• Testing involves performing full and partial restorations of backups into a test environment, allowing you to verify usability and overall data integrity.

• Contact your Local IT group for additional guidance on how to test your backups.

  • https://handbook.security.utoronto.ca/wiki/spaces/ISH/pages/4948958/Contact+us#Information-Technology-(IT)

Securely destroy old copies of backups.

• When a backup copy is deprecated and no longer needed, be sure to securely delete the data to reduce the risk of a data breach.

  • Delete or destroy data and devices

• Ensure you are retaining backup copies long enough to allow for rollbacks to last clean version of data (in case of delayed ransomware).