Minimalist Backup Strategy Across Two Different Regions#

Setup#

1. Pick two cloud storage providers in two different regions, ideally very far apart. For example, one in North America and one in Europe, or one in US West and one in US East.
2. Make two copies of your data and encrypt both with AES-256. AES-256 is considered quantum-resistant.
3. Store each copy with your providers.

Avoid#

• High-risk areas. In earthquake-prone regions, places with frequent tornadoes, and conflict zones, internet service and data centers can go offline overnight.
• Both copies on one provider. Some providers offer multiple data center locations. If your account gets banned, both copies will become inaccessible. Use two different providers.

Advantages#

• No external hard drives needed. No hardware to buy, store, or maintain.
• No cables or docking stations on your desk. You upload directly from your computer over the internet.
• Your data is protected against theft, fire and natural disasters. Data centers are hardened against these events.
• Some providers replicate your files across multiple data centers within the same region. This protects your data if hardware fails.

Risks#

• A major natural disaster, or conflict that affects multiple regions, could damage or shut down both sites at once.
• If both providers have a serious outage or go out of business around the same time, access to your backups could be impacted.