Backup and recovery readiness
Backups are easy to buy and easy to assume. Recovery is the bit that gets tested for the first time on the worst day of the year. These questions are about recovery, not storage.
Who this is for
Anyone who would be asked 'how long until we're back?' on a bad morning.
Time needed: About 4 minutes
01
Can you list what is backed up, without checking?
Including file shares, line-of-business systems and anything running on someone's desk.
02
Is Microsoft 365 data backed up separately?
Microsoft keeps the service running; your content is your responsibility.
03
When did you last restore real data from backup?
A green tick in a console is a report, not a test.
04
Do you know how long a full recovery would take?
In hours, agreed with the people who'd be waiting.
05
Do you know how much work you'd lose?
The gap between the last backup and the incident.
06
Is at least one copy out of reach of your admins and your network?
Ransomware goes looking for backups first.
07
Is there a written recovery plan someone else could follow?
Assume the person who set it up is on holiday.
08
Do you know which systems come back first?
Everything at once is not a plan.
Answer the remaining 8 questions to see your result.
Want a second opinion on your result?
Get an IT health check that reviews your support, security and Microsoft setup, then gives you a short, prioritised list of what's worth doing.