Your laptop died last week. Your cloud account suspended itself for a billing issue. You suddenly realised both copies of your tax archive were on those two places. You spent a panic afternoon recovering.
A two-layer backup strategy prevents this for good.
Layer 1: Cloud sync (always on)
Pick one cloud provider — Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, iCloud — and sync your `/Archive` and `/Working` folders. Continuous sync means every change is replicated within minutes.
This layer protects against laptop loss, drive failure, theft. It does not fully protect against ransomware (which can encrypt synced files) or provider account suspension.
Layer 2: Cold backup (quarterly)
Once a quarter, copy your full archive to an external drive or a different cloud provider. The cold backup is disconnected from your daily workflow; ransomware can't reach it, provider failures don't affect it.
Encrypt the external drive if it leaves your home. Two cloud providers (Drive + Backblaze, or Dropbox + iCloud) work as an alternative.
Critical contracts: a third layer
For irreplaceable signed contracts (founder agreements, property deeds, major commercial contracts), keep a third copy: printed and stored in a safe, or in a bank deposit box, or with your lawyer.
Digital backup is excellent until the rare catastrophic case where it fails. Paper in a safe is the last-line backstop.
Test restores annually
Once a year, test restoring from your cold backup. Pick a random file, restore it, verify it opens correctly. The backup that's never tested is the backup that's broken.
Five minutes a year. Confidence that the backups actually work.
FAQ
How often should I update the cold backup?
Quarterly for most users. Monthly for high-volume workflows. The trade-off is recency vs effort.
What about ransomware?
The cold backup is your defence. Ransomware can encrypt files in cloud sync but cannot reach a disconnected drive. Always have at least one disconnected backup.
How much does this cost?
External drive: £50–£100 one-time. Second cloud provider: £5–£15/month. Cheap insurance for years of work.
Should I encrypt the backup?
Yes, especially if the drive travels with you. Most OSes have built-in encryption (FileVault on Mac, BitLocker on Windows).
Two layers minimum. Three for irreplaceable contracts. Organise PDFs in Flint and then back the archive up properly.