I used to run backups at a place I worked where I would put a DAT tape in at the end of the day and move it to a safe place when it finished the next morning. Now the quantities of data many of us have are so massive that it gets harder to be safe. I have used Google Drive as my offsite storage, but if my own drive gets wiped and syncs then I can still lose it all. I ought to get a big USB drive to take a copy every so often. There are more critical files that might fit on a flash drive.
I assume there must be network storage backup systems that would be resistant to mass wipes or scrambling, but that may not be viable for personal use. I need to look into this more.
Thanks for reminding me.
gulp I would never trust critical data on a flash drive for backups. They are one step up from SD cards, but not a lot better.
Also keep in mind, SSD are not designed for long term offline storage. Many SSD are rated for only 2-5 years of integrity without power.
There are lots of options, I named a few, but they can get pretty complicated. Although there are some simplier options as well, just getting a USB HDD offsite on a regular basis can help a lot.
How complicated it gets is directly proportional to how much it will cost you if you lost your data.
I have over 8 terabytes of data I consider important. Mostly digital photos and video going back decades at this point. Even a couple of old home movies from the 1950s when my Mom was a toddler. I make a backup to an external hard drive periodically and even keep another "offsite" though it is just where I work which isn't very far away. The offsite one doesn't get updated as often as it should. But I figure that's about the best I can do for now.