I run homelabs and I keep my backups as if my time and sleep depend on them. After the Anna’s Archive takedown, the lesson is simple: a backup system that is private, lawful and testable keeps you in control. I’ll show a practical setup that balances local control with offsite safety, locks down access, and gives you a simple verification routine.
Pick a backup method that matches the data type and recovery needs. For single files and configs, rsync over SSH or Syncthing work well. For versioned, encrypted backups use restic or Borg. Restic is simple to start: init a repo, add a passphrase, schedule backups, and restic check can verify integrity. Borg is efficient for large deduplicated stores. For cloud targets choose an S3-compatible provider or Backblaze B2 and always enable client-side encryption. If you keep disks offsite, use full-disk encryption with LUKS and a unique key. Hardware: a small NAS or mini-server with ECC RAM if you care about data corruption, a separate USB or hot-swap bay for cold copies, and a cheap router that supports VLANs. Software: run backups under a dedicated, non-root user. Use SSH keys with a passphrase and restrict allowed commands in the authorised_keys file for any key that has backup access. Keep your homelab security tight by isolating backup storage on its own VLAN or subnet and blocking access from the rest of the home network.
Privacy settings matter. Lock all web panels behind 2FA and VPN-only access. If you expose a web interface, put it behind Cloudflare Access or an SSH tunnel, and set directory listings to off. For cloud repos make sure server-side logs do not contain plaintext passphrases. Use separate credentials per target and rotate them on a schedule, for example every six months. If you use third-party backup services, read their terms and make sure you are not storing copyrighted material without explicit permission. The recent takedowns show domain-level interventions can cascade and remove access to your stored material if it links to copyrighted content. Treat metadata the same as content; sensitive metadata can be incriminating if shared inadvertently.
Schedule backups and schedule restores. Do daily incremental backups and a weekly full snapshot, keeping a simple retention policy such as daily for 7 days, weekly for 8 weeks, monthly for 12 months. Use cron or systemd timers for deterministic runs. Always include a periodic verification job: a weekly script that mounts a random backup snapshot and verifies checksums or runs restic check/borg check. I test restores by booting a VM from a recent snapshot at least once a quarter and by restoring a few random user files every month. Logging is vital: send backup logs to a separate log host or a cloud log sink. Alert on failed backups via email or a matrix/telegram hook. Make the alert actionable: include repo name, volume size, and error output so you can triage fast.
Maintain the system like any other security asset. Keep backup software up to date and subscribe to security bulletins for the tools you use. Monitor for unauthorised access with fail2ban and auditd, and review SSH logs weekly. If a breach happens isolate the backup host, revoke keys immediately, and preserve logs for forensic review. For legal risk, keep copies of licences and ownership proofs for media you store, and avoid keeping mass collections of third-party copyrighted material. Apply least privilege to any process that can read or modify backups. Finally, document your recovery runbook with exact commands and passwords stored in a secure vault. That makes restores quick, repeatable and less stressful when something actually goes wrong.
Choose an encrypted, versioned backup system like restic or Borg; isolate backup hosts on a separate VLAN and use SSH keys plus 2FA; schedule both backups and restores with automated verification; and keep documentation and rotated credentials. Do those things and your backup system will survive hardware failure, accidental deletion and most legal headaches without drama.
