How do I back up my data properly?

Follow the 3-2-1 rule: keep three copies of your data, on two types of media, with one copy offsite. Automate it so it happens without you thinking, and make sure a backup is a real separate copy with history, not just a synced mirror.

What is the easiest way to back up my files?

Start with an automatic backup to an external drive or NAS, plus a cloud or offsite copy for safety. The key is automation, so it runs in the background, and a second location, so one disaster cannot take both copies.

How much storage do I need for backups?

Plan for roughly two to three times the size of the data you are protecting, since backups keep history and you want a second and third copy. Storage is cheap compared to losing the data, so do not skimp on backup capacity.

How to Back Up Your Data: A Simple Guide

Published: August 29, 2026

Live answer · Amazon.com

Pulling live prices…

Live data across PricePerGig listings. Prices may change; Updated every few hours.

📊 As of 28 September 2026, the typical NAS on Amazon.co.uk is £153/TB or £0.153/GB across the 3,350 live listings we track, with the widest choice of drives priced around £61.6/TB or £0.062/GB. The best deals on Amazon.co.uk start from about £299 for 8TB (£37.4/TB), £367 for 14TB (£26.2/TB) and £612 for 20TB (£30.6/TB). The current best value is 14TB at roughly £26.2 per TB.

Sourced from real discussions on r/DataHoarder and r/backup, cross-checked against live PricePerGig listings.

Know you should back up your data but keep putting it off because it feels complicated? Let me make it genuinely simple.

Good backup comes down to one rule and one habit. The rule is three copies in two places with one offsite. The habit is automating it so you never have to remember.

Get those right and your data is safe from almost anything.

The table above shows the live price per TB on your marketplace for the cheap storage that holds your backups.

The rule that covers everything: 3-2-1

This is the whole strategy in one tidy line.

Keep three copies of your data, on two different types of media, with one copy kept offsite.

That single rule defends against drive failure, accidental deletion, ransomware, theft and fire all at once. It is the boring industry standard because it works. We break it down fully in the 3-2-1 backup rule.

Backup is not sync, and not RAID

Two traps that catch people who think they are safe.

Sync keeps copies identical, so a deletion or corruption spreads to every copy. A real backup keeps history you can roll back to. We explain the difference in backup vs sync.

RAID keeps a machine running when a drive dies, but it is not a backup either, because it does not protect against deletion or disaster. See is RAID a backup.

So a proper backup is a separate, versioned copy. Accept no substitutes.

Make it automatic

The best backup is the one that happens without you.

Set an automatic backup to an external drive or a NAS, so new files are copied in the background.
Add a cloud or offsite copy, automated where possible.
A backup you have to remember is a backup you will forget.

Automation is what turns good intentions into actual safety.

Size it generously

Do not under buy on backup storage.

Plan for roughly two to three times the size of the data you are protecting, because backups keep history and you want more than one copy. Storage is cheap, lost data is not.

Check the live table above and buy a roomy, cheap drive for the job.

When it all pays off

Here is the moment this matters.

A drive dies, you fat-finger a delete, or ransomware strikes. With proper backups, you shrug, restore from a copy from before the problem, and carry on. Without them, you are reading can you recover deleted files at midnight, hoping for the best.

Backups turn disasters into minor inconveniences. That is the entire point.

The bottom line

Backing up properly is simple: follow the 3-2-1 rule, make sure your backup is a real versioned copy rather than a sync or a RAID array, automate it, and size your storage generously.

Grab cheap backup storage at the best price per TB from the live table above, set it to run automatically, and keep one copy offsite. Do that once, and your data is safe for good, no matter what goes rong.