S3 and object storage setup
Object storage is the cheapest, most durable place for backups, uploads and archives, and one of the easiest to get dangerously wrong. Public buckets and over-powered access keys are behind many well-known data leaks.
The short answer
We set up Amazon S3 or S3-compatible object storage (Cloudflare R2, Backblaze B2, Wasabi and others) for your backups, website uploads or archives: private buckets, access keys that can only do what each system needs, versioning and lifecycle rules to control costs, encryption, and connections from your servers, WHM/cPanel backups and applications.
What’s included
- Choosing the right provider for your data, region and budget: Amazon S3, Cloudflare R2, Backblaze B2, Wasabi or another S3-compatible service.
- Private buckets, with public access blocked unless something must be public.
- Least-privilege access keys: each server or app can reach only its own bucket or folder.
- Versioning and object lock where available, so deleted or overwritten files can be recovered.
- Lifecycle rules that move or delete old data automatically, to keep costs down.
- Connections from WHM/cPanel backups, servers, websites and applications, tested end to end.
How we do it
- Agree what will be stored, how long for, and who needs access.
- Create the buckets, policies and keys.
- Configure versioning, lifecycle rules and encryption.
- Connect your servers and applications.
- Test uploads, restores and access limits, then document.
Choosing a provider
- Amazon S3: the original, with the widest range of features and regions.
- Cloudflare R2: S3-compatible, and Cloudflare charges no egress fees for reading your data back out.
- Backblaze B2 and Wasabi: S3-compatible, with simple, low storage prices that suit backups.
The two mistakes we see most
A bucket accidentally readable by anyone, and a single access key with full control of the whole account stored on a web server. If that server is ever compromised, so is every file. We give each system its own narrowly limited key.
Common questions
What does object storage cost?
The provider charges monthly for the space used and, with some providers, for reading data out. Our setup is a fixed price; we estimate the monthly storage cost for you before you choose.
Can WHM/cPanel back up to S3?
Yes: WHM’s backup configuration can send backups to Amazon S3 and S3-compatible destinations. See backup server setup.
Can our website store uploads in S3?
Yes, for WordPress and custom applications, which also keeps your web server’s disk small.