Which statement best describes the purpose of offsite backup in a 3-2-1 rule?

Which statement best describes the purpose of offsite backup in a 3-2-1 rule?

• A. To make backups faster by sending to the internet.
• B. To store backups on the same device as primary data.
• C. To protect data from local disasters and theft by having a copy offsite or in the cloud.
• D. To replace the need for local backups.

Answer: (C)

Offsite backups in the 3-2-1 rule are about geographic separation to preserve data even when the primary site is hit by a disaster or theft. In this rule you maintain three copies of data, two on different local media and one stored offsite or in the cloud. The offsite copy provides a recovery option if something happens to the local copies—fire, flood, equipment failure, or ransomware that corrupts backups at the primary site—so you can restore data from the remote location. It doesn't replace local backups; it complements them by ensuring at least one copy isn't exposed to the same incident. The other choices miss the point: speed improvements, keeping everything on the same device, or eliminating the need for local backups.

Offsite backups in the 3-2-1 rule are about geographic separation to preserve data even when the primary site is hit by a disaster or theft. In this rule you maintain three copies of data, two on different local media and one stored offsite or in the cloud. The offsite copy provides a recovery option if something happens to the local copies—fire, flood, equipment failure, or ransomware that corrupts backups at the primary site—so you can restore data from the remote location. It doesn't replace local backups; it complements them by ensuring at least one copy isn't exposed to the same incident. The other choices miss the point: speed improvements, keeping everything on the same device, or eliminating the need for local backups.