You can back up your CockroachDB cluster using either manual methods or automated external connections. For manual backups, you can use AWS CLI to store your data in a secure location such as Amazon S3. This approach requires managing credentials and setting environment variables. Alternatively, CockroachDB supports customer-managed backups using S3, which allows for more control over the backup process. When choosing between these methods, consider using external connections for abstraction and ease, while specified authentication provides full control over the backup process. Additionally, you can use implicit authentication with IAM roles to automatically authenticate your backups on AWS EC2 instances. Both manual and automated approaches have their place depending on your needs, ensuring that your data remains safe, accessible, and well-organized.