Comprehensive Backup Strategies for the Modern Home
Comprehensive Backup Strategies
Most people only discover their backup strategy is broken on the day they need it. This article walks through the layered approach Rustyt uses to protect client data.
The 3-2-1 rule, plainly
- 3 copies of every important file
- on 2 different types of media
- with 1 copy stored off-site
1. Identify what actually matters
Not every byte deserves equal protection. Tier your data:
- Tier 1 — irreplaceable: photos, scanned documents, tax records. Back up aggressively.
- Tier 2 — important: home-lab configs, project files, password vaults. Back up nightly.
- Tier 3 — replaceable: media library, downloads. One local copy is usually enough.
2. Local backups
A NAS with RAID is not a backup — it protects against drive failure, not against deletion, ransomware or fire. Add a dedicated backup target: a USB disk on a schedule, a Proxmox Backup Server VM, or a second NAS.
3. Off-site backups
For Tier 1 data, push encrypted copies to a cloud provider (Backblaze B2, Wasabi, or Cloudflare R2) using Restic or Kopia. Both are free, fast and verifiably restorable.
4. Verification
A backup you have not restored is a wish. Schedule a quarterly restore test — pick a random file, restore it to a scratch location, confirm it opens.
5. Document everything
Write a one-page runbook: where backups live, who has the keys, how to restore. Print it.
If you would like Rustyt to audit your current backups and design a layered strategy, get in touch.