Key takeaways
- Most backup failures are found during a crisis.
- A real test restores something you need, on a clock.
- That time 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.
1. Pick something that matters
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 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.
4. Check what's missing
New systems, cloud services that aren't covered, data that lives on a laptop.
5. Write it down and repeat
Record what you restored, how long it took, what went wrong, and when you'll test again.
Your backup test checklist
{{done}} of {{total}} done