sufyaan-website/backups/backups.tex

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\title{Sufyaan's Website}
\author{Sufyaan's Website}
\date{}

\begin{document}
\maketitle

\section[Taking Proper Backups]{Taking Proper Backups}\label{why-i-use-terminal-apps}

\textbf{27 July 2023}


\textbf{Category: }Technology

Taking backups is crucial in every single context. There is simply no
situation where the lack of backups was beneficial. Such situations are
always detrimental to people. Backups are also important for businesses,
especially ones which are responsible for the lives of people, like
hospitals.

Taking backups prevents data loss due to software or hardware errors.
Even accidents have a minimal impact if you have a backup. It allows
businesses to keep growing instead of being worried about recovering
crucial client data. For public services like hospitals, being hit with
ransomware is an extremely difficult moment. If the ransom is not paid
immediately, it can result in loss of human lives. This is why you
either have backups or lose money.

Losing precious memories hurts. Backups prevent this gut-wrenching
scenario from ever occurring. With many spectacular backup solutions
being free or cheap, there is absolutely no reason to take backups. If
you work with new computers and devices regularly, then taking backups
makes it easy to migrate and install multiple instances on new devices.
This is especially easy with Linux systems due to the simple dotfile
method. It also provides version control. If you have old versions of
documents and files, it is easy to refer to previous examples for future
work.

If there is one thing that people love about backups, it is the peace of
mind you get knowing that you have an extremely low chance of losing
your important data.

It does not matter if you are a normal person or a massive business; you
should spend time and money to back up your data properly.

\hypertarget{backup-rule}{%
\subsection[3-2-1 Backup Rule]{3-2-1 Backup Rule}\label{backup-rule}}

The 3-2-1 backup rule is a rule that many people recommend following to
remember to take proper backups. Here is the meaning of each of the
numbers:

\begin{enumerate}
\tightlist
\item
  \textbf{Three Copies}: The "3" in the rule means that you should at
  least three copies of your data. This includes your original data, so
  you should have at least your original data along with two other
  copies. The advantage of having these many copies is that it is the
  perfect balance of simplicity and redundancy.
\item
  \textbf{Two Different Media}: The "2" in the rule means that you
  should have your backups on at least two different media types. This
  may include physical (external SSD, NAS) and digital (server you own,
  cloud storage) backups.
\item
  \textbf{One Off-site Copy}: The "1" in the rule means that you should
  have at least one off-site copy. Off-site in this case means somewhere
  other than your main home or regular backup methods. This can be an
  encrypted external hard drive that you leave at your
  relative\textquotesingle s house, for example.
\end{enumerate}

It is important to note that these rules are not a plan for everyone,
and are instead meant as a base for your backup plans. The least
important data that you own should at least be backed up using the base
3-2-1 backup plan.

\hypertarget{using-invasive-services-drive-onedrive-icloud}{%
\subsection[Using Invasive Services (Drive, OneDrive, iCloud)]{Using
Invasive Services (Drive, OneDrive,
iCloud)}\label{using-invasive-services-drive-onedrive-icloud}}

When it comes to using Big Tech\textquotesingle s invasive services, you
have to be extremely careful since they do not respect your privacy at
all. At the bare minimum, you should be encrypting the files you upload
if they are even of a little importance to you.

A popular program for file and drive encryption is VeraCrypt. To learn
how to use it in detail,
\href{https://yewtu.be/watch?v=cxo8xosH_TI}{watch this video}. The
overall process goes like this:

\begin{enumerate}
\tightlist
\item
  Create a new encrypted file specifying the password and other details
  like total space.
\item
  \textbf{Save the password somewhere safe to not forget it.}
\item
  Unlock the file using your password.
\item
  Copy all your important files to it.
\item
  Unmount the file
\item
  Upload it wherever you want
\end{enumerate}

This makes it difficult to easily access your files from your phone or
another device, but it is totally worth it for your privacy.

\hypertarget{using-paid-services-backblaze-mega}{%
\subsection[Using Paid Services (Backblaze, Mega)]{Using Paid Services
(Backblaze, Mega)}\label{using-paid-services-backblaze-mega}}

Services like Mega allow you to pay for more storage, just like Drive,
OneDrive or Dropbox. There are privacy concerns with the latter three,
however. ProtonDrive is also a good option, but it has had some
controversy due to the
\href{https://techcrunch.com/2021/09/06/protonmail-logged-ip-address-of-french-activist-after-order-by-swiss-authorities/}{privacy
concerns of ProtonMail}. However, I am comfortable recommending it.

BackBlaze is a backup program that is under the
\href{https://opensource.org/license/mit/}{MIT licence}. It works really
well for most of their customers, so I am comfortable recommending it.

\hypertarget{using-owned-services-servers-syncing}{%
\subsection[Using Owned Services (servers, syncing)]{Using Owned
Services (servers,
syncing)}\label{using-owned-services-servers-syncing}}

When you are using services you own, you have to make sure that you
verify the integrity of your files. File corruption can happen on every
platform, but it is much better to verify your files on your server
since there may be issues with your setup that causes file corruption.

It is also important to keep a separate drive or storage medium on your
services if possible. If anything happens to your main system, it
becomes really easy to just wipe the system and install a new one,
knowing that your data is safe.

You can also use sync services like Syncthing for small files that you
need synced within all of your devices. I use it to sync my password
manager and personal notes. It is encrypted and open-source software and
works extremely fast. It is so fast that by the time I save a file and
open my phone, the file is already updated. This prevents conflicts.

\hypertarget{taking-offline-backups}{%
\subsection[Taking Offline Backups]{Taking Offline
Backups}\label{taking-offline-backups}}

If you are taking offline backups, you should be careful with encrypting
your data if you need it. You should first assess whether you need
encryption or not. If you live in an area with a lot of robberies,
encrypt it, as a robber who is smart enough may steal your drive.

Make sure to get an external hard drive or SSD from a reputable company
like
\href{https://www.westerndigital.com/products?filterByUseCaseName=Backups}{Western
Digital} or
\href{https://www.samsung.com/us/computing/memory-storage/portable-solid-state-drives/}{Samsung}.

By buying a product from a reputable company, you get a reliable product
that lasts a long time.

\hypertarget{maintaining-backups}{%
\subsection[Maintaining Backups]{Maintaining
Backups}\label{maintaining-backups}}

While it is important to back up your data, it is also important to
maintain your backups. At the end of every month, check your backups to
see if your files are still intact. If a specific backup medium keeps
showing corruption in files, move it to another drive immediately, since
they can fail at any time.

\hypertarget{conclusion}{%
\subsection[Conclusion]{Conclusion}\label{conclusion}}

While it is important to take backups, it is also important to make sure
you are taking them properly. Follow the 3-2-1 backup rule. If you are
using invasive services, encrypt all of your files before uploading them
using a trusted piece of software like VeraCrypt.

Try to use services that you own as much as possible, to be completely
independent. Make sure to have offline backups.

\end{document}