Google Drive Is Not a Backup: Here's What Actually Works Most people assume Google Drive is a backup solution. It's not. It's a sync tool. If your computer gets hit by ransomware, the encrypted files will sync straight to Google Drive. If you accidentally delete something, Google Drive deletes it too. That's how sync works, it mirrors whatever happens on your machine. So if your data actually matters, don't keep it in just one place. The most reliable setup is straightforward: Local computer → NAS → Cloud backup One copy on-site, one copy offsite. If your computer dies, you accidentally delete files, or your account gets compromised, you can still recover everything. Paid tools worth considering: •Synology: The go-to for home and business NAS. Mature, reliable ecosystem. •Backblaze: Affordable, with excellent automation. Great for set-and-forget backups. •Acronis: Enterprise-grade backup with strong recovery options. •Wasabi: Cheap cloud object storage with no egress fees. •Dropbox Business: Solid for team collaboration, though keep in mind it's primarily a sync tool, not a true backup. Open-source alternatives: •rclone: Incredibly versatile. Syncs and backs up to dozens of cloud providers. •Restic: Lightweight, fast, with built-in encryption and deduplication. •BorgBackup: Popular in the Linux community. Excellent compression and deduplication. •TrueNAS: The standard for self-hosted NAS builds. •MinIO: S3-compatible private object storage. Great for self-hosted setups. Most serious tech teams eventually land on the same architecture Because storage isn't the hard part. Recovery is: Local NAS + cloud object storage + versioned backups The real question isn't "where is my data stored?" It's "can I get it back when something goes wrong?" This is the A part of the “CIA” triangle. #cybersecurity#