Dev5 min read

Backups Are Boring Until GitHub Goes Down

Git is not a backup strategy. GitHub is not invincible. Here's why you need actual backups.

James Wolf

Founder @ SlyDuck

December 28, 2025

"But My Code Is in Git"

Yes, your code history is in Git. But where is your Git repository stored? GitHub. One account compromise. One billing issue. One provider outage. And your "backup" is inaccessible.

GitHub Is Not Invincible

The Outages

GitHub has outages. When GitHub is down, your CI/CD stops. Your deploys stop.

The Account Risks

Account suspended
Accidental repository deletion
Force-push that overwrites history

The 3-2-1 Backup Rule

3 copies: GitHub, local clone, secondary remote

2 different media: Cloud and local

1 offsite: Different provider than primary

Practical Backup Strategy

Level 1: Multiple Remotes

Add a secondary remote to every important repo.

Level 2: Regular Local Archives

Weekly compressed archive of important repos.

Level 3: Automated Backup Service

Daily git reference backups and weekly full archives.

The Minimum Viable Backup

Enable 2FA on GitHub
Keep a local clone
Enable database backups
Test a restore once

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SlyDuck automates GitHub repository backups: daily git references and weekly full archives. Protect your code.

Automated backups while you sleep

SlyDuck backs up your GitHub repos automatically—daily git references and weekly full archives. Be ready for the next outage.

Protect Your Code