Comment by rstuart4133

Backups are best thought of as a multi dimensional problem, as in, they can be connected in many dimensions. Destroy a backup, and all those in the same dimension are also destroyed. This means you must have to have redundancy in many dimensions. That all sounds a bit abstract, so ...

One dimension is two backups can be close in space (ie, physically close, as happened here). Ergo backups must be physically separated.

You've heard RAID can't be a backup? Well it sort of can, and the two drives can be physically separated in space. But they are connected in another dimension - time, as in they reflect the data at the same instant in time. So if you have a software failure that corrupts all copies, your backups are toast as you can't go back to a previous point in time to recover.

Another dimension is administrative control. Google Drive for example will backup your stuff, and separate it in space and time. But they are connected by who controls them. If you don't pay the bill or piss Google off, you've lost all your backups. I swear every week I see a headline saying someone lost their data this way.

Then backups can be all connected to you via one internet link, or connected to one electrical grid, or even one country that goes rogue. All of those are what I called dimensions, that you have to ensure your backups are held at a different location in each dimension.

Sorry, that didn't answer your question. The answer no. It's always possible all copies could be wiped out at the same time. You are always relying on luck, and perhaps prayer if you think that helps your luck.