Sponsored content contributed by AOC Business Partner: Covenant Technology Solutions
Most organizations assume their backups are working. They set it up, they see the green checkmark, and they move on. The problem is that a backup that can’t restore isn’t really a backup — it’s a false sense of security.
The good news: you don’t need a big project to find out where you stand. You just need to actually test it.
Three things worth checking this year:
Start with your most critical system — the one your whole organization depends on to function. Can your team restore data from it? Not theoretically. Actually. Run the test and document what happens.
Next, think about order. When something goes wrong, what comes back first? Most teams don’t have a clear answer until they’re in the middle of a crisis. Getting that priority list sorted in advance saves enormous time when it matters most.
Finally, make sure your backups are protected from the same threat as everything else. Ransomware routinely targets backup systems. If your backups live on the same network and the same access credentials can reach them, they’re vulnerable too.
A 60-minute restore rehearsal once a year — where your IT team validates one critical restore and writes down the steps — is one of the highest-return things a lean organization can do.
Want the full technical breakdown, including specific restore tests and how to protect backup repositories from ransomware? Read the complete guide on our blog.
And if you want to see where your full environment stands before the next incident, a Cyber Risk Assessment is the fastest way to get a clear picture.