The short version
- Most backup failures are found during a crisis, not before.
- A real test means restoring something you need, on a clock.
- Write down how long it took. That number is your real recovery time.
Every business we audit says they have backups. Far fewer can tell us when they last restored one, or how long it took. That gap is where outages become disasters.
1. Pick something that matters
Don't test with a spare spreadsheet. Choose a file, mailbox or system the business would miss within a day.
2. Restore it somewhere safe
Restore to a separate location so you don't overwrite anything live. If nobody knows how to do this, you've already learned something important.
If you've never restored it, you don't have a backup. You have a theory.
3. Time it
Start a clock when you begin and stop it when someone can actually use what you restored. Compare it with how long the business can cope without it.
4. Check what's missing
Look for gaps: new systems added since the backup was set up, cloud services that aren't covered, or data that's only on someone's laptop.
5. Write it down and repeat
- What you restored and when.
- How long it took.
- What went wrong.
- When you'll test again.
Want us to run the test with you?
It's part of the Uncomfortable Truth Assessment.
See the assessmentBackupBusiness ContinuityCyber Security